balance of days the individual has accumulated, and
disciplinary action will cause conditions to deteriorate
expiration of active obligated service (EAOS) of the
individual.
PREDEPLOYMENT, POSTDEPLOYMENT,
AND HOLIDAY LEAVE AND LIBERTY. —
Predeployment, postdeployment, and holiday leave and
liberty are granted to the maximum number of personnel
authorized by fleet regulations. The leave is annual type.
Liberty and duty section assignments for other
personnel must comply with maintenance standards
and good housekeeping and guard force requirements.
EMERGENCY LEAVE. —Emergency leave is
granted when the existence of an emergency is
determined. Verification may be by letter, telegram, or
telephone call to the member’s command attesting to the
existence of an emergency situation. Another
emergency situation is the death or dying of a member
in the immediate family of the service member or the
spouse. Emergency leave may also be granted when the
presence of the service member would help solve
serious family problems.
GOOD ORDER AND DISCIPLINE
Maintaining an atmosphere of good order is
essentially a matter of how your people perceive their
surroundings. If they are happy, lead with authority, are
recognized for their achievements, and are treated fairly,
they will respond by performing their assigned duties to
the best of their ability. You may recall from your days
as a recruit or young petty officer that the seniors you
were most willing to follow were those who were the
most consistent in their decisions and treatment of
subordinates.
Insubordination has no respect for rank; if tolerated,
it will infect a military unit and destroy all existing
discipline. If you sanction sloppy work habits and
military appearance, all uniformity and the quality of
oneness will decay. You undoubtly recall the line from
the chief petty officer’s creed that says, “The exalted
position you have now received, and I use the word
exalted advisedly, exists because of the attitude,
example and the performance of the chiefs before you.
It shall exist only so long as you and your compatriots
maintain these standards.” Once you have shown the
standards of conduct and performance you expect from
the men and women in your charge, most will obey and
follow your example. We will always have the 10
percent, the “hard cases” and “sea lawyers,” who require
your personal attention. Those members must be dealt
with systematically on a case by case basis. Postponing
until severe measures become necessary.
Awards
Senior petty officers have a basic responsibility to
encourage subordinates in their efforts to support
command objectives. You can do that by recognizing the
initiative and exemplary performance of subordinates
and commending them publicly when appropriate. Such
recognition may include the following:
Awarding letters of appreciation or
commendation or recommending such letters for
signature of higher authority
Initiating recommendations for personal awards
Assigning preferred duties
Initiating recommendations for special
recognition, such as sailor of the month, quarter,
and year
Making recommendations for reenlistment and
assignment to training, education, or
advancement programs
Documenting exceptional personal performance
in enlisted evaluations
Positive reinforcement and praise of an individual’s
outstanding performance boosts the morale of everyone
in the unit, not just in your division. Awards are
presented to deserving individuals publicly as
recognition for their achievements and as an incentive
to others.
MERITORIOUS MAST. —The term mast refers to
the assembling of the crew for various purposes. Mast
gets its name from the old sailing days when the setting
for executing naval justice was the weather deck near
the ship’s mainmast. The captain holds meritorious
mast to award official recognition for jobs well done.
Enlisted members who perform beyond their usual
requirements of duty, or display exceptional judgment
or initiative qualify for meritorious mast. Be sure to
display their names and a brief explanation of the reason
for their commendation on command bulletin boards.
LETTER OF APPRECIATION. —A letter of
appreciation (LOA) is one way you can directly express
your appreciation to your subordinates. It is also a
method of showing other commands appreciation for
their noteworthy service or help. An LOA does not gain
points toward your final advancement multiple but is an
excellent way to express your thanks for a job well done.
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