You challenge an unlawful order, but your supervisor refuses to rescind. What do you do?

You challenge an unlawful order, but your supervisor refuses to rescind. What do you do?

• A. Follow the Chain of Command, proceed to Senior Leadership with the request to rescind the order
• B. Ignore the order
• C. Report to the media
• D. Leave the assignment

Answer: (A)

When you suspect an order is unlawful, the proper path is to use the chain of command to challenge it. Start by raising the concern with your immediate supervisor; if they refuse to rescind, escalate to senior leadership with a formal request to rescind. This keeps the command structure intact, ensures an official review, and creates a record of the issue. It also protects you from potential liability and prevents unsafe or illegal actions from moving forward. Bypassing the chain of command, such as going to the media, ignoring the order, or leaving the assignment, undermines discipline and safety and is not the appropriate route.

When you suspect an order is unlawful, the proper path is to use the chain of command to challenge it. Start by raising the concern with your immediate supervisor; if they refuse to rescind, escalate to senior leadership with a formal request to rescind. This keeps the command structure intact, ensures an official review, and creates a record of the issue. It also protects you from potential liability and prevents unsafe or illegal actions from moving forward. Bypassing the chain of command, such as going to the media, ignoring the order, or leaving the assignment, undermines discipline and safety and is not the appropriate route.