Is it legal for volunteers to do the work elected officials have staked out for themselves?

[ThomWV]

It is reported that a Platoon of a "Striker" brigade which is stationed in Afghanistan has take it upon itself to become a 'murder squad'. The platoon, it is reported, had become infamous for its ability to stage attacks upon itself using the bodies of people chosen at random and murdered. The platoon's members did this over a period of time, it was well known by members of sister units. This was all volunteer work, it seems; although a couple of enlisted men have been found guilty of murder in the case no Officer was charged.

About a month ago I met a nephew of mine who I had not seen since he was a teenager. He's middle aged now and serving in the Air Force, where he has spent about half his career. He is a Pilot, but these days he pilots a drone from a facility out west. During our conversation he told me, and was quite solemn about it; that this was "real war, when I pull the trigger real rockets get shot" he told me. Real war indeed.

I understand that there are real authorized death squads operating in various countries around the globe, Pakistan and Afghanistan one supposes. These are the President's death squads, so no enlisted men will be charged with murder when these guys strike and no Officer will have to deny knowledge of it either.

And every day our society becomes more militarized. Our police departments are small military forts, many of them have tanks, all have machine guns. Our legal system chases the smallest of petty offenders with its full fury and ignores Kingpins in every criminal endeavor. Something is very very wrong.