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General Orders Maintain Good Order in AOR

  • Published
  • By Capt. Deric Prescott
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Chief, Military Justice
Since 1990, General Order 1 (GO1) has been in effect. While there have been a few changes, none of the requirements of GO1 should come as a surprise. Despite being in effect for more than 17 years, military members oftentimes claim they "did not know" what they were doing was prohibited. Whether or not you have read it, been briefed on it, or told about it - you will be expected to know the rules set out in GO1 and to abide by it. 

As the familiar saying goes, ignorance of the law is no excuse. With the AEF 9/10 rotation settled in, now is a good time to review the general orders that apply to U.S. military personnel and civilians accompanying the force who are deployed to the AOR. 

The Commanders of both United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and United States Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF) have published separate General Orders. USCENTCOM GO-1B applies to all U.S. Armed Forces personnel and all civilians serving with, employed by or accompanying the Armed Forces of the United States while present in the USCENTCOM AOR. USCENTAF GO-1B is a similar order published on 1 June 2007 and applies to all U.S. Air Force military personnel assigned to or attached for duty to units within the USCENTCOM AOR and to civilians and contingency contractor personnel serving with, employed by, or accompanying such forces. Previous versions of both General Orders were rescinded. Thus, all U.S. Air Force personnel and contractors in the USCENTCOM AOR must abide by the rules in both the USCENTCOM and USCENTAF General Orders. 

These general orders are designed to regulate conduct that is prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline in USCENTCOM AOR. General orders also help maintain good relations with our host nation. We all have a duty to respect the host nation and GO-1B violations can severely threaten the strong bonds we have with our host nation. 

Violations of GO-1B are punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and may result in courts-martial, non-judicial punishment (Article 15 of the UCMJ), or administrative action. It is your duty to abide by GO-1B - the entire time that you are here. Rest assured, even if you are checking in your luggage at PERSCO on your way back to your home station, a GO-1B violation usually results in your having to remain at Al Udeid until the investigation and any punishment is given.

A few important points to remember about GO-1B: 

No pornography--No bringing it into the country, no possessing it, no emailing it, and no downloading it from a computer. 

No visiting the opposite gender's sleeping quarters, except for official purposes. 

No importation of alcohol. 

No selling or bartering of host nation currency other than at official exchange rates. 

Before departure, turn in host nation currency for U.S. currency at Finance. 

No gambling, raffles, or lotteries unless permitted by host nation law. 

No entrance by non-Muslims into any mosque or other significant Islamic religious establishment unless directed to do so by military authorities. 

No proselytizing or attempting to win converts of any religion, faith or practice.
No photographing or filming detainees or human casualties, or possessing, distributing, transferring, or posting of such images. 

No removing, possessing, selling, defacing or destroying archeological artifacts or national treasures. 

No adopting as pets or mascots, caring for, or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal.

The full text of both versions of GO-1B are available on the intranet website on the Legal Office homepage. You can access our website through "CC Corner" on the intranet. Click on the Military Justice link to access the general orders. 

Any question about GO-1B can be directed to the Legal Office at 437-2707.