Direct Order In The Military

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There is many questions that come to mind when discussing an order given in the military. Such as what is an order? Is it lawful? Why it is important to follow it? And what could happen if not followed. All of these questions are very important. To begin with, it is important to know what an order is, and if it is lawful to carry it out. An order can be defined as simply a task to complete, no matter how big or small. Regardless of how meaningless it may same. Wether it is marching across a battlefield into combat or sweeping the floor in the break room, both of the orders need to be completed without question. An order is considered lawful unless it is illegal, immoral, or unethical. You have no choice but to do what is ethically and legally…show more content…
If a soldier believes an order is illegal, he must first be sure that he understands the details of the order and the original purpose that the order was given. Then he must seek clarification from the person who gave the order. The act of questioning a direct order takes a lot of moral courage, but asking this queston could be the difference in saving the soldiers life and career. An example of questioning a direct order is: Did you really want me to do that? Isnt that against regulation? But in some situations those questions must be asked. Another important question is, does that person have the correct level of authority to give that order. In the Armed Services, authority is defined as the right to direct soldiers to do certain task or missions. Authority is the given power of leaders to direct soldiers to complete the mission and to take action while staying within the scope of their position. Authority also allows leaders to take the appropriate corrective action when a member of the military, any branch, commits an act that is not considered good order or discipline, regardless of where the event may occur. For an NCO to be considered a good leader, he or she must learn what type of…show more content…
Well one option is that the soldier would be considered derelict in the performance of his or her duties. This falls under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Now what does it mean to be derelict of duty? Well, a soldier is derelict in the performance of his or her duties when that person willfully or negligently fails to perform that duty. A service member may also be considered derelict of duty if that person performs their duty in an inefficient manner. To willfully fail to perform their duty means that it was intentionally not completed. Meaning they knowingly and purposely didnt complete it, even knowing the probable consequences of it. Negligently means a soldier didnt show the same amount of importance or care in completed the task as a reasonable person would have exercised under the same or similar circumstances. All of these can lead to an dishonorable discharge, or a bad-conduct discharge. Possibly even a forfeit of pay and allowances. In the U.S. Military, insubordination is covered under Article 91 of the uniform code of military justice. It covers disobeying lawful orders as well as disrespectful language or even striking a superior officer or non-commissioned officer. Insubordination is refusal by a subordinate to obey lawful orders

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