Article 15

[Stick]

Enlisted in Oct. '65. After basic I got a short leave home at Christmas and go out with my prom date from six months earlier which is when my first daughter was conceived and after that leave I went on to Ft. Polk for AIT. During AIT I called home and was told that Joanne was pregnant and we would have to get married. Got married on April Fools Day, '66 after being transferred permanent party to Ft. Ritchie, Md. out of AIT. Had just made E-3 so Joanne and I had to live off post in a $75 a month, 2-room apartment. Only E-4 and above were authorized post housing. Terri was born at the Waynesboro, Pa. hospital in August. Christmas '66 Joanne, Terri and I went home to Cleveland on a leave and while there I bought my older brothers '59 Plymouth for $100 to drive back to post. While driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike the car broke down. A Pa. Trooper took us to his station where I was able to call Ft. Ritchie and tell them that I wouldn't be back before my leave was over at midnight. The CQ never wrote it down. When I got back to post the following afternoon I was immediately taken to the CO and given an Article 15 and busted back to E-2. The CQ never admitted that he received the phone call so I was AWOL for several hours when I reported for duty.
In late '66 I was transferred to STRATCOM CONUS in Suitland, Md. as a 'Classified Courier,' whatever the hell that is. What I did was pick up papers at the message center and run them over to the Pentagon or downtown DC. In March of '67 I went into post on a Monday morning and was told to go back home, get packed and be back at post by 08 hundred hours. I had to be at Dulles by 10 hundred hours for transport to Seoul Korea TDY. Joanne had taken Terri to the sitter and gone to work by the time I got back to the apartment so I had to leave a note on the door that I wouldn't be home for dinner FOR A WHILE. I had no idea how long I was going to be in Korea. "IT WAS CLASSIFIED IMFORMATION" doncha know? Hell I didn't "need to know" did I? Spent 21 days in Korea and was sent back to Suitland. Soon after I got back, Joanne and I were going out on a date and driving down the road in that old '59 Plymouth. We stop at a light and the dude who stopped next to us looks over at Joanne and screams, "man, would I like to f_ck that." The light turns green and I give that 318 a kick in the butt and take off. Had to stop for the next light and the dude stops beside us again screaming that he wants to f_ck that" and the light turns green. We pull in the theater parking lot to the left and I pull into the first available parking spot and another car screeches to a stop behind us and before Jo or I get out there?s a guy at my door screaming ?hey, white boy, didn?t you here me? I want to f_ck that white bitch you?re sitting beside.? I bang the door open into the guys? crotch and get out kicking and swinging. Believe it or not the guy end up crying against his car and Joanne and I go to the movie.
Next day I get to post and was called to the CO's office where they promptly bust me to E-2 with another Article 15 for fighting another enlisted man. I had taken the first punch and he was a CTSN (whatever that is) in the Navy who just happened to see my gate pass bumper sticker and remembered the number. There goes my Good Conduct medal.
A couple of months later I got my orders for Viet Nam and arrive in QuiNhon a Private E-2 with just barely enough time and grade to make PFC. I promptly get my stripe and get assigned to 1st APU, APO San Fran 96238 as the units supply clerk. All I have to do is take care of supplies for the unit and write requisitions for needed supplies. We have a unit of about 50 men and I have to drive those men from our billets to the unit every morning. I get the drivers seat of a M-109 commo van deuce and a half while the rest of the guys get to ride in the back. Soon after I get to the APU I write a req. for a 37 passenger, Isuzu bus since I?ve seen one sitting at the motor pool and we get it. Captain Francisco, the CO had been riding beside me in the deuce and a half and needed a jeep so I wrote a req. for one and found out that we weren?t authorized one. A week later I found out that a good jeep had been ?combat lost? in the AnKhe pass and I got it from my buddy, supply clerk with the 15th admin. in AnKhe. Captain Francisco real happy with his jeep.
Soon after we got the jeep we were notified that the IG was coming to the APU for an inspection. When he arrived he saw the jeep, the bus, and several other things that weren?t authorized and asked how we got them. Captain says, ?I don?t know. PFC Romph wrote the req?s and they end up here.?
We get gigged and I end up busted again, this time without the loss of a stripe but immediately transferred to the Air Field Security Detachment.
It was just before Thanksgiving when I went to the guard towers and bunkers. I was supposed to be in the detachment for only 30 days but the APU got another supply clerk and I was no longer authorized there so I stayed in the towers until just before my DEROS nine months later when I end up my tour by catching a little metal in my left knee and riding a stretcher back across the pond. I end up at Valley Forge Army Hospital as a PFC, E3 where I?m promptly promoted to SP4 which is what I ETS as. Since I didn?t get back to the APU after catching that metal, I didn?t get any purple metal. Don?t mean nuthin.
Article 15?s ?don?t mean NUTHIN!?
Anyone else here experienced this form of "military justice" BS?

