The  best  form  of  discipline  is  positive  action geared  to  prevent  disciplinary  problems  before  they happen. Effective leaders use that type of discipline to help persons understand the need for regulations and the  need  to  abide  by  them.  To  receive  loyalty  and willing obedience from those under you, you must set an  example  of  high  personal  standards  and  moral conduct. In setting a proper example for your people, how can you report somebody for being out of uniform if you show up at muster looking like you have slept in your  uniform  for  3  days?  If  you  show  up  late  for muster, reporting one of your people for showing up late would be unfair. So, you must set the example and maintain  the  highest  standards  for  your  people  to follow. Remember, the way you act is also the way your people will act. Each time a petty officer helps a shipmate keep a clean  record,  that  PO  is  living  up  to  the  highest traditions of the Navy. Except for major infractions of the  UCMJ,  putting  people  on  report  should  be  done only  as  a  last  resort.  You  always  should  try  other methods of correction—appeal to pride, disapproval of special  requests  (which  emphasizes  that  approval  of special requests is for the more deserving), encourage team spirit, and so forth—first. Only after you try other methods of correction and those fail should you place an enlisted person on report for a minor offense. The Navy has personnel of high caliber who can be trusted and who do their work well. However, many of them will at some time commit an infraction, such as accidentally being out of uniform, being a couple of minutes late to quarters, or failing to salute an officer. You  would  be  unwise  to  place  people  on  report  for trivial offenses. You should use initiative and common sense  to  help  keep  them  out  of  trouble.  Repeatedly putting persons on report for minor infractions reflects on  your  leadership  ability,  and  you  will  soon  find yourself heartily disliked by personnel under you. On the other hand, the “good guy” who tries to maintain popularity and never reports a person is a menace to discipline and a nuisance to all petty officers. Report of Offense Processing In  spite  of  your  best  efforts  and  those  of  the division officer, some personnel will be, among other things, insubordinate, indifferent to wearing the proper uniform, and lax in relieving watches on time. Some also will malinger or fight. Those are the people who must be put on report, unpleasant though it may be. All you are doing is reporting to the commanding officer a violation  of  military  order  or  discipline;  the  captain decides whether to punish the person. Placing  a  person  on  report  (starting  a  charge against  the  individual)  means  letting  the  proper authority (CO, XO, CDO, OOD, legal officer, military police, security or MAA force, or any superior in the chain   of   command)   know   about   the   apparent misconduct.  Your  notification  can  be  oral  or  in  the form of a written report chit. If your command has a locally prepared report chit, you should use that form; otherwise, you can use the standard Navy report chit, Report  and  Disposition  of  Offense(s),  NAVPERS 1626/7, as shown in figure 2-2. Whichever form you use,  make  your  report  as  complete,  accurate,  and specific as possible. Figure 2-2 shows the correct manner for completing the NAVPERS 1626/7. Be sure to include the following information: date of report; accused’s name, rate, social security number, branch of service, and division; date and place of offense (including the pertinent article of the  UCMJ,  if  known);  complete  identification  of  all witnesses; and your rate and signature. The unit legal office usually will type your initial report chit in proper form  for  record  purposes,  so  the  accuracy  and  the completeness  of  the  information  you  submit  are important. In addition, investigation of the report chit is easier if you include adequate information. If you use the NAVPERS 1626/7, do not concern yourself with any part of the form after the portion about article 31, UCMJ (compulsory  self-incrimination  prohibited),  which explains  the  rights  of  the  accused.  The  legal  office personnel will complete the remainder of the form. The next step in the processing of a report chit is for the commanding officer to assign a junior officer or senior petty officer to conduct a preliminary inquiry of the alleged offense(s). The results of the preliminary inquiry  then  go  to  the  executive  officer’s  inquiry (XOI), also known as a screening mast. At the XOI, the executive officer will either dismiss the report chit or forward  it  to  the  commanding  officer  for  captain’s mast. At captain’s mast, the commanding officer will review  the  report  chit,  the  results  of  the  preliminary 2-4 Q3. Your responsibilities as a petty officer end when you are on liberty. 1. True 2. False REVIEW QUESTION