Relationships with students and trainees

A POSITION OF COMMAND OR SUPERVISION OVER THE SUBORDINATE) "GIVES THE

APPEARANCE OF PARTIALITY AND UNDERMINES DISCIPLINE, AUTHORITY, AND

MORALE." IT CONCLUDED:

"WHERE IT IS SHOWN THAT THE ACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES ARE SUCH AS TO LEAD A

REASONABLY PRUDENT PERSON, EXPERIENCED IN THE PROBLEMS OF MILITARY

LEADERSHIP, TO CONCLUDE THAT THE GOOD ORDER AND DISCIPLINE OF THE ARMED

FORCES HAS BEEN PREJUDICED BY THE COMPROMISING OF (ONE) PERSON'S RESPECT

FOR THE INTEGRITY AND GENTLEMANLY OBLIGATION OF AN OFFICER, THERE HAS BEEN

AN OFFENSE." U.S. V. CALLOWAY. 21 MJ 770 (ACMR 1986).

c. Relationships with students and trainees.

These relationships

are

stringently regulated, due to the dangers that are inherent in them.

QUESTION:

SGT X, A MALE DRILL SERGEANT, INVITED A FEMALE TRAINEE, PVT Y, TO SPEND

A WEEKEND WITH HIM OFF POST. SGT X KNEW SUCH CONDUCT WAS WRONG AS THE

POST

HAD

VERY

SPECIFIC

REGULATION

PROHIBITING

ANY

SOCIAL

RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CADRE/TRAINING CENTER PERSONNEL AND TRAINEES.

FURTHERMORE, ALL DRILL SERGEANTS WERE INSTRUCTED QUARTERLY ON THEIR

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR AVOIDING SOCIAL CONTACT WITH TRAINEES UNDER ANY

CIRCUMSTANCE. WHEN SGT X'S WEEKEND ACTIVITIES WITH PVT Y CAME TO THE

ATTENTION OF THE 1SGT, SGT X ARGUED THAT PVT Y WAS NOT EVEN IN THE SAME

BATTALION AND THAT IN HIS OPINION, HIS CONDUCT HAD NO EFFECT ON GOOD

ORDER, DISCIPLINE, AND MORALE. IS THIS RELATIONSHIP IMPROPER?

ANSWER:

YES.

IN U.S.

ADAMES, 21 MJ 465 (CMA, 1986), THE COURT EXPLAINED:

"PROPER RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SUPERIORS AND SUBORDINATES ARE VITAL TO

DISCIPLINE IN THE ARMED FORCES. WHERE THE SUBORDINATES ARE TRAINEES, THE

ARMY HAS AN ENHANCED INTEREST, BECAUSE TRAINEES, WHO USUALLY HAVE LIMITED

MILITARY EXPERIENCE AND ARE SUBJECT TO VERY INTENSIVE SUPERVISION AND

CONTROL BY THEIR SUPERIORS, ARE VULNERABLE TO TAKING OF UNFAIR ADVANTAGE

BY THOSE SUPERIORS. IN TURN, SUCH CONDUCT BY THE SUPERIORS DIMINISHES THE

RESPECT WITH WHICH THEY ARE VIEWED BY THE TRAINEES--A RESPECT ESSENTIAL

FOR INCULCATING DISCIPLINE."

In another case, the accused was a second lieutenant, and acting platoon

leader, in a company of male students. All women students were assigned to another

platoon. The accused kept asking one of the female privates to go out on a date

with him. The court explained why this was improper:

"Because of their typical lack of experience and maturity, trainees in the

armed forces are to some extent at the mercy of the officers and NCOs who

supervise them. In recognition of this circumstance and of the potential

for disruption of good order and discipline if their superiors take

advantage of the opportunity to victimize trainees, many training

companies

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