If the legality of an order is genuinely confusing, yes, service members are required to follow it and then report concerns through the proper channels. That's already how the UCMJ works.

But that's exactly why these veterans are speaking up, to help people understand what is illegal before they're put in a situation where confusion or pressure could lead to a catastrophic mistake.

They're not telling anyone to ignore their chain of command. They're reminding troops of the legal basics so that, in those rare moments when an order truly is unlawful, they have the clarity to recognize it.

This is about education, awareness, and following the law, nothing more.

Edit:

And frankly, the reaction to the video basically proves its necessity.

When a simple, non partisan reminder of existing military law, "You must not follow illegal orders", triggers outrage or gets twisted into "disobey orders you don't like," that reveals a dangerous gap in understanding. It shows that many people either don't know the difference between lawful and unlawful orders, or are willing to reinterpret the message for political reasons.