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Executive Order 2498

Under authority of an Act of Congress approved September 27, 1890 (26 Stat. 491), as reenacted in article 45 of section 3 of an Act of Congress approved August 29, 1916 (39 Stat. 657), the following maximum limits, in time of peace, of punishment of soldiers are prescribed:


Article I. edit

Art­icle of war. Offenses. Punishments.
Dis­honorable dis­charge, forfeiture of all pay and allow­ances due and to become due. Confinement at hard labor. For­feiture of two-thirds pay per month. For­feiture of pay.
Years. Months. Days. Months. Days.
54
Enlistment, fraudulent:
Procured by means of willful misrepresentation or concealment of a fact in regard to a prior enlistment or discharge, or in regard to a conviction of a civil or military offense, or in regard to imprisonment under sentence of a court.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Other cases of........................
 Yes ..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
58
Attempting to desert:
After not more than six months in service.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
After more than six months in service...
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
In the execution of a conspiracy or in the presence of an unlawful assemblage which the troops may be opposing.
 Yes..... 3 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Desertion:
Terminated by apprehension—
Not more than 6 months in service at time of desertion.
Yes..... 1½ ............... ............... ............... ...............
More than 6 months in service at time of desertion.
Yes..... 2½ ............... ............... ............... ...............
Terminated by surrender—
After absence of not more than 30 days.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
After absence of more than 30 days.
 Yes..... 1½ ............... ............... ............... ...............
In the execution of a conspiracy or in the presence of an unlawful assemblage which the troops may be opposing.
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
59
Advising another to desert.....
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Assisting knowingly, or persuading another to desert.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
61
Absence without leave:
From command, quarters, station, or camp—
For not more than 30 days, for each day or fraction of a day of absence.
 ............... ............... ............... 3 ............... 2
For more than 30 days.......
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
From guard—
For not more than 1 hour.......
 ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... 15
For more than 1 hour..........
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Failing to repair at the fixed time to the properly appointed place of assembly for, or place for:
Athletic exercise.....
...............
............... ............... ............... ............... 3
Drill....................
Fatigue....................
Field exercise........
Gallery practice.....
Guard mounting...
Horse exercise.....
Inspection........
Instruction......
Muster...........
Parade.........
Prison guard.....
Review.........
School.........
Stable duty.....
Target practice.....
March..............
 ............... ............... 2 ............... 2 ...............
Reveille or retreat roll call.
 ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... 1
61
Leaving without permission the properly appointed place of assembly for, or place for:
Athletic exercise.....
...............
............... ............... ............... ............... 5
Drill....................
Fatigue....................
Field exercise........
Gallery practice.....
Guard mounting...
Horse exercise.....
Inspection........
Instruction......
Muster...........
Parade.........
Prison guard.....
Review.........
School.........
Stable duty.....
Target practice.....
Reveille or retreat roll call.
 ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... 2
62
Using contemptuous or disrespectful words against the President, Vice President, etc.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
63
Behaving with disrespect toward his superior officer.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
65
Attempting to strike or attempting otherwise to assault a noncommissioned officer in the execution of his office.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Behaving in an insubordinate or disrespectful manner toward a noncommissioned officer in the execution of his office.
 ............... ............... 2 ............... 2 ...............
Disobedience, willful, of the lawful order of a noncommissioned officer in the execution of his office.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Striking or otherwise assaulting a noncommissioned officer in the execution of his office.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Threatening to strike or otherwise assault, or using other threatening language toward a noncommissioned officer in the execution of his office.
 ............... ............... 4 ............... 4 ...............
Using insulting language toward a noncommissioned officer in the execution of his office.
 ............... ............... 2 ............... 2 ...............
68
Drawing a weapon upon a noncommissioned officer quelling a quarrel, fray, or disorder.
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Refusing to obey a noncommissioned officer quelling a quarrel, fray, or disorder.
 Yes..... 2 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Threatening a noncommissioned officer quelling a quarrel, fray, or disorder.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
69
Breach of arrest.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
Escaping from confinement.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
73
Releasing, without proper authority, a prisoner committed to his charge.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Suffering a prisoner committed to his charge to escape:
Through design........
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Through neglect.......
