Should the military always follow the president's orders?

[Invisibleflash]

And if not, what are the limits?

 

[WorldWatcher]

.
.
.
.
SecDef Hegseth says you don't have to follow illegal orders.

WW

 

[JohnDB]

It's called sedition if you do not.
President is Commander in Chief.

Usually ends up with getting shot on site for disobeying lawfully given Presidential orders....which may seem illegal but aren't.

So....was Lincoln giving illegal orders when using the military against the Confederacy?
Absolutely. Absolutely broke the Posse Como Status Laws. Did anyone stop and say, "This is illegal, I can't do it"
Yep....and they joined the Confederacy unless they were shot first.

 

[DGS49]

The question of whether orders are "legal" or Constitutional can only be addressed after the fact. Other than in extraordinary circumstances, a soldier's obligation is to obey orders or immediately resign, and face the possibility of being charged with desertion.

 

[IM2]

It's called sedition if you do not.
President is Commander in Chief.

Usually ends up with getting shot on site for disobeying lawfully given Presidential orders....which may seem illegal but aren't.

So....was Lincoln giving illegal orders when using the military against the Confederacy?
Absolutely. Absolutely broke the Posse Como Status Laws. Did anyone stop and say, "This is illegal, I can't do it"
Yep....and they joined the Confederacy unless they were shot first.

Actually, part of the policy is that soldiers are not to follow illegal orders. Lincoln broke no laws because the Confederacy was another country that declared war on America.

 

[kevinthrowe]

And if not, what are the limits?

View attachment 1244943

One of the first lessons at boot camp” do not follow illegal orders”

 

[LuckyDuck01!]

And if not, what are the limits?

View attachment 1244943

Unless an order is so egregious that it can be easily understood to be illegal, you obey. A good example of an illegal order: During the Vietnam war, a unit under 1st Lt. William Calley Jr. gathered villagers and began killing them. The personnel were sick of Viet Cong fighters coming from that area. The gunner manning the machine gun in the chopper, ordered the personnel to stop or he would shoot them. The case went to trial in the military and Calley was found guilty and sentenced to 22 years, but it kept being reduced and ended up only being 3 years of house arrest.
The point is that it has to be an absolutely glaring illegal action and even those directly get sentences reduced or eliminated as it was in the heat of WAR.
Sadly, the leftists want the military personnel to doubt their orders and resist doing their jobs. We have to keep in mind that the leftists want our nation to fail and end as a Constitutional Republic.

 

[EvilCat Breath]

The question of whether orders are "legal" or Constitutional can only be addressed after the fact. Other than in extraordinary circumstances, a soldier's obligation is to obey orders or immediately resign, and face the possibility of being charged with desertion.

Not the only options. The first and best option is to contact a military lawyer and discuss your issues with Jag. The problem today is that many people make up their minds as to whether something is legal or illegal and find out later that they are wrong.

 

[lg325]

The Military has sworn an oath of loyalty to the Constitution, not a President or any other human.
If a president gives orders not in line with the Constitution they can stand down.

 

[BackAgain]

It's called sedition if you do not.
President is Commander in Chief.

Usually ends up with getting shot on site for disobeying lawfully given Presidential orders....which may seem illegal but aren't.

So....was Lincoln giving illegal orders when using the military against the Confederacy?
Absolutely. Absolutely broke the Posse Como Status Laws. Did anyone stop and say, "This is illegal, I can't do it"
Yep....and they joined the Confederacy unless they were shot first.

The Posse Comitatus Act wasn’t passed yet during President Lincoln’s lifetime.

Had it been, his actions did not violate that future law, anyway.

 

[shockedcanadian]

If they are asked to commit a war crime against the Geneva Convention they can and must disobey.

 

[Chuz Life]

And if not, what are the limits?

View attachment 1244943

Orders to any troops do not come directly from the HMFWIC.

Orders are passed through a reasonably lengthy chain of command.

The orders of a President are quite vetted before they reach troops on the ground.

It is an attempted act of treason to undermine the obligation of troops to follow orders in the way that the leftardz are trying to suggest.

 

[MostBoringManInTheWorld]

But wouldn't that be going against Jesus?

Excuse me -- Doctor Jesus.

 

[Care4all]

Not the only options. The first and best option is to contact a military lawyer and discuss your issues with Jag. The problem today is that many people make up their minds as to whether something is legal or illegal and find out later that they are wrong.

What if Hegseth/Trump fired most all the experienced JAGS?

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/25/military-lawyers-fear-firings-will-enable-hegseth-to-bend-law-00206069

In February 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the top Judge Advocates General (JAGs) of the Army and Air Force, along with other senior military leadership. Hegseth described the move as necessary to remove "roadblocks" to presidential orders. This unprecedented move drew concern, as the senior legal advisors are typically expected to act as nonpartisan legal counselors, not policy obstacles.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Should they ALWAYS obey orders? No.

There are plenty of orders where it's obvious a soldier shouldn't obey.

You'd hope such orders would never be given in the first place.

1) Genocide
2) Rape
3) Indiscriminate killing

 

[Lumpy 1]

Let's talk about hypocrisy ..

My daughter (Go Army) was forced to take the (we really don't know what the lasting effects will be) covid shot against her will and Democrats seemed to love that.
.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Let's talk about hypocrisy ..

My daughter (Go Army) was forced to take the (we really don't know what the lasting effects will be) covid shot against her will and Democrats seemed to love that policy..

 

[kevinthrowe]

Orders to any troops do not come directly from the HMFWIC.

Orders are passed through a reasonably lengthy chain of command.

The orders of a President are quite vetted before they reach troops on the ground.

It is an attempted act of treason to undermine the obligation of troops to follow orders in the way that the leftardz are trying to suggest.

Vetted ?

 

[Chuz Life]

Vetted ?

Scrutinized, assessed, evaluated, and weighed against the Constitutional Ideals by generals, admirals, majors, colonels, and lower officers in the chain of command.

 

[kevinthrowe]

Scrutinized, assessed, evaluated, and weighed against the Constitutional Ideals by generals, admirals, majors, colonels, and lower officers in the chain of command.

You imply Trump has anything vetted.