Have you ever had to take a soldier/airman/sailor/marine to NJP? What was it for?

NJP was evidently more common when I was in the service because your question took me by surprise. Most Platoon sized units had 4 or 5 NJP's per year. The first NJP I witnessed, I was the officer conducting it. I presided over my first NJP two months after hitting the FMF as the acting Company Commander. The Battalion CO, XO, and Sergeant Major and the Company First Sergeant and Company Gunnery Sergeant all spooled me up the day before and the First Sergeant and Gunny positioned themselves where they could signal me if I jumped the tracks. As best I can remember, no one died, no one was physically injured, no one laughed, and no one cried. The First Sergeant and The Gunnery Sergeant were the last to leave the office and they both gave me a thumbs up on the way out.

Here is guidance I gave my NCO's about NJP whenever I took over a unit.

1) Have your ducks in a row. If you do not have your ducks in a row, you will not get a second bite at the same apple for the same offense. Make sure you understand ALL of the elements of the offense and have done everything humanly possible, in a reasonable time frame, to get to the truth. I want the ALL the evidence and I want it BULLET PROOF. The easiest way to piss me off is to leave out factual evidence that exonerates or to bring me false evidence. If you do either their will be a long, loud, one sided conversation after the NJP is over. You will not be happy when that conversation is over.

2) Do not bring a Marine to Office Hours (Marine Lingo for NJP) unless you are DONE with him and want him out of your unit, and out of the service. (Out of the service wasn't going to happen for one NJP, but it communicated where I wanted the NCO's mind to be,)

3) If you want to keep YOUR stripes, do not EVER bring a Marine to NJP and tell me he is a "good Marine." If he is a good Marine, why the hell is he standing in front of me facing potential punishment. If he is worth defending, punish him some other way. If someone else charged him and you didn't want him charged, you may defend that Marine, but only then. And do NOT surprise me that you are going to defend him.

4) I expect the entire chain of command between me and the Marine being charged to present a unified front at the Office Hours. If that is not possible, I better know BEFORE we get started and BEFORE the Marine is in the room.

5) Marines talk trash. I want three of his peers from separate teams, squads, or platoons that know the Marine, in the room to witness the proceedings. I don't need him walking around BS'ing about how tough he was, unless there are some peers around to throw the BS flag.

If it gets to the point where UCMJ is needed, don't hesitate or drag it out - get it done and move on. Keep an open mind and hear out the mitigating circumstances and be consistent in both recommendations and punishments.

I had 6 over a 34 year period...I did 20 active 14 reserve (25july1975---28feb2009)