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
83
Suffering, through neglect, military property to be damaged, lost, spoiled, or wrongfully disposed of:
Of a value of $20 or less.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Of a value of $50 or less and more than $20.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Of a value of more than $50...
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
83
Suffering, willfully, military property to be damaged, lost, spoiled, or wrongfully disposed of:
Of a value of $20 or less.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Of a value of $50 or less and more than $20.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Of a value of more than $50...
 Yes..... 2 ............... ............... ............... ...............
84
Injuring or losing, through neglect, horse, arms, ammunition, accouterments, equipment, clothing, or other property issued for use in the military service, or items belonging to two or more of said classes:
Of a value of $20 or less.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Of a value of $50 or less and more than $20.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Of a value of more than $50...
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Injuring or losing, willfully, horse, arms, ammunition, accouterments, equipment, clothing, or other property issued for use in the military service, or items belonging to two or more of said classes:
Of a value of $20 or less.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Of a value of $50 or less and more than $20.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Of a value of more than $50...
 Yes..... 2 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Selling or otherwise wrongfully disposing of horse, arms, ammunition, accouterments, equipment, clothing, or other property issued for use in the military service, or items belonging to two or more of said classes:
Of a value of $20 or less.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Of a value of $50 or less and more than $20.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Of a value of more than $50...
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
85
Found drunk:
At formation for or at—
Athletic exercise.....
...............
............... ............... ............... ............... 20
Drill....................
Fatigue....................
Field exercise........
Gallery practice.....
Guard mounting...
Horse exercise.....
Inspection........
Instruction......
Muster...........
Parade.........
Prison guard.....
Review.........
School.........
Stable duty.....
Target practice.....
Reveille or retreat roll call.
 ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... 5
On guard...........
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
On duty as—
Barrack orderly.....
...............
............... ............... ............... ............... 20
Company clerk........
Cook......................
Dining room orderly.
Farrier........
Horseshoer......
Kitchen police....
Mechanic........
Mess sergeant......
Noncommissioned officer in charge of quarters.
Saddler.........
Stable sergeant.....
Supply sergeant.....
Wagoner..........
86
Found drunk on post, sentinel.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Leaving before regularly relieved from or sleeping on post, sentinel.
 Yes..... 1 1 ............... ............... ...............
90
Using a provoking or reproachful speech or gesture to another...
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
93
Arson....................
 Yes..... 20 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Assault:
With intent to do bodily harm....
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
With intent to commit any felony except murder or rape.
 Yes..... 10 ............... ............... ............... ...............
With intent to commit murder or rape.
 Yes..... 20 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Burglary.....................
 Yes..... 10 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Embezzlement or larceny:
Of property of a value of $20 or less...
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Of property of a value of $50 or less, and more than $20.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Of property of a value of more than $50.
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Manslaughter:
Involuntary, in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony, or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death, in an unlawful manner, or without due caution or circumspection.
 Yes..... 3 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Voluntary, upon a sudden quarrel or heat of passion.
 Yes..... 10 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Perjury....................
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Robbery..................
 Yes..... 10 ............... ............... ............... ...............
94
Forging or counterfeiting a signature, making a false oath, and offenses related to either of these.
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Other cases:
When the amount involved is $50 or less.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
When the amount involved is more than $50.
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
96
Abandoning guard, by member thereof.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Abusing a public animal.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Allowing a prisoner to receive or obtain intoxicating liquor.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Appearing in civilian clothing without authority.
 ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... 10
Appearing in unclean uniform, or not in prescribed uniform, or in uniform worn otherwise than in manner prescribed.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
Assault..................
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Assault and battery.......
