Small Scale Military Headquarters

Link: https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/u-s-s ... 1825953800

A lot of military personell i have heard think the LT on the Fitzgerald deserves harsher punishment and this guy is getting hit worse since he is an NCO

dannyc wrote:A lot of military personell i have heard think the LT on the Fitzgerald deserves harsher punishment and this guy is getting hit worse since he is an NCO

If he is guilty, the punishment is fitting.

dannyc wrote:A lot of military personell i have heard think the LT on the Fitzgerald deserves harsher punishment and this guy is getting hit worse since he is an NCO

Their logic is probably driven more by misguided angst than actual facts. The OIC on the deck of the USS Fitzgerald during the accident pleaded guilty and received her punishment betting circumstances that were unfortunate, but not caused by intentional malfeasance. Essentially the occurrences on the Fitzgerald were a lot of complacent individuals not necessarily doing things by the book, compounded with unlucky events and some poor decision-making. It is terrible that that caused people to lose their lives, but there was nothing intentional about the circumstances. The other officers on the vessel, including the skipper, have yet to be sentenced.

Compared to the NCO who intentionally damaged military equipment amounting to a pretty high dollar amount, there is a key difference, intent. He knew what he was doing, and he knew it was wrong. The military Courts Martial are not bound by the civil justice system, but they still take a fair approach to doling out punishment. I believe their conclusion with how to punish the two parties discussed here was fair and suited their crime (again, not the results of said crimes). There is a reason why, in our country, we charge someone with falling asleep at the wheel and killing someone with manslaughter and sentence them to say 2 years, and then sentence someone who sped from police to avoid arrest and endangered many lives (but didn't actually kill anyone) with 5-10 years. The difference is intent, and I am glad that UCMJ still accounts for that in their verdicts and punishment.

-Kevin