{"id":45085,"date":"2020-01-15T12:00:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T15:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/?p=45085"},"modified":"2021-04-01T11:01:59","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T14:01:59","slug":"pence-swears-in-general-raymond-on-space-force-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/15\/pence-swears-in-general-raymond-on-space-force-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Pence Swears in General Raymond on Space Force Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Yesterday, Vice President Mike Pence swore in Gen John “Jay” Raymond as the first Chief of Staff of the Space Force. As covered at SpaceNews<\/a>, the event was notable because the United States has never had a Space Force before; in fact, the US hasn’t had a major Service added to the force since the Air Force became an independent Service in 1947. It was a historic event.<\/p>\n

NPR, though, noted<\/a> the other highlight of the event in a parenthetical aside [emphasis added]:<\/p>\n

With one hand placed on a Bible whose “official” blessing on Sunday sparked sharp criticism<\/strong>, Raymond was sworn in by Vice President Pence at the vice president’s ceremonial office.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Clearly, the government was moved by Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s complaint about the Bible<\/a> yesterday — probably because it was “full-throated” — and completely ignored him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contrary to Weinstein’s all-caps claim that military officers are “NOT ever ‘sworn-in’ to their positions”, the narrator of the ceremony noted the oath was required under Article VI of the Constitution<\/a> (as an “executive officer” of the United States) and is prescribed in Title V<\/a> of the US Code:\u00a0<\/p>\n

An individual…appointed to an office…in the civil service or uniformed services,<\/strong> shall take the following oath: \u201cI, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The ceremony — which you can watch on YouTube<\/a> and DVIDS<\/a> — was attended by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper — to whom Weinstein said he would complain about the Bible. The ceremony was opened with an invocation by Air Force Chief of Chaplains MajGen Stephen Schaick — the same officer who had earlier received the Bible from the National Cathedral, earning Weinstein’s wrath. Gen Raymond was sworn in by Vice President Pence, who has previously defended a POW\/MIA Bible<\/a> from Mikey Weinstein’s attacks.<\/p>\n

Gen Raymond called his taking of the oath “historic.”<\/p>\n

Swearing-in a Chief of Staff on a Bible is a routine event. Swearing-in the leader of a new Service is historic. Mikey may not like it, but other than a few minutes of media coverage — and a half-sentence on NPR — no one cared about his faux outrage and frivolous complaint.<\/p>\n

Also at Military.com<\/a>, Air Force Magazine<\/a>, and the Stars and Stripes<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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