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Attempting to escape from confinement.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Attempting to strike or attempting otherwise to assault a sentinel in the execution of his duty.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Behaving in an insubordinate or disrespectful manner toward a sentinel in the execution of his duty.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
Breach of restriction (other than quarantine) to command, quarters, station, or camp.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
Carrying a concealed weapon.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Committing a nuisance.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Concealing, destroying, mutilating, obliterating, or removing willfully and unlawfully a public record, or taking and carrying away a public record with intent to conceal, destroy, mutilate, obliterate, remove, or steal the same.
 Yes..... 3 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Conspiring to escape from confinement.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Destroying, willfully, public property:
Of a value of $20 or less...
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Of a value of $50 or less, and more than $20.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Of a value of more than $50.
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
96
Discharging, through carelessness, a firearm.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Disobedience, willful, of the lawful order of a sentinel in the execution of his duty.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Disorderly in command, quarters, station, or camp.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
Disorderly under such circumstances as to bring discredit upon the military service.
 ............... ............... 4 ............... 4 ...............
Drinking liquor with prisoner.....
 ............... ............... 2 ............... 2 ...............
Drunk and disorderly in command, quarters, station, or camp.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Drunk and disorderly under such circumstances as to bring discredit upon the military service.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Drunk in command, quarters, station or camp.
 ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... 15
Drunk under such circumstances as to bring discredit upon the military service.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Drunk, prisoner found..............
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Failing to obey a lawful order:
Of a superior officer.......
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Of a noncommissioned officer.
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Of a sentinel.........
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
Failing to pay a just debt under such circumstances as to bring discredit upon the military service.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
False official report or statement knowingly made:
By a noncommissioned officer.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
By any other soldier.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
False swearing.......
 Yes..... 3 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Forgery.............
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Gambling:
By a noncommissioned officer with a person of lower military rank or grade.
 ............... ............... ............... ............... 3 ...............
In command, quarters, station or camp in violation of orders.
 ............... ............... 2 ............... 2 ...............
Indecent exposure of person.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Introducing a habit-forming narcotic drug into command, quarters, station or camp:
For sale...........
 Yes..... 2 ............... ............... ............... ...............
All other cases.......
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Introducing intoxicating liquor into command, quarters, station or camp:
For sale...........
 ............... ............... 6 ............... 6 ...............
All other cases.......
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Loaning money, either as principal or agent, at an usurious rate of interest to another in the military service.
 ............... ............... ............... ............... 3 ...............
Loitering or sitting down on duty by sentinel.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
Obtaining money or other property under false pretenses:
When the amount obtained is $20 or less.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
When the amount obtained is $50 or less and more than $20.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
When the amount obtained is more than $50.
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Refusing to submit to medical or dental treatment.
 Yes..... ............... 6 ............... ............... ...............
Refusing to submit to a surgical operation.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Sodomy and other unnatural crimes....
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Straggling.........
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Striking or otherwise assaulting a sentinel in the execution of his duty.
 Yes..... 1 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Subornation of perjury.......
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Threatening to strike or otherwise assault or using other threatening language toward a sentinel in the execution of his duty.
 ............... ............... 4 ............... 4 ...............
96
Unclean accouterment, arm, clothing, equipment, or other military property, found with.
 ............... ............... 1 ............... 1 ...............
Using insulting language toward a sentinel in the execution of his duty.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... 3 ...............
Uttering a forged instrument.......
 Yes..... 5 ............... ............... ............... ...............
Violation of condition of parole by general prisoner.
 ............... ............... 3 ............... ............... ...............


