Do's and Don'ts for political activities Published Sept. 15, 2008 By Tech. Sgt. Barbara Plante 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The Department of Defense maintains a long-standing policy that DOD personnel acting in their official capacity may not engage in activities that associate DOD with any partisan political campaign or election, candidate, cause or issue and members not on active duty should avoid political activities that imply or appear to imply official sponsorship, approval or endorsement. Political activities by Armed Forces members may be restricted in order to reach the goal of a politically neutral military establishment through avoidance of partisan politics. However, DOD policy is to encourage military members of the Armed Forces even when in a non-Federal status to carry out the obligations of citizenship. In keeping with that traditional concept, members of the Armed Forces and DOD members MAY: - register, vote and express your personal opinion on political candidates and issues, but not as a representative of the Armed Forces. - join a partisan or nonpartisan political club and attend the meetings when not in uniform. - Serve as an election official, as long as it is not as a representative of a partisan political party, does not interfere with performance of your military duties and is performed when not in uniform. - Sign a petition for a specific legislative action or a petition as a private citizen and not as a representative of the Armed Forces. - Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your personal views as long as it is not part of an organized letter writing campaign or a solicitation of votes for or against a political party cause. If the letter identified you as a member of the Armed Forces, it should clearly state that the views expressed are yours as an individual and not those of the Department of Defense. - Display a political bumper sticker on your private vehicle. - Attend partisan and nonpartisan political fundraising activities, meetings and activities as a spectator when not in uniform and no endorsement can be drawn. Air Force members MAY NOT: - Use contemptuous words against the office holders described in Article 88, UCMJ (for officers) and Air Force Instruction 51-902, Political Activities by Members of the US Air Force, (for officers and enlisted members.) - Solicit or receive a campaign contribution from another member of the Armed Forces or from a civilian officer or employee of the United States promoting a political objective or cause. - Engage in the public or organized recruitment of others to become partisan candidates for nomination or election to a civil office. DOD members MAY NOT: - Engage in their official capacity any activity that associates DOD with a specific political Party. Members should never appear in uniform at a Partisan function (e.g. Republican National Convention), nor advocate for any political party when acting or appearing as a member of the DOD. The Air Force provides guidance on permissible political activities in AFI 51-209. Violations of AFI 51-902 are punishable under Article 92, Uniform Code of Military Justice, Failure to Obey a Lawful Regulation. Many more activities may violate the Hatch Act and subject members to federal prosecution or UCMJ action. Additional information can also be obtained from the DOD Directive 1344.10 Subject: Political Activities by members of the Armed Forces. For more information regarding participation in any political activity, call the 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office at (623) 856-5388 or the 944th Fighter Wing Legal Office at (623) 856-5333.