The first oath was voted on 14 June 1775 as part of the act creating the Continental Army. So is the oath meaningless?
I, (NAME), 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; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
Read the AR as well as the Constitution as it pertains to Presidential succession.
2–2. Open door policies - Commanders will establish an open door policy within their commands. Soldiers are responsible to ensure that the commander is made aware of problems that affect discipline, morale, and mission effectiveness; and an open door policy allows members of the command to present facts, concerns, and problems of a personal or professional nature or other issues that the Soldier has been unable to resolve. The timing, conduct, and specific procedures of the open door policy are determined by the commander. He or she is responsible for ensuring that Soldiers are aware of the command’s open door policy.
I remember reading about this from Ltc Lakin - that he went through this policy and was rebuffed and received no satisfaction through the open door policy and was left with no choice but to take the actions he did.
Doubt and concerns about the legitimacy of a CIC needs to be resolved immediately. To NOT resolve these concerns cannot help but lead to discipline problems, morale problems, and a decay of general mission effectiveness. The Joint Chiefs should be ashamed of themselves that they have not sought to resolve this issue THEMSELVES by demanding Obama prove his eligibility. They could do it within the hour. Why this contentious issue continues to fester and grow and continue to be ignored by the 'chain of command' is beyond me. This is dividing the country and this WILL lead to a civil war if its not resolved! Shame on them!!