Article II. edit

EQUIVALENTS.


Section 1. Subject to the limitations set forth elsewhere in this order, substitutions for punishments specified in Article I thereof are authorized at the discretion of the court, at the rates indicated in the following table of equivalents:


Forfeiture. Confinement at hard labor. Detention. Hard labor without con­finement.
1 day's pay… 1 day… 1½ days' pay… 1½ days.


Article III. edit

GENERAL LIMITATIONS.


Section 1. A court shall not, by a single sentence which does not include dishonorable discharge, adjudge against a soldier:

(a) Forfeiture of pay at a rate greater than two-thirds of his pay per month.
(b) Forfeiture of pay in an amount greater than two·thirds of his pay for six months.
(c) Confinement at hard labor for a period greater than six months.


Sec. 2. A court shall not, by a single sentence, adjudge against a soldier:

(a) Detention of pay at a rate greater than two-thirds of his pay per month.
(b) Detention of pay in an amount greater than two·thirds of his pay for three months.
(c) Hard labor without confinement for a period greater than three months.


Article IV. edit

NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS.


Section 1. A court shall not, unless they in the same sentence adjudge reduction to the ranks, adjudge against a noncommissioned officer confinement at hard labor, nor hard labor without confinement.


Sec. 2. A court may, upon his conviction of an offense or offenses for which they may adjudge confinement at hard labor for a period of five or more days, authorized substitution considered, adjudge, in addition to the punishments otherwise authorized, reduction against a noncommissioned officer or against a private, first class.


Article V. edit

PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS.


Section 1. A general or special court shall, upon conviction of a soldier, be opened and shall thereupon ascertain whether there is evidence of a previous conviction or convictions, which has been referred to the court by the convening authority, and, if there be such evidence, shall receive it.


Sec. 2. A court may, under the authority contained in section 1 of this article, receive evidence only of convictions by court-martial of an offense or offenses committed by the accused during his current enlistment and within one year next preceding the commission by him of an offense of which he stands convicted before the court. These convictions may be proved only by the records of the trials in which they were had, or by duly authenticated copies of such records, or by duly authenticated copies of orders promulgating such trials and convictions.



Article VI. edit

DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE.


Section 1. A court may, upon his conviction of an offense or offenses for none of which dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of aIl pay and allowances due and to become due is, in Article I of this order or by the custom of the service, authorized, upon proof of five or more previous convictions, adjudge against a soldier, in addition to the confinement at hard labor without substitution authorized in said article or by the custom of the service for the offense or offenses of which he is convicted, dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of all pay and allowances due and to become due, and, in any such case in which such confinement so authorized is less than three months, a court may adjudge, in addition to such discharge and forfeiture, confinement at hard labor for three months.


Sec. 2. A court may, upon his conviction upon one arraignment of two or more offenses for none of which dishonorable discharge, confinement at hard labor and forfeiture of all pay and allowances due and to become due is, in Article I of this order or by the custom of the service, authorized, but the aggregate term of confinement at hard labor for which, as authorized in said article or by the custom of the service, without substitution, equals or exceeds six months, adjudge against a soldier, in addition to the confinement at hard labor, without substitution, authorized in said article or by the custom of the service for the offense or offenses of which he is convicted, dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of all pay and allowances due and to become due.


Article VII. edit

EFFECT AND APPLICATION OF THIS ORDER.


Section 1. This order prescribes the maximum limit of punishment for each of the offenses therein specified, and thus indicates an appropriate punishment for an offense which is attended by aggravating circumstances, or after conviction of which there is received by the court evidence of several previous convictions. In other cases the punishment will be graded down according to the circumstances thereof.


Sec. 2. Offenses not herein provided for remain punishable as authorized by statute or the custom of the service, but, in cases for which maximum punishments are not prescribed, courts will be guided by limits of punishment prescribed for closely related offenses.


Article VIII. edit

ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.

Section 1. Hard labor without confinement, when imposed as a punishment, shall be performed in addition to other duties which fall to the soldier, and no soldier shall be excused or relieved from any military duty for the purpose of performing hard labor without confinement which has been imposed as a punishment, but a sentence imposing such punishment shall be considered as satisfied when the soldier shall have performed hard labor during available time in addition to performing his military duties.


Sec. 2. Pay detained pursuant to the sentence of a court-martial will be detained by the Government until the soldier is furloughed to the reserve, discharged from the service, or mustered out of active Federal service.


Article IX. edit

ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.


This order shall become operative on March 1, 1917, as to offenses committed on and lifter that date and as to criminal acts, committed prior to that date, whose maximum punishment was not prescribed in the Executive order of September 5, 1914. The Executive order of September 5, 1914, published in General Orders, No. 70, War Department, 1914, prescribing limits of punishment, shall remain operative as to offenses committed before March 1, 1917, except as to criminal acts whose maximum punishment has been decreased by this order, which will not be followed by severer punishment than is hereinbefore prescribed.

Signature of Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
The White House,
December 15, 1916.

Notes edit

Amends:
Amended by:
See Related:


 

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).

 

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