A soldier who only obeys the orders he feels comfortable with, no matter how genuinely noble
his reasons, is as dangerous as a cop who fabricates evidence against suspects he knows are guilty when he can't otherwise find any; or a doctor who only does his best to save those patients who he feels deserve to live.

Not only does the free agent risk interjecting his own agenda and prejudices into arenas where he has no competence or authority, but it also undermines the cohesiveness and effectiveness of his unit so that it cannot function effectively in any capacity. Put the shoe on the other foot: suppose he had been ordered to raid a suspected insurgent's house to search for weapons, and finding none, he decided to kill him anyway because he felt certain he was probably guilty. It's the same situation.

During World War II, there were documented instances of some brave Geman soldiers refusing to carry out orders they felt were not only illegal and immoral, but contradicted the Werhmacht's own regulations. Some were punished severely, but in a few cases they were quietly transferred to other units because their officers feared the resulting publicity. Going against the grain of authority is always dangerous, but if you feel strongly enough about it to open that can of worms, then you should be ready to swallow the first bite. There have already been many cases of honorable warriors who risked it all to set things straight by going through channels and exposing the inevitable abuses and cruelties which occur on every battlefield. It insults them to desert to Canada and squeal your protests behind the safety of the border.

When my ship was leaving for duty in Vietnam, one sailor refused to go because of moral opposition to the war. He did not desert, or disappear, he told his superiors up front how he felt and was punished severely for it. The whole ship's company, myself included, watched him get taken in irons to the brig by the SPs. You may not agree with his decision, but he did not dishonor his oath or disgrace the uniform he wore. I've often wondered if I would have the courage to do what he did if I was faced with the same decision. I'm glad I never had to find out.