,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ehgb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #ab1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,mast 7for himself1 ,mr4      
,barr1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,california1   
,mr4 ,stivers1 ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi1    
,mr4 ,posey1 ,mr4 ,young1 ,mr4          
,crawford1 and ,mr4 ,marshall7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title   
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 to establish
 a separation oath for members of the   
,armed ,forces who are separating from  
military service4  #a4 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the ,oath of 
,exit ,act4  #b4 ,establishment of      
separation oath for members of the      
,armed ,forces  7a7 ,findings ,congress 
makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the 
,united ,states ,armed ,forces is the   
largest1 all-volunteer military force in
 the world1 yet less than one percent of
 the ,american population serves in the 
,armed ,forces4  7#b7 ,each branch of   

the ,armed ,forces 7,army1 ,navy1 ,air  
,force1 ,marine ,corps1 ,coast ,guard7  
instills in its members a sense of duty 
and obligation to the ,united ,states1  
their branch of service1 and their      
comrades-in-arms4  7#c7 ,the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs estimates that   
approximately #bj veterans of the ,armed
 ,forces commit suicide each day and a  
veteran's risk of suicide is #ba percent
 higher compared to an adult who has not
 served in the ,armed ,forces4  7#d7    
,the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
is aggressively undertaking measures to 
prevent these tragic outcomes1 yet      
suicide rates among veterans remain     
unacceptably high4  7#e7 ,upon          
enlistment or appointment in the ,armed 
,forces1 a new member is obligated to   
take an oath of office or oath of       
enlistment4  7#f7 ,most members of the  
,armed ,forces view this oath not as an 
imposition1 but as a promise that they  
are bound to fulfill4  7b7              
,establishment of separation oath       

,section #ejb of title #aj1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by     
redesignating subsection 7b7 as         
subsection 7c7 and1 in such subsection1 
by striking ,the oath and inserting ,an 
oath established by this section2 and   
7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7a7  
the following new subsection 7b73  7b7  
,separation oath ,prior to retirement or
 other separation from the armed forces1
 other than separation pursuant to the  
sentence of a court-martial1 a member of
 an armed force may take the following  
oath3 ,i1  1 recognizing that my oath to
 support and defend the ,constitution of
 the ,united ,states against all        
enemies1 foreign and domestic1 has      
involved me and my fellow members in    
experiences that few persons1 other than
 our peers1 can understand1 do solemnly 
swear 7or affirm7 to continue to be the 
keeper of my brothers- and              
sisters-in-arms and protector of the    
,united ,states and the ,constitution2  
to preserve the values ,i have learned2 

to maintain my body and my mind2 to give
 help to1 and seek help from1 my fellow 
veterans2 and to not bring harm to      
myself or others4 ,i take this oath     
freely and without purpose of evasion1  
so help me ,god4  4  7c7 ,clerical      
amendments  7#a7 ,section heading ,the  
heading of section #ejb of title #aj1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended to    
read as follows3  #ejb4 ,enlistment oath
 and separation oath3 who may administer
  4  7#b7 ,table of sections ,the table 
of sections at the beginning of chapter 
#ca of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1
 is amended by striking the item        
relating to section #ejb and inserting  
the following new item3  #ejb4          
,enlistment oath and separation oath3   
who may administer4  4