DAFI51-508 — Political Activities, Free Speech And Freedom Of Assembly Of Air Force Personnel

DAFI51-508 governs political activities, free speech, freedom of assembly, and extremist and protest activities for Department of the Air Force personnel.

Search DAFI51-508

  • Publication number: DAFI51-508
  • Title: POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, FREE SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY OF AIR FORCE PERSONNEL
  • Date: 2023-03-24

View DAFI51-508 on armypubs.army.mil


DAFI51-508 covers permitted and prohibited political activities, civil-office candidacy, duty restrictions, personal writing, demonstrations, grievances, and off-limits actions. It requires compliance with mandatory provisions, routes supplements for coordination, and addresses waiver requests and records disposition.

Topics covered

  • Political activities
  • Civil-office candidacy
  • Duty restrictions
  • Protest and extremist activities
  • Personal writing matters
  • Demonstrations and similar activities
  • Grievances

Questions and answers

What happens when uniformed members fail to obey specified DAFI51-508 paragraphs?

Failure to obey paragraphs 2.5.1.2, 2.6.3, 2.6.4.1, 3.3, 3.4.1.3, and 3.4.3.1-3.4.3.2 of this instruction by uniformed members of RegAF, USSF, AFR on active duty or inactive duty for training, and ANG in Title 10 status, constitutes a violation of Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

How are waiver requests under DAFI51-508 submitted?

Submit requests for waivers through the chain of command to the appropriate Tier waiver approval authority, or alternately, to the requestor’s commander for non-tiered compliance items.

How must records generated under DAFI51-508 be handled?

Ensure all records generated as a result of processes prescribed in this publication adhere to Air Force Instruction 33-322, Records Management and Information Governance Program and are disposed in accordance with the Air Force Records Disposition Schedule, which is located in the Air Force Records Information Management System.

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