Command Order Philosophy of United Stars Military

The Command Order Philosophy of the Union Military can be summarized as follows: The "I was just following orders" defense does not absolve an individual who followed unlawful orders and in doing so committed a crime.

While this philosophy is taught at all Command and NCO Schools, the history behind this idea isn't widely known.

Prior to the events related to the Terran Ascent, Earth as it was then known had constant conflicts - not always the same intensity or in the same area but still a constant state of warfare. During the Second World War (1939-1945) the Germans commited several attrocities. In the War Crimes Trials held afterwards, several individuals tried to use the argument "I was only following orders when I did..." That argument was not accepted in most cases resulting in the Officer being condemmed to either the death penalty or a long time in confinement.