The first duty of an Officer

[CMike]

I find your candor enthralling. But yes, that is a no-shitter. I'm assuming you have some service time under your belt. Where and which branch?

Army. Two tours in Afghan. One upcoming in Iraq. Nice to meet ya.

Thank you for your service, and to the others who have served and are serving in the military.

 

[onecut39]

Within the confines of law.

 

[Trajan]

Don't you just love a sea lawyer....

-You're asking for it, buddy. No biscuit. BAD COUNT. BAD.

Being retired US Navy, after 20 years service, and being married to a retired Navy Commander, I think I have a pretty good idea what the duties of an officer are, and yes, I know all about sea lawyers. I also know a good deal about Marines because I took care of them for years. Now, give me that damned biscuit...

you were a corpsman?

 

[zzzz]

An officers duty is to lead and obey orders. To that end, when given a mission he will strive to accomplish that mission but he must also take into account the well being of his troops, whether an attack is succeeding or failing and whether it is better to withdraw until another time. Battle is not a set piece game where wins and losses are easily determined but a fluid and chaos filled maelstrom. Pickets charge is one example of a failure of leadership. The loss of that division was devastating to Lee's army in morale and the loss of men. Yet there are times when sacrifices must be made for the greater good and the Alamo was one of those battles. It is not a cut and dried thing but something that an Officer must decide in the heat of the moment. Custer's mad rush into battle at the little big horn was another instance of bad leadership, yet the stand of Leonidas against the much larger Persian army of Xerxes, at the pass of Thermopylae, in 480 B.C. is seen as a heroic action of leadership and although they all were killed it provided inspiriation for victories in the following year.

All military men and women have sworn to protect and uphold the consititution. From NCO's to Officers the duties and responsibilities multiply. They are all required to look after their troops, yet they may be called on to order them to die so that others may live. They have to make choices, who do I send to die and who lives and it is not easy thing to do and something they will live with for eternity. God bless them all.

 

[bodecea]

The OP is correct....in that if there becomes a choice between defending the Constitution, obeying the officers appointed over us....and protecting our troops...defending the Constitution and our country comes first.

We go in harms way for a reason....there are times we MUST order our troops into battle where they may get killed or wounded. This is also the reason we have rules against Fraternization.

What I cannot understand is why the OP thinks this is something we don't already know.

 

[JWBooth]

The first duty of an Officer

Is keep his nose clean, do what he is told, and push the right buttons to guarantee that next promotion.

Anything else, like what the book says, is an unrealistic expectation. Kinda like expecting Congress to understand Constitutional limitations.

 

[Douger]

I find your candor enthralling. But yes, that is a no-shitter. I'm assuming you have some service time under your belt. Where and which branch?

Army. Two tours in Afghan. One upcoming in Iraq. Nice to meet ya.

Thank you for your service, and to the others who have served and are serving in the military.

I just want to know who it is that they are "serving" ?
It certainly isn't the brainwashed assholes footing the bill for all of this.

 

[kwc57]

All Officers swear an oath to defend and protect the US Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. THEN they swear to obey the orders of Officers placed above them.

The first duty of an Officer is NOT the protection of his men. It is Mission Accomplishment. Within the confines of Mission Accomplishment an Officer is to do his best for his men.

The first and primary MISSION of any US Military Officer is to DEFEND and PROTECT the Constitution.

Which is why Oliver North is a scumbag and shouldn't be regarded as an example of good character.