[rabidralph]

OTOH, all military people with families live on base or in the communities where they’re stationed. It would not be beyond the government to threaten their families to make them active duty member carry out unlawful orders. Pretty hard to quote the UCMJ when the orders come from the top.

[fr_freak]

OTOH, all military people with families live on base or in the communities where they’re stationed. It would not be beyond the government to threaten their families to make them active duty member carry out unlawful orders.

True enough, but I think that strategy would backfire severely. Most service members are single, young men. It would be bad enough to be ordered to kill your own people when you specifically signed up to protect your own people, but when these guys found out that the families of their fellow soldiers were being threatened or harmed by the command structure, all HELL would break loose. Don't forget, generals and even presidents have families too. Guess who guards them?