Lt. Balanzoni's superior officers say she defied orders forbidding soldiers from "bringing in or having brought i n wild, stray or unaccompanied animals." But Lt. Balanzoni didn't "bring in" the cat in the first place. She was just acting in good conscience to help an animal in need. And as she points out, it was also an issue of public health: If the cat had died, the entire area would have had to be sterilized.