Especially in an organization such as the military 'Good Order' is expected and demanded. Everyone has a job, when one person or group fails to do that job properly you no longer have 'Good Order'. No matter how much one may argue that what they did was the moral thing to do, it was not however what they were suppose to be doing. The Pilots will be reprimanded and it will be noted in their jackets. Anyone who has ever worn the uniform can contest that they have recieved orders that may have seemed contrary to what they thought they should be going or wanted to do. It is a fact of military life. To argue about the moral issue of what was done is completely useless. If they were my pilots under my command I would have reprimanded them too! As a commander you have to know that when an order is given that it will be followed accordingly. This trust is very important in planning on any scale for any action so that your time and attention can be placed on more complicated areas that need it. When a task as simple as delivering supplies and returning to base
isn't carried out as expected, a spoke in the wheel is broken. This means time, attention and resources then have to be pulled from other needy areas to repair the wheel. The pilots no matter how some may see it, where in the wrong. Hero to goat, that is the way it is!

The bottom line is that, yes, they violated orders.
The millitary functions entierly on obediance to the letter of the order.
There's no room for interpretation.

HOWEVER
I would have done the same and taken my lumps secure in the knowladge that, yes, I'm a lousy soldier, but I'm a better human being.
Thus, I'm not in the millitary!
"Screw off" doesn't go over well in the millitary, even well followed by "Sir!".

They were not reprimanded for rescuing survivors. They were reprimanded for disobeying orders. A big difference.

*edit to fix spelling*

[edit on 9/8/2005 by darkelf]

Once again as is the case most of the time here on ATS, people jumped to a conclusion based on hearsay, rumors and half truths. Just another great example of Sensationalized Journalism. The American media has gotten in the terrible habit of making the news instead of reporting it. I do not know what events actually took place but I assure you, based on what I see and read on most post, it really doesn't matter! It is being reported now that none of this happened as it was orginally presented.
Who knows? Who cares?