Article 15

At Military Defender, one of the most common and urgent questions we hear from service members is: “Should I accept Article 15, or should I demand a court-martial?” This decision is not minor. It can affect your rank, pay, promotion eligibility, security clearance, and long-term military career. Because Article 15 proceedings often move quickly, many service members feel pressured to…

Offenses that can result in punishment Under the UCMJ, Article 15 allows commanding officers to punish service members for alleged offenses that do not likely warrant a court-martial, but believe they deserve harsher punishment than administrative counseling. These offenses include: Disrespecting superior officers Underage drinking Sleeping on duty Disobeying orders Understand that being charged with disobeying orders can rise to…