The Eleven General Orders of a Sentry (Navy and Coast Guard version)
1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.
2. To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert, and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4. To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the guard house than my own.
5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.
6. To receive, obey and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Officer, Command Duty Officer, Officer of the Deck, and Officers and Petty Officers of the Watch only.
7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
9. To call the Officer of the Deck in any case not covered by instructions.
10. To salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased.
11. To be especially watchful at night, and, during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps versions differ only in the ranks of the superiors who must be consulted in case of a questionable situation. Now why would I post these now on a veterans site when most of us are decades and decades away from having been forced to memorize these General Orders in boot camp, basic training, OCS, OTS or one of the Academies? Does anybody see anything in here that would even vaguely allow an American man or woman in uniform to participate in torture?
Now, I direct your attention to General Order number 8. Would you consider that your fellow sailors, soldiers, marines, airmen or coastguardsmen would be in disorder if they were following illegal orders to torture (read waterboard) prisoners? I certainly would. The General Orders are specifically set down to make sure the American Service man or woman knows how very narrowly and specifically military orders must confine themselves. "Petty Officer Barnes, go over there and waterboard that Iraqi prisoner who is handcuffed and chained to the deck" would obviously not fit into either the spirit or the letter of the law relative to carrying out the General Orders in a faithful and legal way. An idiot could see that.
Enough of the waterboarding is not torture nonsense. Enough.
CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)
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