You may want to review the UCMJ, you are not REQUIRED to follow ILLEGAL orders. In fact you may be smart to not follow those at Nuremberg who claimed “ I was just following orders”. This was not allowed as an excuse. The President is exempt from prosecution, EVERYONE else is NOT. Military personnel have and can be prosecuted for following illegal orders.
Buy the ticket but be prepared to take the ride…
Yes, the UCMJ says we should not follow an illegal order... Catch 22... The UCMJ also says we must not disobey a direct order...
Next question: Outside the off chance that he may be a soldier or marine who is perfectly well versed in the details of the UCMJ, how does Lance Corporal Jones handle the situation?
Does he refuse to advance..and take a chance that he is correct? ..Or does he perform his duty, then place a complaint through the chain of command?
Sure, if some idiot officer orders a troop to rape, pillage or slit throats of the innocent, then it is quite clear that most any court martial would clear him !
On the other hand, if he is ordered to Chicago to quell a riot, can he be quite sure he will be exonerated if he refuses to do so?
..And if he is not exonerated, will Hakim Jeffries and Jasmine Crock-of-sh*t ...be there to go to rescue him ?