"Now - soldiers (that's where we were, I think). Today they mostly choose to join a military. They know they may be ordered to kill people. Or, Don, to exercise their skills so that people are killed. They know that the reasons may turn out to be morally right, or they may turn out to be morally wrong, but unless they are prepared to stick their heads way above the parapet they know they won't have any choice but to do what they are told. And those who are "officer material" are those who are comfortable giving orders obedience to which depends mostly not on correctness but hierarchy. - Richard Bridge

1: "Today they mostly choose to join a military." - Very true and as such they apply themselves to learning their trade in as professional manner as possible. That trade is NOT simply killing people, their trade is work, move and survive as an effective unit in any sort of environment in such a manner that the task they have been set is accomplished.

2: "They know they may be ordered to kill people. Or, Don, to exercise their skills so that people are killed." - Again true and all such occasions will be covered by their "Rules of Engagement" - No soldier who serves with ISAF is deployed there having been told that his duty is to go out there and kill people.

3: "They know that the reasons may turn out to be morally right, or they may turn out to be morally wrong, but unless they are prepared to stick their heads way above the parapet they know they won't have any choice but to do what they are told." - In Afghanistan the norm dictated by "ROE" and exercise of "courageous restraint" means that ISAF can only return fire, they are not allowed to initiate contact, and are under orders to evade contact if loss of innocent civilian life is likely.

4: "And those who are "officer material" are those who are comfortable giving orders obedience to which depends mostly not on correctness but hierarchy." - Illegal orders are illegal and are not to be obeyed, the British Armed Forces are lectured and informed on this aspect of military life very extensively - I personally have exercised that right to refuse what I deemed to be an illegal order on two occasions, both incidents were subject to review and on both occasions I was found to be in the right.