"Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die…. We have orders and we are to follow those orders, and that supersedes everything."

The Nuremberg Defense given in advance is still an admission of guilt with a simultaneous plea for clemency or leniency in sentencing. It does not supersede everything to anyone that understands the oath to support and defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. ALL.

Notice in the oath no member of the military swears loyalty to the President, the congress, the Supreme Court, the people, the flag, the country. Only to the Constitution.

Every successful government has lasted about two hundred years at best and all of them follow the same path. Republic of one kind or another the advent of democracy, a change to a one party system and then an aristocracy ending in a dictatorship of one kind or another. Some slower some faster.Some intentionally some sort of bumbling and muddling around. ALL of them end up expanding their notions of self-importance and end up in a good many wars of one kind or another.

Is there progress. Certainly. The USA was the first to show the world the possibilities of two concepts. First with the Declaration and the Constitution which put citizens at the top of the heap and government second. In theory.An idea never before used or considered. The next great idea will have a springboard unless they are destined for an early demise and take one more step forward.

The second great idea was helping your neighbor without taking over your neighbors property. Monroe Doctrine. An idea that also shocked the world - then turned into Manifest Destiny.

Free States turn to a military of some sort capable of defending against those in other stages of development or they succumb to manifest destiny. Let's see there is Sweden which went from a major war monger to pacifists with a huge and efficient standing military and war material economy. Switzerland probably the prime example. Costa Rica used everyone else to defend Costa Rica and are not prepared to fight who else?

I suspect the military could be cut 30% overall if those who fight are retained and the REMFs take a 70% cut. Based on 24 years doing the job. Some easy and obvious steps but it wouldn't save any money.

The term for that is ha ha Peace Dividend another name for political BS.

If it's important enough enough will step forward. If enough do not step forward it isn't important.

The next step is wishing you had got rid of the draft when you had the chance instead of quitting with the job half done. (Comment on those who quit.)

In the end it's a cycle that sometimes regresses but once in a while progresses. The missing ingredient is citizens who accept rights AND responsibilities.

Nothing rocket science there. All Military take an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, support that is obey the orders of the President and officers (uniformed) appointed over me. Without purposes of evasion.

Says nothing else and the training we used to get excluded officers appointed giving illegal orders or guilty of illegal acts especially violating that oath.

It says nothing about anybody or anything else.

The only question worth asking is when if ever is the military going to uphold it's oath? Which is exactly what Nancy Neapolitano was referring to when she said the US military and retirees were the greatest danger this government faced. while helping to build the protective echelon under the guise of Patriotism.

I know the oath is the same - so far - but for anything beyond that ask someone in the present day military.

Now there are those who take the oath along with another one about not lying, cheating, stealing or tolerating. Something that goes out the window when they pin on the gold bar unless that too has changed. If it hasn't they serve the God Mammon and themselves.