AWOL Charge

[Halifax Tar]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/05/16/ns-cancer-sailor-awol-charge.html

Interesting read.  I truly hope there is more to this story or the RCN may come out looking quite hard handed to put it nicely.

 

[Jacky Tar]

I'm with you there, Halifax. I get the feeling she lives outside Halifax proper, so I could see it taking time to get into Stad. But if that's indeed the case, I don't get where the disobedience and AWOL charges come from. There's got to be more to it than this - or else her div chain needs to be slapped for aggravated stupid.

 

[Franko]

The JAG office wouldn't allow it to go forward if they thought it wouldn't stick.

Regards

 

[Jarnhamar]

The JAG office wouldn't allow it to go forward if they thought it wouldn't stick.

Regards

if I'm not mistaken the JAG office makes a recommendation however the charging unit can ignore JAGs advice and go ahead, or am I wrong?




If someone is ordered to sick parade and there is not a valid reason why they show up 2 hours late then the person would be AWOL for those two hours.

 

[jollyjacktar]

There's more to the story for sure I'd agree. 

Nevertheless, the system's coming across looking like a vindictive bully.  Justice may be done by her being run, but optics-wise it's not the appearance of it.  It's a lose-lose situation for command no matter what the outcome and the RCN's going to have the shiner after this is finished. 

 

[OldSolduer]

There are some people out there who do not see things as we do.  I call them "rule book followers" and they will follow the letter of the law rather than the spirit.
This is going to make the RCN look very very bad.

The CoC can ignore JAG advice.

 

[63 Delta]

She is set to release on 23 June 13. What a complete waste of time and effort to pin a 2 hour AWOL charge on someone on their way out, regardless of the circumstances.

 

[cupper]

What impressed me is the bit about starting chemo and the court martial on the same day. That would do wonders for one's stress level.

But I do agree that when I read it my impression was that there must be some more to the story, otherwise the immediate CoC is playing chicken poop games with someone who deserves better.

 

[Towards_the_gap]

Even if there is something more to the story, I can't help but ask, what good will this serve the operational needs of the RCN? As others have stated, when a quick cost (monetary, Public Affairs, morale as a whole) versus benefit (setting an example to not be 2 hours late) is done, the costs surely outweigh the benefits.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Just flirting with the devils advocate here, how would we feel if the member being charged with AWOL was 2 hours late because 'he just didn't care since he was leaving the army next month anyways'.

Would we support him being charged because of his non-nonchalant attitude? Would we still consider the AWOL a waste of time and money if the guy was being a dick about it? 
In this case are we letting the soldiers unfortunate medical condition colour or response to the story?

I find this story (and the reactions) very interesting from a professional development point of view.

 

[maple360]

My thinking...

Person was hardworking and supervisors noticed said hard work. Person was late for 2 hours and major sickness was found, ships moral would take a hit and supervisors would not even take note of how long it took said person to get from point a to b and they would be more concerned with there health.

or..

Person was lazy and always didnt do there job (buddyf....). and the 2 hour late was just the straw the broke the camels back...

I know most coxswains are hard asses but almost all of them are fair.

 

[Occam]

cocksons

<groan>

That's coxswains.

 

[JorgSlice]

<groan>

That's coxswains.

:rofl:

 

[Maxadia]

This:

There's more to the story for sure I'd agree. 

and this:

www.cbc.ca.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ya think, considering the source?

 

[Robert0288]

I read the CBC comments, I keep telling myself not too.  But it keeps happening  :crybaby:

 

[MeanJean]

She is also the one that elected for a court martial over a summary trial and then all of this ends up in the media.  It is interesting that the article does not state why she was late.  Either divulging that information may affect the trial or there may not be a valid reason.  I must say that if I found a lump or bump on me somewhere I wouldn't call in sick; I would get my a** into the base hospital and get it checked out.

All that being said, I hope that the chemo goes well for her.

 

[The Bread Guy]

With any media story, even those going into some detail with some context, we never read/hear/see the ENTIRE story. 

It will be interesting seeing how this goes, and how it gets covered.

 

[Old and Tired]

I think I can state, with a fair degree of certainty, that there is FAR, FAR more to this than meets the eye.  This sailor was injuried on board her ship some time ago and was posted else where here in Halifax.  For a brief period she worked for me while waiting for decisions to be made.  I wish her the best of luck with her treatment and that she beats the beast she's fighting.  Actually both of them.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I have no doubt there is more at stake here.

Yes, the CoC can ignore the advice of the JAG office, but in my experience, at least in the Navy, charges are not our first knee-jerk reaction to a problem. Almost every captain I know always asks herself first if there is any other way to deal with a situation, or if there are facts at play that make it absolutely necessary for the good of the service to proceed with a charge.

What I find interesting here is this: It just so happen that the CBC broke the story: How? My guess is she called them in as a strategy to get the charge thrown out, knowing full well all the details she hid from the reporter. Note that this is coming out the week before the court martial, a date she would have known for a much longer period of time, that the starting of Chemo on the same day cannot be a coincidence: She would have known either the date of the CM or the Chemo before the other and could easily have arranged for an absence of coincidence. Finally: looking for sympathy - She already has lost her hair in the news report. I could be wrong but my understanding is that you lose your hair as a result of the chemo - not of the cancer. I know that to avoid the trauma of watching your hair fall, they recommend that you get your head shaved before starting chemo, but she waited after this happened to call the journalists in.

I certainly wish her well in her fight against cancer, but there is just too much missed by  CBC here to get my sympathy vote.

The way I see it, Public Relations should make sure that all local journalist are fully invited to witness this Court Martial, so that they have all the facts. That is the only counter to this type of reporting.

 

[my72jeep]

I have no doubt there is more at stake here.

Yes, the CoC can ignore the advice of the JAG office, but in my experience, at least in the Navy, charges are not our first knee-jerk reaction to a problem. Almost every captain I know always asks herself first if there is any other way to deal with a situation, or if there are facts at play that make it absolutely necessary for the good of the service to proceed with a charge.

What I find interesting here is this: It just so happen that the CBC broke the story: How? My guess is she called them in as a strategy to get the charge thrown out, knowing full well all the details she hid from the reporter. Note that this is coming out the week before the court martial, a date she would have known for a much longer period of time, that the starting of Chemo on the same day cannot be a coincidence: She would have known either the date of the CM or the Chemo before the other and could easily have arranged for an absence of coincidence. Finally: looking for sympathy - She already has lost her hair in the news report. I could be wrong but my understanding is that you lose your hair as a result of the chemo - not of the cancer. I know that to avoid the trauma of watching your hair fall, they recommend that you get your head shaved before starting chemo, but she waited after this happened to call the journalists in.

I certainly wish her well in her fight against cancer, but there is just too much missed by  CBC here to get my sympathy vote.

The way I see it, Public Relations should make sure that all local journalist are fully invited to witness this Court Martial, so that they have all the facts. That is the only counter to this type of reporting.

CBC will never corer it if it turns out not to be big bad Military outcome!