The induction oath LAA / CER–2956 / 02 2956 · revised ceremonial text Academic Board The cadet oath binds excellence, discipline, and service to the trust of others. This revised ceremonial text preserves the voice of the earlier oath while making clear that duty requires conscience, lawful authority, and responsibility for one’s own decisions. Text for induction I stand before the stars and those who came before me, and I swear this oath of my own will. I will pursue excellence not for glory, but for those whose lives may rest upon my care. I will hold discipline not as blind obedience, but as the foundation upon which trust is built. I will serve not for recognition, but because capability carries a duty beyond oneself. I will earn the trust placed in me through study, conduct, and service, claiming no authority beyond that lawfully entrusted to me. I will not lie. I will not cheat. I will not steal. I will not look away from wrongdoing, nor conceal my own. I will respect those beside me and safeguard those entrusted to me. I will refuse an unlawful order and answer for the decisions I make. Where there is darkness, I will carry the light. Where there is silence, I will speak the truth. Where there is doubt, I will seek understanding— and where duty calls, I will act with judgment and courage. I will learn from correction, give credit where it is due, and leave the next watch stronger than I found it. This I swear—by the law of the stars, by the name I carry, and by the name I will earn. The ceremony The Registrar opens the induction volume in the Great Hall. Cadets may read from the approved text. An affirmation is accepted on the same terms as an oath. Faculty witnesses sign the entry after the cadet. Edition note Earlier ceremonial language survives in the historical collection. This revised issue replaces its use at current inductions. The seal and the motto, Excellence Through Discipline, remain the Academy’s established identity. Lex Astra Academy / HLN fictional setting. Public reading copy.