# Can soldiers violate the UCMJ if they're ordered to?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-soldiers-violate-the-ucmj-if-theyre-ordered-to/409505>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-soldiers-violate-the-ucmj-if-theyre-ordered-to/409505 "2007-06-26T18:15:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-soldiers-violate-the-ucmj-if-theyre-ordered-to/409505/21 "2007-06-27T21:44:58Z")

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[QUOTE=Chronos]  
I’m neither a lawyer or a soldier, but that can’t be right. You’re saying that it’s a crime for a soldier to be _given_ an unlawful order?  
[/quote]

I meant to say that the offense is in issuing the unlawful order and the perpetrator of the offense is the one issuing said unlawful order. It is also an offense to obey an unlawful order.

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