The First Amendment of the Constitution
guarantees you the rights of freedom of speech and
assembly. That means you can attend civil rights
demonstrations and similar gatherings. However,
service members have several conditions attached to
their participation in such demonstrations.
Navy personnel cannot take part in civil rights
demonstrations while wearing their uniform or
during duty hours.
Navy personnel cannot take part in a civil rights
demonstration held on a military reservation or
in a foreign country.
N av y p e r s o n n e l c a n n o t t a k e p a r t i n
demonstrations that violate law and order or that
could reasonably be expected to result in
violence.
DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT
PROCEDURES
Apart from their individual merits, legitimate
complaints can provide valuable information about the
existence of discriminatory treatment within a
command. Positive action in cases where complaints
are found to be valid lends credibility to your
command’s stated commitment to ensure equal
treatment and justice.
No matter how badly they are treated, most people
are reluctant to complain about this treatment or to
express grievances to their seniors. People feel that if
they complain, they will suffer. Navy Regulations and
the U.S. Navy Equal Opportunity Manual guarantee
personnel the right to file a complaint of discriminatory
treatment without danger of reprisal from the command.
This means that if you file a complaint about the way
someone treated you, you can expect to be treated fairly
and not be discriminated against by that person or
anyone else. However, personnel should gather all
pertinent facts before forwarding a complaint.
Special Request Chit
When you cannot resolve a complaint among the
persons involved or with the help of a supervisor (your
LPO or division CPO), submit a special request chit as
your first course of action. Attach a written complaint to
the special request chit and submit it through the chain
of command within a timely manner of the incident.
You do not have to follow any special format in writing a
discrimination complaint. However, you should fully
explain the complaint and include all facts.
Captain’s Mast Request
As a Navy member, you have the right to speak with
the commanding officer to voice a complaint or get help
in resolving a problem. To do this, you request a
captain’s mast. But, you should request a captain’s mast
only if your first course of action fails. (Remember, your
first course of action is to let the chain of command
correct the problem.) You can also request a captain’s
mast if you feel that the problem you have is so
important that immediate action is required. A captain’s
mast request requires each person in the chain of
command to forward the request—whether or not the
request is approved.
FALSE DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS
Filing false discrimination complaints is just as
serious as discrimination itself. The Navy doesn’t
tolerate the filing of false discrimination complaints for
any reason. The Navy takes the same administrative and
disciplinary actions to those who file false complaints as
it does to those who discriminate.
HAZING
Learning Objectives: When you finish this chapter, you
will be able to—
Define hazing.
Identify the Navy’s policy on hazing.
Military customs and traditions are a part of the
Navy and Marine Corps. Ceremonies, initiations, and
rites of passage are leadership tools that instill esprit
de corps and build respect for the accomplishments
of other Sailors and Marines. Most ceremonies honor
the bravery of our military men and women and
commemorate (memorialize) significant events. The
accomplishments of Sailors and Marines and significant
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Student Notes:
