JHC
05-14-2013, 12:36 PM
Provacative and interesting discussion right here about duty, honor and following orders. The context is about what went down in Libya during the fight.
The illegal orders like "slaughter every man, woman and child in that village" are too easy and directly addressed in military education. This is about way more gray areas.
The author takes a pretty hard line. Reminded me of late one evening as a battery XO and acting commander during my BC's leave, I bailed an E6 out of a career ending jam but doing so meant I knowingly violated explicit standing orders of my Battalion commander. Nothing physically dangerous mind you. But when I did it I was calmly resigned to the fact that this was the end of my short Army career. The next day was payday so first thing I headed off across the Bn area and quickly found the Bn Cdr making his rounds. I showed him the evidence and explained what I did and holy crap he ripped into me in a most epic fashion. I was to be relieved of duty in the Bn and send to the post audio visual center to eek out the rest of my time. I was only saved by the intercession of the Brigage commander who rejected that course because my transgression was self destructive to save the NCO's career. That made it easier of course but in those days before that got sorted out; I never felt more at peace.
IMO it's a critical gut check that leadership should prepare themselves for. http://www.blackfive.net/main/2013/05/i-want-answers.html#comments
I intend it more as the hypothetical. The author is lasered in on Libya but I can imagine that it is possible that the Tripoli airport was deemed insecure; and with by some reports, only 4 SOF individuals; and the annex a defendible position, there may have been a calculation to use them in Tripoli. I don't have enough info on that.
The illegal orders like "slaughter every man, woman and child in that village" are too easy and directly addressed in military education. This is about way more gray areas.
The author takes a pretty hard line. Reminded me of late one evening as a battery XO and acting commander during my BC's leave, I bailed an E6 out of a career ending jam but doing so meant I knowingly violated explicit standing orders of my Battalion commander. Nothing physically dangerous mind you. But when I did it I was calmly resigned to the fact that this was the end of my short Army career. The next day was payday so first thing I headed off across the Bn area and quickly found the Bn Cdr making his rounds. I showed him the evidence and explained what I did and holy crap he ripped into me in a most epic fashion. I was to be relieved of duty in the Bn and send to the post audio visual center to eek out the rest of my time. I was only saved by the intercession of the Brigage commander who rejected that course because my transgression was self destructive to save the NCO's career. That made it easier of course but in those days before that got sorted out; I never felt more at peace.
IMO it's a critical gut check that leadership should prepare themselves for. http://www.blackfive.net/main/2013/05/i-want-answers.html#comments
I intend it more as the hypothetical. The author is lasered in on Libya but I can imagine that it is possible that the Tripoli airport was deemed insecure; and with by some reports, only 4 SOF individuals; and the annex a defendible position, there may have been a calculation to use them in Tripoli. I don't have enough info on that.