Officers must obey those senior in rank, but they serve the American people and those precious beliefs encapsulated in the Constitution. Furthermore, an officer's oath does not make fidelity and allegiance conditional upon the quality of leadership exhibited within the chain of command. Nor has marginal performance at the top ever justified decreased professionalism in the ranks. To the contrary, mission accomplishment and unit cohesion require unstinting fidelity and sacrifice even in the darkest of hours. Those who want it both ways need to think again.
Professional fealty is the foundation for the social contract officers sign with the nation.
In exchange for being appointed an officer of the United States, we pledge our unconditional support. It also means we uphold good order and discipline in the name of obedience while waiting to go in harms' way. The latter is indispensable to winning battles. For this reason, servicemembers who openly criticize their seniors commit a breach of trust and violate their sacred contract. Such behavior constitutes disobedience, which in the military is intolerable.