A Question or Two for Military People.....

A lot of "what if's" and "maybe's" have gone over the boards. But if you're active duty in some branch, called up NG, whatever, how far do you follow orders?

Will you arrest American citizens just on the authority of your orders from a commanding officer? Will you follow orders to arrest a whole class or group of citizens? Will you carry out orders that violate the oath to protect the Conatitution, even if those orders are "explained" as being for the good of America?

Where do your loyalties stand? Are you loyal to America, or to the "order of power" that is represented in the command structure?

Maybe it's time we asked these kinds of questions of those in the military. Maybe it's time they asked themselves, and their friends, the same questions.

How far will you go?

I understand what your getting at but you must think about how any enforcement is trained. They are trained to avoid askinig and just doing. Sure many may think and ponder about such things but what about shooting and dropping a bomb and casulties as well.

If a grand amount of Americans started to go wild in the streets for any reason, what should the Military do? If and when this happens do you think there will be time to ask questions and fully investigate if your a threat or not if all hell is breaking out? More so stop the problem and work it out later.

Well, for MARINES anyway, it is a ? of discipline, and discipline is the instant, willing, obedience to all orders.

If Katrina was any indication of what happens to a law abiding democracy in the face of catastrophe or terrorist strike God help us. Police, Drs accused of murder. Police committing suicide. I can tell you one thing, it won't be a pretty scenario.

I’m not sure what you are asking? What is America other than the people who live there and the people who are elected to office to represent? Our forefathers were very interested in maintaining checks and balances. As example; the President is commander and chief, but it is the Congress that raises and supports the military. They also declare war and call up the militia.

Our forefathers did not want the possibility of a military coop and so the second amendment came about. When we look at the military it is basically made up of two parts. We have the federal military and the state level Guard. This is once again checks and balances between the state and the federal governments.

Now you ask would I follow lawful orders, and the answer is yes, but would I follow unlawful orders and the answer is no. Can I be ordered to attack that would lead to certain death for myself? And the answer is yes, and I would obey it. Can I be lawfully ordered to kill a group of civilians? No, and I would not obey, and I would also have the officer that ordered me to do it brought up on charges.

The military is extremely well trained in the Laws of Arm Conflict, Geneva Convention, Rules of Engagement, etc and so we are experts in the control of violence. When dealing with inside the borders of the US the Guard is the military force that is used and they are controlled by each states Governor. The success or failure of first response relies on the states’ ability to accomplish that, and Louisiana did not do a very good job during Katrina. FEMA is really nothing more than offices and a big pot of money. They provide money and resources to the states’, but it is each state that acts and their Guard is a big part of that action not the federal military.


[edit on 28-8-2007 by Xtrozero]

I really appreciate the response on this. I was in the Army many moons ago, and we were all instructed in the UCMJ, but it wasn't really pushed very hard.

And I was in no way saying that our service people would do anything wrong, they are Americans too. I was more asking how the command structure views questioning orders in this day and age, and how our military people were trained to think on such subjects.

As far as the use of Federal troops on American soil, well, that's just one Presidential Directive away, and in this climate of "terrorism", could happen anytime and anywhere.

Irealize that in times of stress, you act first and worry about sorting it out later. I also remember the phrase "Kill'em all and let God sort "em out". An attitude that didn't work well in the long term, but allowed for a lot more civilian casualties than most people would be comfortable thinking about.

I would really like to hear from a wide variety of people on this, as it is a subject that is skirted in many posts, with assumptions being made without actually talking to those military types that would be there on the ground.

I took an oath to defend the constitution. You obey legal orders or you bring the officer up on charges of issuing illegal orders. Legal orders are that gray area people talk about.

Now if a guy was to look up the Posse Comitatus Act he might find an answer to the question he was asking. There has been much talking about amending this Act, but it is being fought by several unlikely allies.