Command Responsibility Quotes

If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame.

Never give an order that can't be obeyed.

My father volunteered in early 1941, before Pearl Harbor, and became an officer in the U.S. Navy. As I was growing up, he taught me the responsibility of command: A leader is ultimately responsible for every aspect of the welfare of people under his or her care. That was a deeply felt obligation in his generation.

A commander-in-chief cannot take as an excuse for his mistakes in warfare an order given by his sovereign or his minister when the person giving the order is absent from the field of operations and is imperfectly aware or wholly unaware of the latest state of affairs. It follows that any commander-in-chief who undertakes to carry out a plan which he considers defective is at fault; he must put forward his reasons, insist on the plan being changed, and finally tender his resignation rather than be the instrument of his army's downfall.

You have two enemies in war. The guy who is trying to shoot you, and the guy who is ordering you out to be shot.

I have always told my subordinates that when they commit any mistakes, the blame must be laid on the superior officers.

I think the International Criminal Court could be a threat to American security interests, because the prosecutor of the court has enormous discretion in going after war crimes. And the way the Statute of Rome is written, responsibility for war crimes can be taken all the way up the chain of command.

I expect you to be a leader, to supervise by example, to lead, not simply order others to do hard jobs. I will hold you personally responsible for the operations under you. If one of your men makes an error, you as well as he will be accountable.

Leading the coalition military effort during the surge in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 was the most important endeavor - and greatest challenge - of my 37 years in uniform.

Military investigations are designed not to find anyone guilty. And you can't investigate up the chain of command, which is a huge impediment.

You must bear constantly in mind not to hazard unnecessarily your command ... but be content to accomplish all the good you can, without feeling it necessary to obtain all that might be desired.

Of course, I think it is legitimate for the Commander-in-Chief to be concerned for the safety of his soldiers.

It is the duty of every good officer to obey any orders given him by his commander in chief.

But courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity, or, if it is insisted upon by a commander, irresponsibility.

Military commanders do not want to be tried for war crimes, even if those crimes are committed online.

If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.

I want the seals of power and place, the ensigns of command, charged by the people's unbought grace, to rule my native land. Nor crown, nor scepter would I ask but from my country's will, by day, by night, to ply the task her cup of bliss to fill.

I've been deeply concerned that to date no individuals have been convicted for the brutal killing of three United States citizens, the Bytyqi brothers: Agron, Ylli, and Mehmet.... It's a long time ago, we want to move on, but eleven years after the discovery of their bodies no one has been held accountable for their killing and the chief suspects in the chain of command, including the camp commander, have never been charged.

I don't know anyone at the highest levels who approved Abu Ghraib. If President Barack Obama for a moment thought that somebody at a high level had approved it, he would go after them.

The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them.

A lord may love the men that he commands, but he cannot be a friend to them. One day he may need to sit in judgement on them, or send them forth to die.

The American people should not wonder where their military leaders draw the line between military advice and political preference. And our nation's soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines should not wonder about the political leanings and motivations of their leaders.

I am a combat leader. As such I am responsible for everything that is done in my unit. I just wish that our civilian leaders would accept the same kind of responsibility.

War crimes will be prosecuted. War criminals will be punished. And it will be no defense to say, 'I was just following orders.'

The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.