Does America want subordinate commanders?
Channel: CommissionED: The Air Force Officer Podcast
Date: 2021-10-03

Discussion topic for 107 - What is a commander? 

10 USC § 8583 says:
“All commanding officers and others in authority in the Air Force are required:
(1) to show in themselves a good example of virtue, honor, patriotism, and subordination;”

GEN Milley provided an example that helps to demonstrate the idea of subordination in a commander. When questioned by Senator Cotton about the withdrawal from Afghanistan and why he didn’t resign over the President’s decision to not leave a small footprint, GEN Milley replied: “It would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice is not taken. . . . This country doesn’t want generals figuring out what orders we’re going to accept and do or not. That’s not our job.”

Does the country want generals, commanders, and others in authority figuring out what orders they’re going to accept and do or not? Why or why not?

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