In 2007, Lt. Col. Paul Yingling shocked the Army by writing an article, "A Failure in Generalship," that accused generals of dereliction in Iraq. Yingling, now a civilian, has a new article calling on soldiers to morally resist unlawful orders from Trump to deploy to the border.
Yingling is perhaps the most respected military dissenter of his generation, so his new article is notable. He calls Trump's deployment a political stunt that puts junior officers "in a morally hazardous position which will only grow worse with time." taskandpurpose.com/advice-troops-…
Yingling warns junior officers that "court protections for military personnel refusing to follow unlawful orders is more theoretical than practical," adding that senior leaders will be "squeaky clean" in public but will pressure soldiers to engage in these illegal activities: 
He adds, "Senior military officers aren't dummies--they will never say, 'Detain and question the people crossing the river.' It will be more like, 'Those @$$holes don't get across the river--you got me?" When it goes south...they'll deny authorizing detention and interrogation."
Remember, Yingling is a moral leader among military people with critical views of Iraq and Afghanistan. "A private who loses a rifle suffers far greater consequences than a general who loses a war," he memorably wrote in 2007. Here's that (famous) article: armedforcesjournal.com/a-failure-in-g…
In a section of his new article titled "Put it in writing," he urges soldiers to file detailed operational reports that "include your clarifying questions to the chain of command and the JAG, the guidance you received, the actions you took and the judgement you exercised."
Yingling sought out journalists he could trust while he was in the military. He advises soldiers to do the same now. "Unlike the administration, Congress and the chain of command, the press has a vested interest in getting the truth out," he writes.
His article ends with a section titled "You're screwed either way, but take care of your soul."
Yingling warns that "morally corrupt leaders will do all they can to cover their tracks with your bones ... You may face the untenable choice of ending your career as a captain for asking hard questions or ending your career in Leavenworth for failing to do so."
His haunting final lines: "You are certainly part of a human family and a civic community that reject 'just following orders' as a defense for criminal behavior. Maybe one day you will have grandchildren. If so, spare them the indignity of laying a coward's bones in your grave."
For anyone reading this who has friends or family in the military, please consider sharing Yingling's article with them. And if you don't have those connections, please share it anyway. This is what resistance looks like. taskandpurpose.com/advice-troops-…
