Constitution Day & Citizenship Day: Recall what all Airmen vowed to support, defend Published Sept. 13, 2007 MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- In addition to recognizing the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the Air Force's upcoming 60th anniversary next week, we also have another momentous event coming up -- Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Our nation's leaders designated Sept. 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the signing of the Constitution in Philadelphia on that day in 1787. When we raised our hands as Airmen, we swore our allegiance to support the Constitution of the United States of America. We joined the pioneers and legends who blazed the skies before us to defend our nation, its ideals and the freedoms embodied in the Constitution. We recognize Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to: -- Celebrate the anniversary of our nation's Constitution and honor the framers who created the landmark document that continues to guide our nation. -- Honor the uniqueness of the document that is the foundation of our country. -- Appreciate the great diligence with which our country's forefathers worked to develop a framework that would balance authority and inherent freedoms, federal interests and state powers, individual rights and national unity. -- Remember every American shares in this legacy of liberty, and how grateful we are for the courage, conviction, and sacrifice of all those who have helped preserve and uphold the principles of a free, democratic society. -- Recall our responsibility as citizens to respect and defend the values of our founding and participate in the unfolding story of freedom. For more information about Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, visit http://constitutionday.cpms.osd.mil.