Humor in Uniform 12/11/2010

[R J]

12/11/2010
My father,  a Navy man, had the good fortune to be stationed in Hawaii-----but the bad fortune to have fair skin.  One day, after spending many hours under the hot sun, he reported back to duty with a terrible sunburn.    Expecting sympathy, he was, instead, reprimanded by his superiors and then written up for “Destruction of government property.”
Lora Tebbetts

[HayHauler]

Thanks RJ, that's a good one.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Jess from VA]

This is a strange but true, and very common issue in military service.  The Service does own your body and requires you make reasonable efforts to keep it safe and healthy for continued service.

Getting a sunburn bad enough to require medical treatment and/or miss work will get you an Article 15 (non-judicial punishment) (from laying out in the sun with no shirt/pants).  Miss a few days of work, and you get a line-of-duty determination with a "not in line of duty, due to own misconduct" finding, and the amount of time spent in hospital or missed work is "bad time" and added to the end of your term of enlistment.  

[Jess Tolbirt]

UCMJ article 134 for me....
since you are out of commission you might as well be on restriction for punishment,,,

[solo1]

Absolutely right. We were constantly reminded of that in the Medical Corps.

Another thing that we were reminded of was Army property. When we got rid of our WWII duece and a halfs and issued new M211's hydramatic dueces there was a sign on the dashboard that said;

This vehicle cost $6416.00
Be Careful

Since I didn't want to reup to pay for a vehicle, I was careful.

[HayHauler]

Wayne, was it up to you to determine if someone had recklessly harmed themselves (as in the sunburn) and report it to your superiors?
Just askin...

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Jess from VA]

Jimmy, the way it is now set up in the Services is that the Medicos are supposed to make a preliminary determination in every case where someone presents (generally at the ER) for treatment of some disease or injury (worse than a cut finger or poison ivy).  This preliminary finding (which is in no way binding) is principally set up as a way to initiate a formal inquiry.  Otherwise, how will command and JAG find out about the injury or disease, unless the troop does not show up for work.  

If the case warrants an inquiry, a junior officer in the troop's same command is usualy appointed as IO (investigating officer), and he is referred to JAG who gives him a copy of the LOD (line of duty) regs, and the investigation regs, and answers his questions.  The IO then conducts an investigation and prepares a report and recommendation which is bucked thru Jag, who may return it for further action, finally for a JAG review and recommendation, and then to command for a decision and action.  

There then is a separate command determination of whether the injury or disease was or was not incurred in line of duty, and whether it was or was not due to misconduct of the troop.  If it is misconduct then time lost is bad time added to the end of enlistment, and there may be punishment (Art 15 or even trial), and if military property is lost or damaged, there may also be a Report of Survey (different regulations) performed and a determination that the troop is financially responsible for the repair or loss.

If the incident is a bad sunburn resulting in absence from duty for a day or two, all of this may be dispensed with and an Article 15 given.  If you have a troop who against regs takes his MX (no lights) dirt bike out at night with no helmet and rides in a restricted area on base, and clotheslines himself on a telephone pole guy cable, his hospitalization is not in line of duty, is due to own misconduct, he is given an Art 15 for DUI and reckless driving and busted down to airman slick sleeve,  and 6 weeks is added to his 4-year enlistment.  (True story)

The more entertaining cases are when Airman Horny traffics with MaryJane rotten-crotch for money and he gets a social disease.  You Navy guys probably have never heard of this one.  

[Sludge]

As a flight instructor for CH-46 crewchiefs, I had to write up a student who constantly got drunk and passed out on the beach getting severe sun burns.  After the third time, we wrote him up and punished him.  Oh, and he failed the school as a result as well.