This movie really took a different perspective. It brought us home to a world behind all of the action that takes on a battlefield. The military, being a nation’s first line of defense, was created to protect the people within a country and was created to preserve that country. The main duty of the marines involved in A Few Good Men, was guarding the border at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, since it is considered a US territory. To ensure that marines complete their duty, a heavy amount of discipline is needed to keep the marines prepared for any situation that presents itself. However, as seen in the movie, A Few Good Men, abuse of discipline (Code Red) can lead to tragic events like the death of Willy Santiago.

I firmly believe that discipline is a necessity when maintaining order among men. In the military especially, soldiers are expected to follow their chain of command. They must respect their senior officer and are expected to carry out orders without any doubts. Following orders is not only intended for completing tasks. It also creates trust between leaders and their subordinates. As stated in the movie, following orders means that a soldier is placing his life in the hands of the senior officer and vice versa. However this only seems logical if the ones’ giving the orders were without a doubt, morally just leaders. When leaders like Colonel Jessup and Lieutenant Kendrick abuse their power, their commands may turn immoral. However, at this point I feel that it should be up to the man receiving the orders to make the right decision for himself at a moral standing. The major issue in the film was the Red Code. A code where the members of a squad punish their fellow members to ensure that there is discipline. According to the squad of Santiago, they did this to strengthen him and to establish trust within the squad. However as Lieutenant Kaffee investigates further, the truth becomes more apparent. Instead of helping their fellow squad member, they bullied him into wanting to transfer. When Santiago decided to leak information of an illegal firing in exchange for this transfer, the higher up official, (Colonel Jessup) decided to give the orders for a “Code Red.” Not expecting things to escalate, Colonel Jessup then pinned the death of Santiago on the two Marines in question.

I believe that it was wrong of Colonel Jessup to leave his subordinates to punish Santiago. Of course it is important for their to be trust in a team, the problem in Santiago’s case was that he was being bullied for sucking at his job. When he wanted out, they denied him because they knew that his false medical examination would be considered a major mistake in a professional setting (I honestly hate that doctor). As a result, corruption grows and more people are betrayed. FRom what I have observed in a societal perspective, sometimes when people are given authority, the power goes to their heads. They feel more important then everyone else and as exemplified in the movie, partake in corrupt activities because they feel as though they can get away with it. Some famous person once said, “with power comes responsibility.” In the case of the military, Colonel Jessup was in charge of protecting a border and ensuring the safety of the citizens of this country. As a leader of a military base, he was also responsible for securing the safety of his subordinate officers, same with Lieutenant Kendrick (Jack Bauer). However, by placing themselves on a pedestal, they valued their lives and publicity more than they valued the lives of their soldiers and that is why Santiago died. Also, the two members of the squad should’ve though for themselves at this point and should have determined what was moral. As stated in the movie, it’s their job to defend those are weaker not punish them for being weak. In the real world setting corruption and abuse of power can hurt a lot of people. It is the responsibility of a leader and soldier not to forget what they are protecting.

Sources: A FEW GOOD MEN