Guide to political activities for Air Force personnel

  • Published
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Political activities by Air Force personnel may be restricted in order to reach the goal of a politically neutral military establishment through avoidance of partisan politics. The Air Force provides guidance on permissible and impermissible political activities in AFI-51-902, Political Activities by Members of the US Air Force. Violations of AFI 51-902 are punishable under Article 92, UCMJ, Failure to Obey a Lawful Regulation.

Permitted political activities

- Air Force members may

-- Register to vote, vote, and express a personal opinion on political candidates and issues, but not as a representative of the Air Force

-- Make monetary contributions to a political organization or political committee favoring a particular candidate or slate of candidates, subject to limitations under federal election laws

-- Attend political meetings or rallies as a spectator when not in uniform

-- Join a political club and attend its meetings when not in uniform

-- Serve as an election official, if such service is not as a representative of a partisan political party, does not interfere with military duties, is performed while out of uniform, and has the prior approval of the major command commander or equivalent authority (approval authority may be delegated to the installation commander)

-- Display a political sticker on the member's private vehicle or wear a political button when not in uniform and not on duty

-- Write a personal letter, not for publication, expressing preference for a specific political candidate or cause, if the action is not part of an organized letter-writing campaign on behalf of a partisan political cause or candidate

Prohibited political activities

- Air Force members may not

-- Use official authority or influence to interfere with an election, to affect its course or outcome, to solicit votes for a particular candidate or issue, or to require or solicit political contributions from others

-- Be a candidate for civil office or hold civil office, except as authorized by AFI 51-902, paragraphs 5 and 6 (see "CAMPAIGNING AND HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE" below)
-- Participate in partisan political management, campaigns, or conventions, or make public speeches in the course of such activity

-- Allow, or cause to be published, partisan political articles signed or authorized by the member for soliciting votes for or against a partisan political party or candidate

-- Serve in any official capacity or be listed as a sponsor of a partisan political club

-- Speak before a partisan political gathering of any kind for promoting a partisan political party or candidate

-- Participate in any radio, television, or other program or group discussion as an advocate of a partisan political party or candidate

-- Conduct a political opinion survey under the auspices of a partisan political group or distribute partisan political literature

-- Perform clerical or other duties for a partisan political committee during a campaign or on election day

-- Solicit or otherwise engage in fund-raising activities in federal offices or facilities, including military installations, for a partisan political cause or candidate

-- March or ride in a partisan political parade

-- Participate in any organized effort to provide voters with transportation to the polls if the effort is organized by or associated with a partisan political party or candidate

-- Attend, as an official representative of the Armed Forces, partisan political events, even without actively participating

-- Engage in the public or organized recruitment of others to become partisan candidates for nomination or election to a civil office

-- Make campaign contributions to a partisan political candidate

-- Make campaign contributions to another member of the Armed Forces or an officer or employee of the federal government for promoting a political objective or cause

-- Solicit or receive a campaign contribution from another member of the Armed Forces or from a civilian officer or employee of the United States for promoting a political objective or cause

-- Use contemptuous words against the office holders described in Article 88, UCMJ (for officers) and AFI 51-902 (for officers and enlisted members)

-- Display a large political sign, banner, or poster on the top or side of a member's private vehicle (as distinguished from a political sticker)

-- Sell tickets for, or otherwise actively promote, political dinners and other such fund-raising events

Campaigning and holding public office

- Air Force members may not campaign as a candidate for nomination or as a nominee for civil office except

-- With proper approval, a member may be permitted to file evidence of nomination or candidacy for nomination as required by law

-- Such a request will normally not be approved unless the member is likely to separate from active duty/active duty training at least 30 days before the scheduled election

- Air Force members may not become a candidate for any civil office while serving an initial tour of extended active duty or a tour of extended active duty that the member agreed to perform as a condition to receiving schooling or training wholly or partly at U.S. expense

- Except as authorized by law, regular officers on the active duty list and members on active or full-time National Guard duty under a call or order for a period of more than 180 days may not hold or exercise the functions of a civil office, including

-- Federal elective, appointed, or senior executive service offices; or

-- Any office in the government of a state; the District of Columbia; a territory, possession, or commonwealth of the United States; or in any political subdivision of the foregoing

-- Such members may hold or exercise the functions of other federal civil offices when assigned or detailed to that office to perform those functions

- Enlisted members may seek and hold nonpartisan civil office on a local school board, neighborhood planning commission, and similar agencies

- Officers on active duty may seek and hold nonpartisan civil office on an independent school board that is located exclusively on a military reservation, but such offices must be held in a private capacity and may not interfere with military duties

- Air Force members may serve as a regular or reserve civilian law enforcement officer or member of a civilian fire or rescue squad when such service

-- Is approved by the member's commander

-- Is in the member's personal capacity

-- Does not involve the exercise of military authority; and

-- Does not interfere with performance of military duties

References: 

DoDD 1344.10, Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty,
15 June 1990, Incorporating Through Change 2, 17 February 2000
DoD 5500.7-R, Joint Ethics Regulation, 30 August 93, Incorporating Through Change 4,
6 August 1998
AFI 51-902, Political Activities by Members of the US Air Force, 1 January 1996
AFI 51-903, Dissident and Protest Activities, 1 February 1998