Posted on Feb 26, 2018
SPC Benjamin Norman
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Do you worry about things like force reduction giving you a handshake and severance pay instead of the retirement you deserve ? Or do you feel confident about your retirement?
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PVT Mark Brown
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I was not an officer nor was I career military, however, I have made some observations from the outside looking in over the years since I enlisted in 1968. I have seen officers make serious errors in judgement and end up without a job after putting in just under 20 years. For the most part the punishment rendered by the UCMJ was based on conduct exhibited that officer, the UCMJ, being the ultimate arbitor, called for immediate discharge. Sad. Loss of the reward earned for many years of good to excellent of service. Along the same lines, I have seen men unjustly accused of some violation or assumed/alledged wrongdoing and then being ousted from the military, again short of that magic 20 year mark. To ad salt to the wound, an officer with in excess of twenty years would not suffer then same penalty as one with less than twenty. It is not my job to sit in judgement of these officers or of the military justice system itself. I do feel that some consideration must be given to a career officer who, with mere months or a year or two left before retirement, commits an egregious act and, in essence, throws away 15, 18, 19 years of honorable military service to our country. Perhaps a prorata retirement schedule could be built into the UCMJ to cover such situations thus dispensing just punishment for a recent action or inaction while not witholding the reward earned for many prior years of excellent behavior and service. Maybe allow the violator to serve some penalty with reinstatement to the rank attained prior to the violation and then allowed to retire at twenty years. This may result in retirement at a lower pay grade than what had been attained after the crime or other act was committed, but would still allow for just comensation for the years of honorable service. Would be complicate, admitedly, but would also be fair. Ca-Ching - 2 cents.
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