Chain of Command

Working in a chain of command means you take responsibility for your actions and you expect your superior to take responsibility for his. There is accountability at all levels. Mistakes caused by lack of direction by a commander should be reason to question the ability of the commander, not the subordinate. Harry Truman used the phrase "the buck stops here" to describe his ultimate responsibility as President. Issues arise when commanders of low ethics ask subordinates to assume blame when given no proper direction.

In this book, the break in the chain of command occurred regarding the interrogation systems at both Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons. Chapter 1 delved into the issues of how detainee abuse occurred at both locations (and how the Abu Ghraib system was modeled after Guantanamo, even after problems were known). Nothing was done to fix the problem and, after the scandal broke...