Replying to a message of Adam Flinton to Gene McAloon:

 AF> From: Adam Flinton 

 AF> Gene McAloon wrote:
 >> On Sun, 18 May 2003 19:59:34 +0100, Adam Flinton
 >>  wrote:  
 >>> Yeah it is bollox. OK so the only other alternatives are that (a) the
 >>> US Military is a lawless place or (b) that the US mil is not under
 >>> the legislative subservience of the US congress i.e. answers solely
 >>> to the executive.  A) Is hopefully not true & (b) if true is very
 >>> interesting......given how things like equal rights etc in the US mil
 >>> seem to have closely followed/mirrored US society as a whole.

 AF> ROFL. OK then Gene form where does the "Uniform Military Code of
 AF> Justice" draw it's legitimacy? From the US constitution possibly?
 AF> Isn't that the overarching legal document which gives legitimacy to
 AF> the mil, the legislature, the executive & the judiciary?

 AF> Put it another way, when soldiers are "sworn in" they
usually have to
 AF> swear to uphold & obey something (in our case the monarch & her
 AF> ministers etc).

 AF> In the case of the US Mil they "swear in"? If so what do
they swear to
 AF> honour & uphold & defend? The UMCJ or the US constitution?

"...do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the
United States, against all enemies, foreign *and domestic*..."
(emphasis mine).  It's been over 20 years, but that's pretty d*mn close to
verbatim.

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