[Avodah] Wartime Orders

[Dr. Josh Backon]

>I have a question regarding following orders when one is a soldier 
>at war.  I think that we would all agree that in a battlefield 
>situation one is in a state of pikuash nefesh and should do what is 
>necessary as a soldier.  I doubt there would be much disagreement 
>that a soldier in Iraq is allowed to carry his weapon on shabbos and 
>do what he needs to do for his safety and the safety of the other soldiers.
>
>The question that bothers me is what about in training?  There must 
>be a point where one should not do things during training on shabbos 
>because the environment is not truly a sakkanah.  However, one can 
>also argue that training is a crucial and essential part of fighting 
>a war.  If so, if a soldier decides not to follow orders because it 
>is shabbos, and he doesn't want to carry his weapon (a probable 
>derabbanan) or use his weapon (a probable deoraysah) to what extant 
>can one argue that this endangers the mission and the other soldiers 
>and may be permitted on shabbos?

For starters (before we even discuss the nafka mina between a Jewish 
army vs. a non-Jewish one) run,
don't walk, and get a copy of: Hilchot Tzava published by the yeshiva 
at Shaalavim; the Yalkut Yosef on
Hilchot Shabbat IV [Siman 329 on din milchama b'shabbat; (and for you 
an army doc the Sefer REFUAT
haSHABBAT); and the Nishmat Avraham Orach Chayim.  I think that Rav 
Shaul Yisraeli z"l in one of his
sefarim also dealt with this issue. Even in a Jewish army there are 
halachic differences in what's
permitted in a milchemet reshut and a milchemet mitzva.

There are nuances between someone in a combat unit vs. one in a 
non-combat unit (I think there was an
article in Techumin on this a few years ago). The copious notes of 
the Yalkut Yosef are quite valuable
on the do's and dont's of a number of scenarios.

With regard to training: there would be differences between the 
situation in Israel (where people in basic
training could be suddenly sent to do guard duty in a sensitive area) 
vs. the situation in the USA where
this would never occur.

Without reading the sefarim in depth, it would be foolish to even 
begin to delineate what's muttar and what's
assur. You simply have to read the above sefarim to get a notion of 
what's involved. You also might want
to contact Orthodox military chaplains (e.g. Col. Alan Greenspan) who 
would be more attuned to the
specific problems in the US military.

KT  (or should I say "Dismissed! :-)  )

Josh (that's Major Josh who eventually rose higher in the ranks)