Military Orders - the Ethical and the Unethical

Military Orders, the Ethical and the Unethical

I never thought that I would be in the predicament to have or in the middle of a crossroad on whether to follow an order or not. The day I joined the Army as well as other individuals we swore to follow the orders of the officers appointed over us. At that present time you never think that you would have to second question a order from a superior, but what do you do when you have to question whether an order was an ethical one or an unethical one? Do you follow all and orders regardless.

When you join the military following orders is of the utmost importance in the military. Obedience is what enables the military to operate in an organized and effective manner which is clearly very important during challenging military situations. While an individual can question the notion of obedience in daily life, this luxury is often not available in the military where the grand goals and aims require smooth internal functioning and hierarchical coordination. Indeed, many of the standards that would be frowned upon outside the military are essential to the work's success within. For example, punishment is not deemed to be a positive occurrence in an average person's life, whereas the military guide maintains that punishment strengthens one's determination and discipline and enables a person to learn and fully take the importance of following orders in. Not following orders is not an optional choice that recruits can make upon joining the army.

The act of disobedience is considered to be an infractions and a person who placed himself in such a situation can find himself facing Article 15 charges. Thus, respect and obedience is of the utmost significance in the military as it helps maintain the internal structure and enables the military therefore to carry out its operations in confidence. Some of my fondest memories as a child were how my family made it through the tough times. Throughout time our family friends just became an extended portion of our family. They were there for us through thick and thin so as time went on the individuals were no longer seen as friends, they were family and that's it. No other words to explain or describe them but family. A lot of our extended family came from the church that I and my siblings grew up in. My mother had us going to church every Sunday. Sick or healthy we were going to be in church on Sunday.

The importance of orders to the military become clearer when it is taken into account that Article 15 punishments are administered without a jury or judge. The military recognizes that respect for authority is what maintains order and prevents the eruption of chaos and is hence willing to set an example for all who might be tempted to oppose their leaders, by administering these punishments first hand without any judicial representatives. Furthermore, article 90 makes it clearly illegal to disobey