I think the "bluff" was whether or not the Army would rescind his orders as they did in the past with that other guy.
It matters little at this point. The Army ordered him to be somewhere at a certain time today and he's not there. He's in a heap of trouble.
The other guy was a reservist called to active duty and may have even volunteered; so those circumstances were very different. In this case, it involves an active duty officer.