If you face trouble while you’re in the military, you need to know the differences between a military court or civilian court and how it will handle your case. For the most part, civilian courts will handle cases in civil or criminal court. On the other hand, a...
Military Law
Can you quit the military?
With most jobs in the United States, you can simply quit whenever you want. Unless you have a contract, it means you're an at-will employee, so you can leave if you no longer want to work there. You don't have to have a reason to do so and, while you are usually asked...
Can you appeal an OER?
An officer evaluation record, or OER, is important for those who want to move up in the ranks. When you have an OER with negative commentary or ratings, your career as an officer could be threatened. The thing to remember is that you do have a right to an OER appeal,...
Have you been accused of deserting your post?
When you were at school you had no other ambition than to join the military. You pursued your dreams and signed up when you were of age. You’ve had a long and distinguished career, consisting of several tours. While the work has been demanding, you’re proud of...
Who oversees a court-martial?
If you are in the military, things are not quite the same when you face accusations of wrongdoing. While you could also face trial in a civilian court, often, the military prefers to keep things in-house by using the court-martial process. A court-martial is the...
3 possible outcomes of administrative separation
For members of the military, an administrative separation means seeing that career come to an end before they had decided to walk away from it. Some have compared it to civilians who get fired from their jobs. This is simply the process that's used to terminate...
Does the United States military still enforce its adultery laws?
When someone joins the military, they agree to hold themselves to a higher standard than the average civilian. Not only do military servicemembers need to comply with state and federal laws, but they must also follow all the rules in the Uniform Code of Military...
Can you recognize an unlawful order?
As a member of the military, if you’re fortunate, you’ll never have to worry about whether you can or should disobey an unlawful order given by a superior (including the Commander in Chief). However, what if you are placed in that situation? How do you know for...
Why do you need to respond to a military adverse action notice?
An adverse action is an administrative tool used by the Armed Forces when members of the Armed Forces fail to comply with certain acceptable standards. It is intended to correct undesirable conduct. Some examples of adverse actions include: A letter of reprimand...
Take steps to protect yourself if you’re accused of war crimes
In times of great stress and life-threatening action, you sometimes have to make split-second decisions that you would not make under other circumstances. Doing the wrong thing when you’re in the military could lead to you being accused of war crimes. War crimes are...