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It records the action of the XO at screening mast.
It records that the accused has been advised of
the right to refuse NJP (if that right exists under
the circumstances of the case).
It shows the action of the CO at mast.
It records that appeal rights have been explained
to the accused.
It becomes a permanent record of the case in the
Unit Punishment Book (UPB). No additional
record is needed such as 3 x 5 cards or a mast
logbook.
Remember, however, that the NAVPERS 1626/7
does not include all the required premast advice that
must be given to the accused according to the JAG-
MAN, section 0109.
PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS
Regardless of how the commission of a minor of-
fense is brought to your attention, you will probably
need to prepare the smooth NAVPERS 1626/7. Figure
5-1 illustrates a completed NAVPERS 1626/7. Lets
look at the information that you will place on this form.
Referring to figure 5-1, section A, start with ad-
dressing the report to the OIC or CO of the accused. Fill
in the date of the report. Type the name of the accused
in last name, first name, middle initial order. Verify the
social security number from the accuseds service
record and type it in. Type in the present rate of the
accused and the branch and class of service. Designate
the department or division that the accused is attached
to. Fill in the place of the offense. If there is more than
one place, list all applicable places of the offense(s).
Show the date of the commission of the offense. If there
is more than one date, show all dates.
In the section entitled Details of the Offense, it is
not mandatory that you type the offenses in the manner
that you would on a charge sheet. However, this is good
practice. If you always prepare a specification in full
detail, you will not have to change it in the event the
charges are referred to a court-martial.
List military witnesses to the offense in order of
seniority, followed by civilian witnesses, if any. If the
witnesses are attached to the same command as the
offender, it is only necessary to give the witness divi-
sion or department. If the witness is attached to another
command, identify that command completely. If a wit-
ness is a civilian, give the complete address, business
and home, if available. Finally, be sure to get the signa-
ture of the person placing the accused on report.
Section B of figure 5-1 shows the acknowl-
edgement of the accused having been informed of the
nature of the accusation(s) against him or her and his or
her right not to answer any questions relating to the
offense. After the accused is formally informed of the
accusations against him or her, this section should be
signed by the accused and the person informing the
accused of his or her rights. If the accused refuses to
sign this section, that fact must be witnessed by the
person informing the accused of the accusations who
will sign attesting to that fact.
Section C of figure 5-1 shows any premast restraint
of the accused. If the accused is not being restricted, put
the entry in the No Restrictions block. On the other
hand, if the accused is placed on restriction or placed in
confinement pending investigation of the charges, you
will either mark the Pretrial Confinement block or the
Restricted block. If the Restricted block is used, fill in
the restricted to the limits of portion. Be sure to get the
signature and title of the person who is imposing the
restraint.
Section D of figure 5-1 shows information about
the accused. Get the accuseds service record before
filling out this section to verify all the information. In
the section Record of Previous Offense(s), list all NJPs
and courts-martial during the accuseds current enlist-
ment.
PREMAST SCREENING
After you complete the front of the NAVPERS
1626/7, the case must touch two more bases before it is
ready for hearing by the CO. The first step is to refer the
report chit to an officer or a senior enlisted person for a
preliminary inquiry that will later be screened by the
XO.
PRELIMINARY INQUIRY
At small commands, refer the cases to division
officers for the preliminary inquiry. At large com-
mands, the discipline officer or the legal officer is
delegated the authority to appoint the preliminary in-
quiry officer (PIO). You need to fill in the name of the
PIO at the top of section E on figure 5-1 before referring
it to the PIO for action.
It is not the job of the PIO to develop a case against
the accused. Rather, the PIO is to collect all available
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