From: nt (Krztalizer)
Date: 1/8/2004 5:31 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:


Just for giggles I read parts of the Articles of War about 20 years ago.
They
were exceptionally harsh towards enlisteds.


UCMJ was pretty even handed to enlisteds - we all got smacked with the same
stick, but officers definitely got preferential treatment. Even when folks
got
hurt due to blatant stupidity (USS Kirk, entire deck party injured when the
new
skipper decided to leave port at the insane speed of 22 knots, into towering
waves that resulted in 8 critical injuries and two medical retirements),
officers don't seem to rate brig time. What about the loon JO in Oki that
kidnapped another officers wife? Still no jail time. But, that's one of the
perks that go with the job and extra responsibility - I can accept that.

v/r
Gordon


In most cases that's just a matter of predjudice on the part of the convening
authority and the courtsmartial. In some cases the punishments ARE different
under the UCMJ. Example an officer can get up to 3 days confinement to
quarters, an enlisted can't. We all know examples where an enlisted will lose
two stripes for DUI where and officer will get a relatively low fine and be on
his way.

Under the Articles of War, however, enlisteds could be branded or flogged. I
don't know if either punishment was still in effect in WW2.

Dan, U. S. Air Force, retired