In our democracy, elections are quite common, and with a presidential election this year, we can expect many opportunities for citizens to participate in the democratic process. With this in mind, it is important to be aware of specific guidelines that apply to service members and federal employees on acceptable behavior.
Military personnel and civilian employees are encouraged to carry out their obligations of citizenship, which include the right to participate personally in the political process. These rights are protected by the U.S. Constitution that all military members have taken an oath to support and defend.
Because of that oath, service members and civilian employees also have a duty to ensure that their personal activities do not imply official endorsement by the Department of Defense or Department of the Air Force. As individuals, we do not have to be politically neutral, but the Air Force and Space Force do. These rules help to ensure the DoD does not influence or appear to be partisan in our nation's electoral process.
Department of Defense Directive 1344.10, Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces, and individual service regulations outline permitted and prohibited political activities by active duty, Reserve component and retired service members. These rules regulate how and when service members are able to participate in the political process. Service members who violate these directives could face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and/or other criminal or administrative penalties. The Hatch Act of 1939 (5 U.S.C. 7321-7326) applies to civilian employees and similarly regulates how and when individuals can conduct personal political activities.
Service members and federal employees are encouraged to participate in the political process, but they must be careful about not engaging in political activities in the workplace and not using their official positions to advocate for or against political issues. With the directives set forth in DoDD 1344.10 and other regulations in mind, service members should be aware of what they can and cannot do regarding political activities. The below do's/don'ts are not exhaustive, and service members and employees should consult with their servicing legal office with any questions regarding their personal political activities.
Active duty service members CAN:
· Register to vote, vote and encourage others to vote.
· Express a personal opinion on political candidates and issues.
· Write a letter in a newspaper, blog or social media expressing personal political views. However, if you identify yourself as a service member (for example, if you have a photo on your social media of yourself in uniform) you must include a statement that your views do not represent those of the Department of Defense or Department of the Air Force.
· Attend partisan or non-partisan political rallies and clubs as a spectator during off-duty hours. However, service members (including retirees) may not be in uniform.
