PERSMAN 8-H Interpersonal Relationships Within the Coast Guard

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PERSMAN 8-HInterpersonal Relationships Within
the Coast Guard

• Presented byLCDR Sharif Abdrabbo, USCGR
• Ninth District Legal Office

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Policy Behind Rules

• Mission Success
• An environment of mutual respect and trust
  inspires teamwork.
• Military Discipline
• Relationships that raise even the perception of
  unfairness undermine good order and discipline.
• Custom Tradition
• Longstanding naval customs traditions have
  established boundaries of appropriate behavior,
  especially between officer and enlisted.

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Types of Relationships

• Acceptable
• Unacceptable
• Prohibited

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Acceptable Relationships

• Service custom recognizes that personal
  relationships
• are acceptable as long as they DO NOT
• Jeopardize the members impartiality.
• Undermine respect for authority.
• Result in members improperly using relationship
  for personal gain.
• Violate the UCMJ.

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Examples of Acceptable Relationships

• Crewmembers going to an occasional movie,
  dinner, concert, or other social event.
• Members jogging or participating in wellness or
  recreational activities together.

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Unacceptable Relationships

• Supervisors and subordinates in private business
  together.
• Supervisors and subordinates in romantic
  relationships with
• each other
• CPOs (E7-E9) and junior enlisted (E4 and below)
• Members assigned to same small shore unit (lt60)
• Members assigned to the same cutter
• Any relationship that disrupts the conduct of
  daily business.

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Prohibited Relationships

• These relationships are ALWAYS PROHIBITED,
  regardless of the rank, grade, or position of the
  persons involved
• Engaging in sexually intimate behavior on any CG
  vesselor in any CG controlled workplace.
• Romantic relationships between O E outside of
  marriage.
• Personal romantic relationships between
  instructors and students at a training command.
• Fraternization between O E.

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Fraternization

• The criminal prohibition of certain conduct
  between O E,
• as set forth in the UCMJ.
• Interpersonal relationships between O E and
  fraternization
• are NOT synonymous.

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Fraternization

• Elements of the offense under the UCMJ
• The accused is a commissioned or warrant
  officer.
• The accused fraternized on terms of military
  equality with one or more enlisted in a
  certain manner.
• The accused knew other person was enlisted.
• The association violated a custom of the
  service.
• Under the circumstances, the conduct of the
  accused was prejudicial to good order and
  discipline.

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Customs of the Service

• Officer/enlisted relationships are OK as long as
  they do not jeopardize impartiality, undermine
  respect for authority, or result in use of
  relationship for personal gain.
• Officer/enlisted prohibition includes members of
  other services.
• Marriage is OK but it doesnt mitigate earlier
  fraternization.

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Command Responses to Relationships

• Acceptable
• No action needed/taken
• Unacceptable
• Direct members to terminate relationship
• Counsel, reassign, or separate member(s)
• Prohibited
• UCMJ action available

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Prohibited Relationships

• These relationships are ALWAYS PROHIBITED,
  regardless
• of rank, grade, or position of the persons
  involved
• Engaging in sexually intimate behavior on any CG
  vessel or in any CG controlled workplace.
• Romantic relationships between O E outside of
  marriage.
• Personal romantic relationships between
  instructors and students at a training command.
• Fraternization between O E.

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Bottom Line
Is an inappropriate relationship worth risking
your CAREER??
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Ninth District Cases

• XPO Station Saginaw
• Adultery with E-3.
• Mast, Relieved for Cause
• Station Supervisor Washington Island
• Adultery with E-3
• Mast, Relieved for Cause
• Group Sault-Ste Marie
• Adultery among non-rates
• Mast for all members

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Recent Cases

• O-5 relieved of command removed from senior
  service school
• Engaged in an inappropriate romantic relationship
  with an individual for whom the command provided
  regulatory oversight.
• E-6 convicted by a summary court-martial
• while serving in a combat zone,
• failed to obey order not to engage in direct
  physical contact w/other members of the armed
  forces by touching, hugging, and kissing another
  member.
• received punitive letter of reprimand
• reduction to pay grade E-5
• fine of 1,500

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Recent Cases

• O-4 permanently relieved as XO
• Conduct created impression of inappropriate
  interpersonal relationships with the crew.
• E-7 permanently relieved of command
• Engaged in inappropriate relationship with XPO.
• Was removed from a CWO appointment list.
• O-5 permanently relieved of command
• Engaged in an inappropriate relationship with JO
  within the command.

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Recent Cases

• O-2 permanently removed from the O-3 promotion
  list
• Engaged in an inappropriate romantic relationship
  with the CO.
• O-2 commission was revoked
• Engaged in a prohibited relationship with another
  officer in the wardroom despite verbal warnings
  from the supervisor.

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Recent Cases

• CO relieved for cause
• CO of a major LANTAREA cutter engaged in a
  prohibited relationship with JO aboard the
  cutter.
• CO received punitive letter of reprimand.
• Relieved of command at Admirals mast.
• No Matter How Egregious or Minor The Offense,
  Such Conduct Is Unacceptable and Inexcusable.
• -VADM Hull
• P 041908Z JUN 04 COMLANTAREA COGARD PORTSMOUTH
  VA//A// 041

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Sex
Sex the pleasure is momentary, the position
ridiculous, and the expense damnable. - Lord
Chesterfield (1694 - 1773) Sex the thing that
takes up the least amount of time and causes the
most amount of trouble. John Barrymore (1882
- 1942)
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Final Thoughts
The measure of a mans real character is what
he would do if he knew he would never be found
out. -Thomas B. Macaulay (1800-1859) Remem
ber, people will judge you by your actions, not
your intentions. You may have a heart of gold
but so does a hard-boiled egg. -Anonymous
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