DENVER — Air Force Academy cadets are no longer required to say ‘‘so help me God’’ at the end of the Honor Oath, officials said Friday.
The words were made optional after a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that they violated the constitutional concept of religious freedom.
The oath states, ‘‘We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably, so help me God.’’
Cadets are required to take the oath once a year, spokesman Major Brus Vidal said.
Mikey Weinstein, the advocacy group’s president, welcomed the change but questioned whether cadets opting not to say the words might still feel vulnerable. ‘‘The best thing is to eliminate it.’’
Do I even need to type it?
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