Article 15 - Military Lawyer Greg Rinckey discusses Non-judicial punishment in the UCMJ. For more information or to schedule a consult, visit Tully RInckey's website: www.fedattorney.com
Nonjudicial punishment proceedings are known by different terms among the services. In the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force it is referred to as Article 15; in the Marine Corps it is called office hours; the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard call nonjudicial punishment mast. No matter what it is called it is a difficult and confusing time for any service member. Nonjudicial punishment in the United States military is a form of military discipline authorized by Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The receipt of nonjudicial punishment does not constitute a criminal conviction. Depending on the level from which the punishment was authorized it will be a mark on your service record temporarily or permanently. Because it is included in your service record it is a public record. A service member can be denied a commission if there is a nonjudicial punishment on record. The process for a nonjudicial punishment is governed by Part V of the Manual for Courts-Martial and by each service branch's regulations.
