What is a Legitimate Order? A legitimate order is any order given by a non-commissioned officer or superior officer in line with a regulation, given to aid in the success of the mission, it should not be given based on personal beliefs and preferences, especially if it goes against points 1 and 2 and never be used for pleasure or profit. The official definition of a lawful order, as established in the court case United States v. Deisher, is as follows: they must be issued by the competent authority or by a person authorized by applicable law to issue such order; they must expressly communicate the words that express a specific mandate to perform or not perform a specific act; and there must be a relationship between the mandate and military duty. Any order or mandate that goes against these statements is an illegal order. If you believe an order is illegal you have the right to challenge it, however, if it is actually believed to be a legitimate order then you must comply with it or risk punishment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayIf you fail to obey a lawful order, you may be punished under the punitive articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, specifically articles ninety, ninety-one, or ninety-two. Article ninety deals with assault or willful disobedience to any commissioned officer. In this case, assault is defined as any person who strikes his superior officer or draws or raises a weapon or commits violence against him while in the execution of his office. Whoever disobeys a superior officer shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, with death or such other punishment as may be determined by court-martial, and if the offense is committed at any other time, with such punishment, other than death, how can order a court martial. Article ninety-one is defined as any insubordinate conduct toward any warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, or petty officer. This is further defined as any warrant officer or enlisted member who strikes or assaults a warrant officer, noncommissioned officer, or petty officer, while that officer is in the execution of his duty, willfully disobeys the lawful order of a warrant officer, noncommissioned officer officer , or non-commissioned officer, or treats with contempt or is disrespectful in language or behavior toward a warrant officer, non-commissioned officer, or petty officer while that officer is in the execution of his office; will be punished according to the directions of the court-martial. Finally there is article ninety-two, failure to comply with an order or regulation. This may be defined as any person who violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation, having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to comply with the order, or is negligent in the performance of his duties; and shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, legitimate orders are a very important part of the military lifestyle. It is imperative that all military members follow and obey orders given to them in the manner deemed necessary by the situation. Not only is it incredibly disrespectful to disobey a legal order, but it makes the individual look unprofessional and creates a bad image to those around them. Failure to comply with lawful orders is not something to be taken lightly as, depending on the situation, you may be punished by the court marshal, up to and including.