Professional Disobedience: Loyalty and the Military

[rangerrebew]

Professional Disobedience: Loyalty and the Military
Pauline Shanks Kaurin
August 8, 2017


The Virtue of Obedience

In his article “Combat, Orders and Judgment,” Keith Nightingale observes that on D-Day in 1944, “Disobedience that day began to be a shared virtue.”[3] In one example, two junior U.S. naval officers kept their tanks on board their ships after noting the 100% failure of tank launches around them, instead continuing toward shore with their loads while looking for opportunities where the tanks were needed and could be more reliably launched. In this case, there was no communication with superiors on the matter, they just acted. In another case, U.S. Army Rangers disobeyed their given orders and engaged the Germans in a manner that resulted in opportunity for allied forces on the beach to proceed to their objectives. In both of these cases, Nightingale notes that it was decisive disobedience that created success at Normandy.[4]

https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2017/8/8/professional-disobedience-loyalty-and-the-military

[Night Hides Not]

I'm not sure I'd call those examples of disobedience, but reacting independently to the situation.

The best battalion commander I ever served under demanded independence and imagination from his officers. I got chewed out plenty, but it was forgotten seconds after I left his office.

Heck, I was a 1st LT running his logistics operations for the battalion...a target rich environment of "learning experiences." He never told me to ease off the gas pedal, either.

[dfwgator]

Classic example in "The Last Patrol" episode of "Band of Brothers".

[Night Hides Not]

Classic example in "The Last Patrol" episode of "Band of Brothers".

Great example, gator.