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 1-17 Student Notes: