What Is Administrative Punishment?

It is the bane of modern military existence. Leadership and mentorship are long time artifacts of the past. Military service is corporate now.

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Administrative punishment in the military refers to non-judicial actions taken to address minor misconduct, policy violations, or other issues within a service member’s performance. Unlike formal disciplinary actions, administrative punishments do not involve courts-martial but can still have significant consequences on a service member's career.

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The examples vary by service. For example:

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1. The Air Force and other services uses Letters of Counseling, Letters of Admonishment, and Letters of Reprimand. Each represents a more progressive acknowledgment, by military command, of the seriousness of the misconduct. 
   
   Regardless of rank, every Airman may receive this paperwork.
    

2. The Army utilizes an additional concept, the General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand (GOMOR). While the above may be issued by any superior, the GOMOR is specifically issued by the general officer within the chain of command. It can be the administrative death penalty of a career. 

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A common form of administrative discipline is the Memorandum for Record (MFR)

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These memos get filed internally for ultimate use in a service member's performance report, or an ultimate administrative punishment.

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Experience Matters

Administrative paperwork usually starts a process that is designed to result in a discharge or court-martial. Experienced counsel can help shape the battlefield for that eventual fight.