[Covenantor]

As an army officer, I was trained to follow all orders, legal or otherwise. If I believed an order was illegal, I had the right to challenge it -- after I had executed that order to the letter. I had no right to challenge it beforehand, and such a challenge was mutiny, punishable under the UCMJ.

Here's a serious question.

If, say, a General Wesley Clark ordered a unit you commanded to round up enemy prisoners immediately taken in battle, make them dig a long deep trench and then execute them, would you:

a. Follow the orders to the letter, and then challenge the orders afterwards.

b. Ask for authentication of said orders.

c. other action

What if the orders were modified to include enemy civilian population?

You're in command of an tank platoon, say in Washington, D.C. and are ordered to fire upon a very large tent encampment by the Anacostia River you know to be occupied by civilians, men, service veterans; women; and children. What would you do?

[TradicalRC]

Ditto on this question. Obviously there must be a point where an illegal order becomes moot when questioned afterwards. i.e. in shoot to kill situations whether enemy, civilian or fellow soldier.

[Publius]

If, say, a General Wesley Clark ordered a unit you commanded to round up enemy prisoners immediately taken in battle, make them dig a long deep trench and then execute them, would you:
a. Follow the orders to the letter, and then challenge the orders afterwards.
b. Ask for authentication of said orders.
c. other action

I would follow orders. This happened during World War II to German soldiers taken prisoner by Americans, as dramatized in HBO's "Band of Brothers". It was nasty, but it was done.

What if the orders were modified to include enemy civilian population?
You're in command of an tank platoon, say in Washington, D.C. and are ordered to fire upon a very large tent encampment by the Anacostia River you know to be occupied by civilians, men, service veterans; women; and children. What would you do?

I would follow orders. This happened in 1932 when the US Army attacked the unarmed Bonus Army camped in DC. President Hoover authorized Generals Douglas MacArthur and George Patton to take action, and this was the action they took. Granted, it ruined Hoover's reelection bid, but no one attempted to court-martial MacArthur or Patton, despite calls from some to do so. Hoover took full responsibility.

Even today, no one comdemns the actions of MacArthur, Patton, Eisenhower and other officers for the measures taken against ordinary citizens peaceably asking Congress for redress in 1932. Hoover gets blamed, but not those who followed the Commander in Chief's orders.