Decorum is important in the military, nowhere more so than in the command ranks. If you're going to disobey the direct order of a superior officer, you'd better be prepared for the consequences. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, there are certain times where such actions are allowed or even required -- think Nuremburg. But they are few and far between, and in this case the lack of any provable reason to refuse plays into the hands of the puppetmasters.