Administrative Separations
What is a command investigation? Commanders are charged with ensuring the good order and discipline in their units. Rule of Court-Martial 303 sets forth the statutory requirement that commanders must investigate any suspected misconduct in their ranks. RCM 303 states:
Upon receipt of information that a member of the command is accused or suspected of committing an offense or offenses triable by court-martial, the immediate commander shall make or cause to be made a preliminary inquiry into the charges or suspected offenses.
What this means in laymen’s terms, is that the commander must investigate. This requirement, however, does not mention how formal the investigation needs to be. The formality of the investigation will be based upon the complexity of the issue. This can range from the commander, or his representative, conducting a quick look into an offense, appointing a 15-6 officer, or referring the matter to military law enforcement.
If you are the subject of a command investigation, we can not stress enough the necessity of seeking the assistance of qualified counsel. Command investigations almost always lead to some form of disciplinary action being taken, as well was the collateral consequences.
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