Separate "Standards and Conduct Board" Instruction Scrapped - Use the DRB process

MCPON West and his CPO Mess decided not to implement a separate "Standards and Conduct" board (SCB). West wants Chief Petty Officers to use the tools already available to them in the Disciplinary Review Board (DRB) process that they weren't using. West plans to put some structure to the current instruction.

MCPON West in the latest Navy Times - regarding implemention of Standards and Conduct Board.

"It (Standards and Conduct Board) was a highly successful pilot and the commands participating loved the process. In the end, we learned it is better to use what we learned to strengthen existing programs instead of putting new ones out there."

As a result, VADM Mark Ferguson, Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) directed that the current instruction governing disciplinary review boards get a rewrite.


Earlier in 2009 - MCPON West.

"This is a Chief Petty Officer - driven initiative and it's putting the responsibility to develop Sailors exactly where it should be: in the Chief's Mess. Look for the Standards and Conduct Board instruction to hit the fleet later this summer and Navy-wide implementation soon after. Bottom line: the Standards/Conduct Board will replace the Disciplinary Review Board process and give the Mess the opportunity to weigh in on risky Sailor behavior before it gets to be a problem. Will this board take the place of NJP or Mast? Absolutely not. That’s not our call. I see this as a proactive vice reactive program to work with our Sailors early, identify potential issues and then resolve them prior to them becoming a factor in something bigger. It has been Fleet tested with very good results."

Bottom/Bottom Line: Commanding Officers do not want to codify CPO processes such as standards/conduct boards which undermine their UCMJ authority. You'll find sticky legal issues underlying CNP's decision to keep this in the DRB process.