A question that needs to be asked about the military

[Toots]

What is the punishment, if any, for a GI to refuse to participate in a required event. Can that GI just say no and walk away? I'm not talking about any activity that could be construed as illegal or immoral. Just a routine activity that is required for all. Is there any punishment for refusing a mandatory event?

[tabasco]

1. Of course. Failure to obey a lawful order.

If there is a question to the legality of an order, it would come out in a court-martial.

1st or 2nd offense probably handled in the unit unless the troop requests a court-martial. Multiple offenses would result in court-martial with other than honorable discharge and maybe jail time.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Disobeying an order is always punishable..

in a variety of ways, depending on the order and who gave it. You could simply get a reprimand, or you could be thrown out and sent to prison. Execution is also an option for desertion under fire and a few other things.

We did, of course, have many ways of "ghosting" and conniving ourselves out of particularly lousy duty, but if they tell you to do something, you better do it or have a damn good excuse. Or at least look like you're doing it.

[haele]

3. Yes, he or she will be punished...

If he or she just "walks".
Better to try and find a "legal" way out of the manditory event, such as watch/duty swapping (most common), medical (not recommended unless there really is a medical problem) or finding out from a sympathetic senior NCO (if he or she has one) if there's something else that can be done instead.

A lot of it depends on what the military member was not wanting to do. If it's something like the PRT (Physical Readiness Training) - the only thing he or she might be able to do is to reschedule it to a more convenient date. Certain events are strict requirements linked to readiness, and can't be avoided. A scheduled duty day, watch, or a command inspection can be worked around (I've done it myself), but it will take some doing and some sacrifice - like standing someone else's watch.
If it's slacking from normal duties that's being asked about - well, slacking is another issue altogether. If the military member doesn't want to do the weekly field day, work party or anything else that's part of his or her regular duties that might seem personally degrading - personally, I've got very little sympathy. We've all had to clean heads, sweep, mop, and buff decks, paint, and take out ripping bags of ripe garbage - even weenie brass bars did during OCS(and it takes the rare leader amongst them to admit it). That's part of the enlistment contract, you know - because, ultimatly, out in the field or on the ship, we can't depend on hired civilians for "janitoral service" or "general handyman" so we all have to do for ourselves if we don't want to live in dangerous squalor.
If one is in the military, one has got to be prepared to deal with the little degrading things that might mean the difference between living or dying in the ten-thousand to one chance that an emergancy might require them to be done. And yes, a "well cleaned and stowed space" shipboard or the ability to handle being flinging oneself a "nasty, icky situation" like a sewer or irrigation ditch without a second thought can be the difference between life and death when all goes dark and one finds oneself under attack.

Ultimatly it comes down to this - what price is the military member willing to pay - because s/he will be required to pay a price in time and effort, at the very least - to not do what is considered manditory? Will it be worth it?

Hope it helps some.

Haele

[Toots]

4. Would you then say that punishment or at least inquiry would

also be manditory. How would it look to the rest of the men if the CO just completely ignored the refusal to obey an order or is this a common practice?

[Toots]

5. In case anyone couldn't guess I am referring to Bush* refusing

to take a mandatory flight physical. Why was nothing ever done about this. How could he just walk away from a required medical exam? Why was this not an issue with his Commanding Officer? How does this then reflect on troops in Iraq? Why should they not be allowed to refuse an order with the same consequences?

[dogman]

6. Too bad you aren't in the mainstream press.

You would think this would be something inquiring minds want to know. Likely it's because he is George Bush, it's worked all his life.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Because it was the Air National Guard and not real Air Force

would be my best guess. I grew up in a military family and active duty military tend to have a low opinion of weekend warriors but, even so, I can't imagine this happening in a real military unit.

[Columbia]

7. UCMJ Article 90

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/mcm/bl90.htm

“Any person subject to this chapter who—

(1) strikes his superior commissioned officer or draws or lifts up any weapon or offers any violence against him while he is in the execution of his office; or

(2) willfully disobeys a lawful command of his superior commissioned officer; shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, and if the offense is committed at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct.”

[kaitykaity]

9. In the army, disciplinary actions are called Article 15s.

For minor stuff like you're talking about.

One time there was an order in our barracks not to use
hot plates and one of my friends got caught using one.

That kind of thing.