Goodfellow's top five offenses

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jake Wolf
  • 17th Training Wing Judge Advocate
On a weekly basis, Goodfellow's squadron commanders and WIng leadership advocate responsibility and maturity to our Airmen.
 
Simply put, they just want us to follow the rules and adhere to our Core Values: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do. Despite the best efforts of our leadership, we at the legal office continually handle a multitude of disciplinary infractions that result in everything from administrative counselings to nonjudicial punishments, administrative discharges, and even courts-martial.
 
Astoundingly, the misconduct normally follows the same disturbing pattern of offenses.

Commanders have punished 62 Airmen with more in progress. Underage drinking and contributing to a minor, wrongful cohabitation, false official statements, larceny and driving under the influence are the top five offenses for which Airmen on Goodfellow have been punished under Article 15. The following is a discussion of our top five offenses for the year to date:

1. It is no secret that the legal age to consume alcohol in all 50 states is 21. You may not like it, but it is the law and you must abide by it. Some may think that because the drinking age is governed by state law, that they are not responsible to follow it. They are wrong. Bottom line, if you get caught drinking under the age of 21 or providing alcohol to an individual who is not 21, you will be punished. Ask yourself: "Is a beer really worth losing pay, stripes, or my career?"

2. Our students at Goodfellow and Presidio of Monterey must follow certain trainee specific policies. One of them is that they are not allowed to cohabitate in a dormitory room with someone of the opposite sex. We consistently see Airmen violate this policy. Some think they can get away with it while others just plain disregard it. Like the underage drinking offenses, you will not get away with it and will be punished when caught.

3. Our first Core Value is "Integrity First" and it seems to be the hardest to follow. The second most punished offense under Article 15 this calendar year is making a false official statement. Ironically, under Article 31 you have the right to remain silent when accused of misconduct, but some Airmen still think that a lie will get them out of trouble. That could not be further from the truth. Making a false official statement is a punishable offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

4. Theft is another common problem among our Airmen. Again, Integrity First is disregarded. Something as simple as not stealing, which has been ingrained into most of us by our parents, grandparents and guardians from the time we were little, still eludes us because some think thieving another's property is acceptable behavior.

5. Rounding out our top offenses is driving under the influence (DUI). Arguably, this is the most frustrating of all because there are so many avenues of transportation that Airmen can take advantage of if they find themselves in a tricky situation. Airmen Against Drunk Driving, taxi cabs, the new downtown shuttle/trolley, or even their supervisor or fellow Airmen are all viable alternatives; yet, we still see DUIs on a regular basis. A DUI will likely kill your career or worse.

For the enlisted Airmen, when we raised our hand to enlist, the second half of the oath reads "...I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice." Following orders, rules, regulations and policy is a promise we as Airmen made to our country. Help us keep that promise.