Defense Military Military Law and UCMJ 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does UCMJ stand for?
- United Command of Joint Missions
- Uniform Code of Military Justice (Correct answer)
- United Coalition of Military Judiciary
- Unified Corps Military Jurisdiction
Correct answer: Uniform Code of Military Justice
UCMJ stands for Uniform Code of Military Justice, the federal law enacted in 1950 that governs all U.S. military personnel.
Question 2: Under which title of the United States Code is the UCMJ codified?
- Title 5
- Title 10 (Correct answer)
- Title 18
- Title 32
Correct answer: Title 10
The UCMJ is codified under Title 10 of the United States Code, which covers the organization and governance of the Armed Forces.
Question 3: Who has the authority to convene a general court-martial?
- Company commander (Captain/O-3)
- Battalion commander (Lieutenant Colonel)
- A general court-martial convening authority such as a general officer or admiral (Correct answer)
- The Judge Advocate General of the branch
Correct answer: A general court-martial convening authority such as a general officer or admiral
General courts-martial must be convened by a general court-martial convening authority, typically a general or flag officer, because they handle the most serious offenses.
Question 4: What is Article 15 of the UCMJ commonly known as?
- Summary court-martial
- Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP) (Correct answer)
- Administrative separation action
- Field grade article
Correct answer: Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP)
Article 15 authorizes commanders to impose Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP) for minor offenses without a formal court-martial proceeding.
Question 5: What right does a service member have when offered Article 15 (NJP)?
- Right to a jury trial in federal court
- Right to demand trial by court-martial instead (Correct answer)
- Right to appeal directly to the Secretary of Defense
- Right to civilian legal representation paid by the government
Correct answer: Right to demand trial by court-martial instead
A service member offered NJP has the right to refuse it and demand trial by court-martial, except when attached to a vessel at sea.
Question 6: Which article of the UCMJ specifically covers desertion?
- Article 82
- Article 85 (Correct answer)
- Article 90
- Article 92
Correct answer: Article 85
Article 85 covers desertion, defined as leaving or remaining absent from one's unit with the intent to remain away permanently or to avoid hazardous duty.
Question 7: What is the maximum confinement that a summary court-martial may impose on an enlisted member?
- 1 year
- 6 months
- 30 days (Correct answer)
- 90 days
Correct answer: 30 days
A summary court-martial may impose a maximum of 30 days confinement, along with forfeiture of pay and reduction in grade, as it is designed for minor offenses.
Defense Military Military Law and UCMJ 1
What does UCMJ stand for?