Restriction

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Permalink Reply by Margaret Clayton on December 15, 2016 at 11:22am

It depends on a few things, as the CO has some leeway in how much punishment to award.  Yes, it has to be pretty bad, but the other factors are the record and attitude of the sailor, and the command climate.  By "climate" I mean if there have been a lot of problems and examples need to be made to keep the others aware of their decisions.  The first guy to screw up might not get hit as hard as the third or fourth guy.  The sailor who has been verbally counseled before is more likely to catch harsher consequences than the exemplary one who messed up once.  

One viewpoint is that it is best to dole out harsher punishment in A school in order to correct poor behavior rather than let it slide until they are in the fleet.  Also gives them a better opportunity to recover if they lose a paygrade, and has a less lasting impact on evals for advancement.  A schools are notoriously stricter and harsher than the fleet for this reason.  

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on December 16, 2016 at 3:00pm

Thank you, Margaret.

Margaret Clayton said:

It depends on a few things, as the CO has some leeway in how much punishment to award.  Yes, it has to be pretty bad, but the other factors are the record and attitude of the sailor, and the command climate.  By "climate" I mean if there have been a lot of problems and examples need to be made to keep the others aware of their decisions.  The first guy to screw up might not get hit as hard as the third or fourth guy.  The sailor who has been verbally counseled before is more likely to catch harsher consequences than the exemplary one who messed up once.  

One viewpoint is that it is best to dole out harsher punishment in A school in order to correct poor behavior rather than let it slide until they are in the fleet.  Also gives them a better opportunity to recover if they lose a paygrade, and has a less lasting impact on evals for advancement.  A schools are notoriously stricter and harsher than the fleet for this reason.  

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Permalink Reply by Steven DeVillier on December 20, 2016 at 4:56pm

Well my experience is over 30 years old but I would agree with Margaret and I would bet that it was the latter, to dole out harsher punishment in A School would provide a better attitude adjustment. Plus if they didn't take away any pay I would think that's a good sign that they are trying to send a correction message verse's really hurting the Sailor. Hitting the pocket book of young sailor is really rough.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew on December 26, 2016 at 8:59pm

Thank you, Steven.

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Permalink Reply by L. Paul Saltzman on December 28, 2016 at 10:34pm

You maybe able to get some idea of the possible causes that would require displine of this level from his/hers recruiter. As well restricted does not mean loss of pay, it is more a loss of liberty and leave. Hasn't the sailor explained it to you? Disclaimer I could be wrong about the level..

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Permalink Reply by Margaret Clayton on December 29, 2016 at 8:25am

With NJP, the punishments are awarded by the officer holding the Captain's Mast, and can be combined, depending on the infraction. The severity of what can be awarded also depends on the rank of the officer.   The list of potential infractions is long, but usually in A school they've broken one of the barracks or school rules.  Being late, failing room inspections consistently, cheating on tests, theft, sex in the barracks, insubordination.  Drinking underage is a huge one, but often results in losing the school entirely.  A sailor on restriction has limited communications, so likely hasn't had the means to do a detailed explanation.  Many are embarrassed by their mistake, and often choose not to share with family that they did something foolish.  You may never know precisely what happened.  

Wikipedia gives a broad view of the punishments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-judicial_punishment

L. Paul Saltzman said:

You maybe able to get some idea of the possible causes that would require displine of this level from his/hers recruiter. As well restricted does not mean loss of pay, it is more a loss of liberty and leave. Hasn't the sailor explained it to you? Disclaimer I could be wrong about the level..

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Permalink Reply by Chris Rolwes on December 30, 2016 at 8:43am

This happened to my daughter 8 hours prior to graduation for reasons listed below. Others were responsible for the infraction but she got caught up in it and the CO had very poor control over instructors and the base in general. She lost her rate and was put on 30 or 45 days of restriction (I can't remember for certain). To some extent, she has recovered from it but there have been other problems. Overall, I'm not impressed with the Navy in how they work with sailors once they are in the fleet. She's been injured for a month and her command doesn't seem to understand that having a broken foot can be inhibiting to performing below deck duties. We toured her ship in August and I was appalled by the waste and inefficiency. The idea that they want more ships, etc. is ridiculous to me. I am hoping that she puts her four years in and gets out. I am hoping that things get better for her once she heals up. Be patient....I would encourage you to call the base to get some answers. I also wouldn't hesitate to call your Congressman or Senator if you feel like you aren't getting anywhere.

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Permalink Reply by Phil Shannon on January 25, 2017 at 8:27am

I hope everything works out ok for your sailor Chris. Our experience has been much better, but I feel for your family and daughter, it must really suck having bad experiences like this. Our daughter signed up for 6 years (she is over 4.5 years into that), feeling grateful her experience in the US Navy has been mostly positive. I went on Tiger Cruise for USS America in 2014 and was blown away by how professional and squared away everybody was.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Penrod on May 16, 2017 at 12:19pm

The Navy not the problem....

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