Re[2]: Re : Chits

You obey lawful orders. You are trained to do your best to know what a
lawful 
order is.  Blindly following orders is not USMC doctrine, sorry we are
not SS 
troopers or NKVD. "I was just following orders" will not work in the
USMC, 
doesn't matter if your officer is "challenged" or not. Any good NCO has
to train
his officers anyway. 

Poor officers can and do get their men killed, and assault troops are
trained 
to follow orders "normal" troop may balk at. But never think that just
because
an officer (especially in a small unit setting) issues a off the wall
order. 
It will be followed. There are several legitimate ways to NOT follow
unlawful, 
or foolish orders, or go around them. In the end it comes down to the
trust and 
respect the men have for one another and their leaders (Espirt de
Corps).

I understand we are talking in gaming terms for the most part here . But
as I am
sure we all know. Games are not even really simulations of real life.
And the 
best simulations/models I have ever seen fell short in	the small unit
(infantry
) area. And I never played a FUN game that was a simulation (in any kind
of a 
serious way).  

						   Semper Fi
						      Jon H.

_____________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Re : Chits
Author:  FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk at MEMCPSMTP
Date:	 6/23/97 12:47 AM

On Thu, 19 Jun 1997, Jon Holloway wrote:
     
>      Marines. Any professional soldier will tell you they are trained
to 
>      think AND obey lawful orders. 
     
So, what do you do when those two conflict?
     
That's right, obey the orders. No reasoning, no backtalk, just obey or 
face court martial.
     
Obedience is of primary importance. Initiative is a nice plus for 
situations when there's no one around to order you (which gets more 
common in the higher ranks, true).   
     
Part of military training is designed to break down initiative, e.g. 
parade drills, systematic humialiation, senseless tasks.
     
It may get better as time goes by, but basic training is very much 
centered on showing the recruit his place in the system and killing any 
initiative or free thought -- and with that in conscript armies like 
ours, dies the professional expertise the recruit had in civilian life.
     
And please don't tell me you've never had an idiot for a superior
officer.
     
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