If your superior officer ordered you to report to him in his office would you refuse to do so on the grounds that Obama may not be a legitimate president? Or if one of the enlisted people under you refused to obey your order on the grounds that the entire chain of command is invalid would you accept their refusal as an appropriate response?
All this hand waving about reporting to someones office is just a decoy.
“If your superior officer ordered you to report to him in his office would you refuse to do so on the grounds that Obama may not be a legitimate president? Or if one of the enlisted people under you refused to obey your order on the grounds that the entire chain of command is invalid would you accept their refusal as an appropriate response?”
I’m going to obey orders of superiors...that is just who I am. If a person subordinate to me were to refuse an order based upon the validity of the chain of command...that would be for persons other (and higher) than myself to determine the outcome. If the soldier that refused did so out of conscience and not evasion...I would be sympathetic towards them...but agains it would not be my call.
Obviously, you are missing the point. IF the top of the chain is invalid, then the entire structure is tainted. Even if what I order is “legal”, is my authority to issue orders tainted?
When I, after a break in service of over ten years, applied for reappointment to commissioned status in the Army Reserve, it was approved in 2007. The orders I received to put me back in a commissioned status read (in part) as follows:
SUBJECT: Appointement as a Reserve Commissioned Officer of the Army Under Title 10, USC 12201 and 12203
1. The Secretary of the Army has directed that you be informed that by direction of the President, you are appointed a Reserve commissioned officer of the Army, effective on your acceptance, in the grade and with the social security number shown in the address above. Your branch and component are shown after A above.
2. The appointment is for an indefinite term.
More followed. Notice the Secretary of the Army acted “by direction” (meaning under the authority) of the President, which was then George W. Bush. My “commission” derives its validity in the POTUS. Subsequent promotions under the current POTUS have similiar wording to indicate that my rank ultimately derives its authority from the POTUS.
IF the POTUS is invalid, it seems logical, that my status is in jepordy.