#6 As a 27 year vet, both enlisted and commissioned, I don't get it. It's just politics here. This is how it already is. The charges listed above are already taken from the commanders and investigated by CID, Criminal Investigative Division, of whatever service equivalent is. If there is something there in the accusation, there is a general courts martial. A trial by a senior officer, outside the owning command or if the person wants a jury there will be a jury established of members outside his command. I dont know how the Navy does it on ships at sea but for the rest of the services it goes like this.
As a commander I would think it to be a little intrusive, but a good thing. This removes any perception of bias in the command group, either way it goes and protects the young company commander as our history changes. Perceptions is really important as the command group rises in ranks and exits the military. Let me give an example.
When Don't Ask, Don't Tell became a presidential policy it was met by the gay community with distain, for the rest it was a bad joke. I was a dumbass company commander at the time. I had a number of gay women in the ranks, they worked hard and I could care less what they did. When the directive came out one soldier came to me and wanted to be processed out. She said she would not lie about who she was and felt the directive demeaning and wrong, which I agreed. She asked for a chapter discharge for being gay. After a cup of coffee, a good sweat, and a rehearsal of my line I called my boss and said, hay boss I got something for you! Under UCMJ I had no choice but to put her out. I was lucky, she had no intent to challenge it or make an event out of it, she just would not compromise her integrity. Before I could finish the chapter I was formally relieved of doing the chapter by a COL, legal type, and he chaptered her out. I was pissed, this was my troop, not his. My legal said that someday this chaptering will be on line with the military persecuting the blacks in the ranks and judged by a different history than we are living. They were effectively taking me out of the picture to protect me. A wisdom I later understood.
So from this perspective, maybe a commander should not be the guy here for these types of crimes. Let a professional investigator take it over, and a real judge and jury.
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