Nomination Interview Story

[The Commissioner]

Last Sunday I was sitting in the chapel listening to a sermon given by an Army chaplain, rank of Major, who is an African-American. He told the following story:

"Years ago when I was a kid in high school, I sat for an interview with a board that was evaluating applicants to West Point. They asked me this question, "Will you obey every order given to you?" I told them I wouldn't obey an order that violated God's Word. I know for sure that answer cost me my nomination to West Point. But I couldn't answer the question any other way."

 

[bruno]

Last Sunday I was sitting in the chapel listening to a sermon given by an Army chaplain, rank of Major, who is an African-American. He told the following story:

"Years ago when I was a kid in high school, I sat for an interview with a board that was evaluating applicants to West Point. They asked me this question, "Will you obey every order given to you?" I told them I wouldn't obey an order that violated God's Word. I know for sure that answer cost me my nomination to West Point. But I couldn't answer the question any other way."

Well I don't know if it really cost him a nomination to USMA as the US Army is not an Army of Robots and we recognize that a soldier is not bound to obey illegal orders (a different question is - what is an illegal order and who determines that? But if you believe it is so, then you are bound to act accordingly and be prepared to take your lumps if nobody else agrees). But regardless of whether it did cost him that appointment or not- he was honest- no believer could answer any other way. As the "Hebrew National" hotdog commercial used to say: "we answer to a higher authority".

 

[Just_A_Mom]

Perhaps it cost him a nomination - our members of congress are a fickle lot - but I seriously doubt it would have cost him an appointment. So, if he did not get a nomination solely because of his answer - shame on his congressman.

You don't mention specifically what orders given he would be compelled to disobey but if his answer caused him to not be given a nomination then how did he get to be a Commissioned officer?
If there is something in the answer that in incompatible with him attending West Point then I am going to submit that same "something" would prevent him from accepting a commission.

 

[Zaphod]

I told them I wouldn't obey an order that violated God's Word. I know for sure that answer cost me my nomination to West Point."

I would be deeply saddened if that were proven to be true.

 

[bruno]

Perhaps it cost him a nomination - our members of congress are a fickle lot - but I seriously doubt it would have cost him an appointment. So, if he did not get a nomination solely because of his answer - shame on his congressman.

You don't mention specifically what orders given he would be compelled to disobey but if his answer caused him to not be given a nomination then how did he get to be a Commissioned officer?
If there is something in the answer that in incompatible with him attending West Point then I am going to submit that same "something" would prevent him from accepting a commission.

I certainly can imagine orders that I would be morally bound not to follow- (Lt Calley come to mind? How about Abu Ghraib?) and God's law is for any observant person the ultimate arbiter of moral law; but the point is that mindless obedience is not a requirement of a soldier or a leader and the absence of the same is no disqualifier to commission. So unless there is more to the story that he is not telling you (like what the order was that he could not in good conscience obey), that should not have been what kept him from getting the nod to USMA. And- assuming that the board knew what they were talking about (not always the case!) the same criteria should follow to getting a commission in general. So if it held him out of one- it follows that it should stop him from receiving the other and conversely - he got commissioned so it couldn't have been that big a problem unless he was being interviewed by someone clueless or with an agenda all those years ago.