President Trump Pardons Accused War Criminals

Old Navy BGO. Wow that was well said!

I served on Five Submarines - two Diesel Boats, one of which was a WWII veteran, and three Nuclear Fast Attacks. Not quite as small a command as above, but certainly a different breed of command structure than a large Skimmer. Everything you said resonates with my experience on the boats! :biggrin:
 
I'm can't try to describe the relationship between Officers and Enlisted in the SOF communities; they are a special breed and I suspect the group dynamics may be different than the Fleet as a whole. However, I would expect that the rule that the Officer in Charge of any unit has the ultimate authority and responsibility still applies, regardless of rank and time in service.

Everyone has heard stories about Chiefs and other senior enlisted schooling clueless Ensigns, and there are certainly plenty of cases of said Ensigns ignoring their Chief and doing dumb things. However, by the time said Ensign is a Fleet LT, he/she usually has developed enough respect for the senior enlisted's experience in their area expertise to seek their input, but also have developed enough experience and confidence to make those decisions. Similarly, the senior enlisted recognizes and respects the LT's responsibility, and provides his sage advise, but accepts it if the LT has to make tough decisions.

Thanks
 
I recently watched the docudrama Leavenworth on Starz. It is about the military justice system regarding former Army Lt. Clint Lorance. The director presented a fair case for both sides. The story was presented in such a way that as soon as I decided his guilt/innocence, an argument was presented that made me think differently. One thing, actually 2 points that were made surprised me. One was that the right to petition the Supreme Court was unavailable to military personnel although this right is available to every person in the US...even the detainees in Guantanamo! The other is the interview of a retired Sergeant Major shown near the end of the series; his insights revealed the political implications of the case. Check it out if you can.

The UCMJ went into effect in May, 1951; that's 69 years ago. I believe it's time to be reviewed. That being said, the baby doesn't have to be thrown out with the bath water. Sex offenses may be better off prosecuted differently. Counter insurgency warfare wasn't what the military did when this code was put in effect. If Guantanamo detainees can petition the Supreme Court, so should our military personnel. (PS: Leavenworth points out that military personnel can petition the Court only in Habeas Corpus situations, an extremely slim chance for review.)
 
The UCMJ is already becoming a no fun deal...

"The ban on bread-and-water confinement will go into effect Tuesday as part of an extensive change to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, ..."

They already did away with flogging and keel hauling. It's fine now.
 
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