So, the troops on the ground are against the war, the Generals are against

[Horse with no Name]

the war, the American people are against the war, Bush has lost support from Congressional Republican Senators on the war...
Someone tell me when the tanks are going to be rolling up Pennsylvania Avenue?

[Rosco T.]

1. I would thing it would be more like..

a group of US Marshalls (with backup) arriving at the door of the Whitehouse.

[Horse with no Name]

2. I thought so too

BUT he is pissing on the military like no other American President has dared to do.
They were the ones SWORN to protect against all enemies...foreign and domestic.
They would be well within their oath to remove him from office.

[Rosco T.]

3. Oh, I think the Military would be the 'backup'...

but no tanks on the streets..

a) scare the shit out of the people out there

b) ruin the streets with those tank treads.

Must be fiscally responsible.

[NewJeffCT]

4. The tinfoil hatter in me...

Thinks it is part of a plan to increase the reliance on mercenaries (or "private contractors" as the White House and media call them) under the excuse - "well, the regular military couldn't get the job done in Iraq, so we have to increase our reliance on these contractors to fight this new kind of war..."

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

5. Military oaths

The wordings of the current oath of enlistment and oath for commissioned officers are as follows:

For enlisted personnel:

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).

For officers:

"I, _____ , having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God." (DA Form 71, 1 August 1959, for officers.)

* * *

Note that each oath is to support and defend the Constitution and not the President or any other person. While enlisted personnel swear to obey orders from the President and those officers appointed to command them, an officer has no such constraint. It could be argued that if the President issued an immoral order -- say, drop nuclear weapons on Iran in an unprovoked pre-emptive strike -- an officer (most likely the top-ranking General of the affected service) could legitimately disobey the order. Google "UCMJ illegal orders" for different points of view about this issue.