A general order, in military and paramilitary organizations, is a published directive, originated by a commander and binding upon all personnel under his or her command. Its purpose is to enforce a
policy
Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...
or procedure unique to the unit's situation that is not otherwise addressed in applicable service regulations,
military law, or
public law.
A general order has the force of law; it is an offense punishable by
court martial or lesser
military court to disobey one. What makes it a general order (as opposed to a
direct order) is that the actor is not explicitly named, nor precisely what (or who) is to be acted upon.
A general order of indefinite duration may be referred to as a standing order. Standing orders are necessarily general and vague since the exact circumstances for execution occur in the future, under unknown conditions. For example, in most military agencies, there is a standing order for enlisted men to
salute officers. The officers are required to return the salute to the enlisted person, but the name of each enlisted man, the name of each officer, and the exact time for the salute are not mentioned in the order.
Examples
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General Order No. 11, December 1862 –
Union expulsion of the
Jews of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky
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General Order No. 100, April 1863 – Union instructions on the treatment of prisoners;
not giving quarter becomes punishable offense
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General Order No. 11, August 1863 – Union expulsion of residents of four
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
counties which were to be burned
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General Order No. 9
Confederate General Robert E. Lee issued his Farewell Address, also known as General Order No. 9 (sometimes Orders) to his Army of Northern Virginia on April 10, 1865, the day after he surrendered the army to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Lee's ...
, April 1865 –
Confederate General
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...
's surrender that ended the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
*
General Order No. 3, June 19th, 1865 -- Abolition of slavery in Texas after the American Civil War.
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General Order No. 1, August 1945 – U.S. General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...
's first order following the
Japanese surrender in World War II
See also
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General Orders for Sentries
References
{{reflist
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Military law