He had driven nearly two hours to receive paperwork beginning the process of removing him from the military under President Donald Trump’s transgender service ban. Another lieutenant, a close friend, would hand him the documents. His battalion commander would join by video. People he considered family would help carry out a policy he is suing to overturn.
Wow, no actually. Completely wrong from start to finish! US soldiers are (at least were in more normal times) trained that in no case will the Nuremberg defense (“just following orders”) protect them should they choose to follow illegal orders.
Of course they’re also psychologically broken down and remolded to be a media-illiterate imitation of Rambo, remorseless killers rendered much less fit to reintegrate into civilian life. So I’m not saying it’s a simple situation soldiers find themselves in either - but illegal orders are customarily considered invalid.
Well yeah, but we aren’t talking about illegal orders here unfortunately.
I was confining my response to your specific comment, but yes.