[DMZ-LT]

Works both ways , John. Had a basic training company for awhile. Had a hold over barracks - guys were getting out. Had A guy tell me if I wasn't a Cpt. he would kick my ass. Took off my hat and kicked his ass. Then court martialed him for striking an officer. Had a guy shoot a point man on a day we were suppossed not to move and they were going to court martial him but ended up giving him a silver star. Go figure

[colmurph]

Suck it up and move on with your life. You had a chance to turn doen the Article 15 and demand a trial by Courts Marshall but you didn't. You would definitely have beaten the first two.
I was "Offered" an Article 15 for writing "Who is the idiot who posted this notice?" on a door to a secure area which said "Use other door" when there was only one door. It turns out that the section chief of the Crypto section had written the sign. I demanded a trial by Courts Marshall and the convening authority agreed with me that the NCOIC was an idiot and threw it out. He also reprimanded my company commander who had tried to give me an Article 15. When I was a company commander in vietnam I was cited by MP's in Chu-Lai for "Unauthorized driving of a vehicle" (a Jeep) because some idiot at division hqs had decreed that all Officers had to have "Drivers" and they couldn't drive themselves. I turned down a General Grade Article 15 and demanded a General Court Marshall (You can't give an officer a Summary or a Special) It went to trial and was thrown out when I pointed out that the vehicle in question was assigned to my company and that I had "Authority" to designate who would drive it since I was the company commander. The whole incident reminded me of the crap that guys in 3d Army had to put up with in WWII. Patton would fine anybody who was not wearing a TIE! in combat.

[Andy]

In the fall of 1967 our company, maybe the entire battalion, spent 56 days in the Hobo Woods. We were guarding Rome Plows who were knocking down the jungle, going out on patrol and sending out day and night ambushes all the time. Charles didn?t seem to like our knocking down his sanctuary. The fighting was not nearly as intense as Tet but snipers, mortars and the occasional attack on a single platoon were common.

During that stay in the Hobo?s some fool decided I should be a sergeant and the paperwork went through. I was 19 and had not been in the army for a full year. The men on my APC and I went through quite a bit in the Hobo?s, we learned to count on each other.

In mid December we returned to Cu Chi base camp. As many of you may remember a 24 year old private could not buy hard liquor but a 19 year old sergeant could. I bought several bottles of the hard stuff. After our weapons, vehicle and we ourselves were clean (and in that order) and after evening chow we cracked open the bottles.

Near dusk our first sergeant came waltzing into second squad?s hooch, as usual he was swinging from a can of Black Label. He called me to attention and then told me I was now in NCO. Told him I knew that. He then said, ?NCO?s don?t drink with enlisted scum?. As the word scum was still leaving his mouth I put all of my 185 pounds behind a right hand to his head. Knocked him out. Later that night our liquor was confiscated and I was told I was under house arrest pending an investigation.

Next day our CO offered me an Article 15 or I could ask for a trial. I was 19, I was stupid and I could not write home and say I was going to have a courts marshal. I had been under the influence and I did strike an senior NCO. Took the Article 15, two weeks loss of pay and demotion back to Spec. 4.

Two days later, back in the field the Old Man told me I was an ?acting? E-5. I have never regretted that punch. However it did follow me. Spent many months as an ?acting? E-6. Some people don?t take kindly to punching superiors.

Stay healthy,
Andy
PS: When a cherry came to the unit, someone always told him about my encounter with Top. Never had any problems when asking guys to do anything.

Stick Andy, sure do know about them article 15s'. I didn't thnk my CO would take offense if I took a 5 day vacation. He had no understanding, just gave 30 days restriction, 30 days extra duty, and $50.00 fine for two months. Guess he did take offense to me going on that vacation. The other is a SPCM for assault. We had just come out of the field (at Fort Lewis 9th ID) I was a squad leader Buck Sgt. Before anyone could go on pass they had to have cleaned their weapon. So our platoon leader had us form up outside and have the squad leaders inspect the weapons. A 17 year old punk in my squad (Pvt Richad P. McDougal Jr.) presented his weapon for me to inspect. I found the bore chamber was still dirty, and the rear sight to his weapon gone. All he did was swab a few patches down the barrel. I told him his weapon was not clean, where it was still dirty, and for him to clean it. I also told him that when he turned his weapon in to the Company Armorer that he was tell the armorer about the rear sight missing. His reply was F You I'm going on pass. I looked this dud in the eye and said, your not going on pass until this weapon is properly cleaned, I want you to strip it down and clean it. Do you understand. With that said, he spit right in my face, so in front of the entrie platoon, the platoon leader, and the platoon sergeant, I commence to clean this punks clock. I was escroted to the orderly room, by the platoon leader, platoon sergeant, and members of squad to the 1St Sgt. The platoon leader didn't know this kid spit on me until members of my squad told the 1SGT what happened. The CO wanted to handle it a company level, but this punk cried and moaned he wanted to see the Battalion CO. The Battalion CO offered me Battallion level Article 15, I told him I wanted a SPCM. I was found guilty of assault, and only fined $100.00. Wasn't busted or anything else. The punk turned 18 two weeks later, and put on a levy for Korea.

[billwhit1357]

I know a little something about Art 15's. My last count, before I was discharged in Mar 1972, was 13 that I had taped to the wall behind my bed. Most were for being AWOL because I always found it hard to leave the warm bed of my woman, plus, I had a couple for drugs. The worst was a field grade and I was busted down to E-1, forfeiture of half months pay for 3 months, 3 months extra duty, and 3 months restriction. I deserved everything I got! My first tour I was a total Sad Sack, a worthless piece of shit, and was lucky I got out with an Honorable Discharge and only charged with 17 days badtime. I wanted to reenlist in 1974 and had to get a lot of waivers, but got it done. I did a good job second time around, although I did get in a little ruckus with one of my CO's and he had me Court Marshalled for being AWOL for three days. The Major in charge dropped the charges because I was off those three days and it was only because of a personal beef between my CO and I. We both rode Harleys and he didn't approve of the way I drove on a public highway when I passed him one day. I was speeding a little. So I was court marshaled. Some things a person deserves and some things they don't. Just depends on which way the wind is blowing at that certain moment I guess.Oh, one good thing, the girl I was always going AWOL for, well, we will have our 40th anniversary next year, and we have four daughters and eight grandkids now!