Two sets of pictures are making the rounds virally of the Internet. They look similar, but are VERY different. They both have a servicemember holding a card over their face. The first says something along the lines of “I didn’t join the Marine Corps to fight for Al Qaeda in Syria.” The branch changes, but the message is basically the same. This is protected by freedom of speech. It is a simple statement of fact. You have every right to decide WHY you joined the military. However, the second type is different. It says “I will not deploy to Syria.” That is NOT protected speech per se. Why? Well, the second type is not a statement of past fact. It is a statement of future intent. It is also very likely treason. You see, there ARE no orders given (yet) to send our troops to Syria. Well, not on the record anyway. I am not privy to any Special Forces guys or CIA agents who might be sneaking around in there. Until an order is given, we can’t know what it is. Therefore, how do you KNOW that you will or will not follow it? It’s silly in the first place. Secondly, it sets you up for failure. The assumption behind the statement is that the order to deploy would be unconstitutional. The President can’t give orders against the US Constitution. Those given against the Constitution are “unlawful orders” and do not need to be followed. What if the President DID go through the proper steps and get a declaration of war from the US Congress? That would be a lawful order. You would need to follow it. You might not like the fact that we would be fighting alongside Al Qaeda against a common enemy (the Syrian government.) It might be a horrible idea at every level. However, it would still be LEGAL. Words are not actions. That’s true. However, words still count. I don’t suppose they could court-martial you for making a promise you didn’t keep on Facebook. If you got a legal order and went anyway, then you would still be following orders. However, there are still lesser parts of the UCMJ that could apply to making such statements against the intent of your chain of command. At the very least you’ll look like an idiot and a liar. So, if you’re going to post these pictures at least be smart about it. Stick to the facts. Past tense. And keep your identity out of it.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 02:21:05 +0000
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