Amen and halleluja too. As an old, dirt-encrusted Army JAG long past use-by date, I’ve never seen a better encapsulation of the officer’s guide to orders. Unfortunately, I think your conclusion on unlawful orders and the book removal is correct. The First Amendment is not absolute (e.g., doesn’t protect shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater or passing national defense information to a foreign power), and standing would be a problem. The current SecDef’s order is monumentally stupid and imprudent and may be the first on a slippery slope that will degrade the military academies, as you conclude. It will also backfire if that slope also degrades the ability of the enlisted ranks to depend on their officers to be the filter and barrier to questionable orders from on high. There aren’t enough JAGs in the world for each platoon to have one on each patrol in a combat zone. Thanks for the clarity and concision of your analysis.