Professional and Unprofessional Relationships

1. Professional and Unprofessional Relationships

2. Overview • AFI 36-2909 • Professional Relations • Unprofessional Relationships • Fraternization • Responsibilities • Personal/Commander/Supervisor • Courses of Actions • Administrative/Punitive • Legalities • UCMJ/Maximum Punishment • Questions/Answers

3. AFI 36-2909 • 1 May 1999 • Applies To All Air Force Personnel • Active Duty • Air National Guard • Air Force Reserves

4. Professional Relations • Professional Relations Are Those That Contribute to the Effective Operation of the Air Force. • Personnel Are Encouraged to Communicate Freely With Superiors Regarding Their Careers, Performance, Duties, and Missions.

5. Unprofessional Relationships (UPR) Any personal relationship, whether pursued on or off-duty, that detracts from the authority of superiors or result in, or reasonably create the appearance of, favoritism, misuse of office or position, or the abandonment of organizational goals for personal interests

6. UPRs - Factors to Consider • Unprofessional relationships can exist between: • Officers • Enlisted members • Officers and enlisted members • Military members and civilian workers

7. AFI 36-2909Specific Situations • Relationships Within An Organization. • Personal relationships between members of different grades or positions in these categories can easily become unprofessional. • As differences in grade increase, even without command or supervisory relationship, the risk of UPR or perceived UPR, increases. • Seniors always have authority over juniors.

8. AFI 36-2909Specific Situations • Dating And Close Friendships: • Subject to the same policy considerations as other relationships. Become a matter of official concern when they adversely affect morale, discipline, unit cohesion, respect for authority, or mission accomplishment. • Relationships between superiors and subordinates invariably raise the perception of favoritism or misuse of position.

9. AFI 36-2909Specific Situations • Officer/Enlisted Marriages • An officer married to an enlisted member is not by itself fraternization. • When evidence of fraternization does exist, subsequent marriage does not preclude prosecution. • Regardless of how marriage came to be, members are expected to respect all customs and courtesies when on duty or in uniform in public.

10. Fraternization A personal relationship between an officer and enlisted member which violates the customary bounds of acceptable behavior in the Air Force and prejudices good order and discipline, discredits the armed services, or operates to the personal disgrace or dishonor of the officer involved.

11. Elements of Fraternization (MCM, Sec IV, Article 134, Para 83) • Element One: That the accused was a commissioned or warrant officer. • Element Two: That the accused fraternized with enlisted members on terms of military equality. • Element Three: That the accused knew the person to be an enlisted member.

12. Elements of Fraternization (MCM, Sec IV, Article 134, Para 83) • Element Four: That the accused violated the customs of the service that officers shall not fraternize with enlisted members on terms of military equality. • Element Five: The conduct was prejudicial to good order and discipline of the armed forces or of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

13. Factors to Consider • Has the Conduct • Compromised the Chain of Command • Resulted in the Appearance of Partiality • Undermined: • Good Order? • Discipline? • Authority? • Morale

14. AFI 36-2909Specific Prohibitions • Officers Will Not: • Gamble with enlisted members. • Borrow money from enlisted members. • Engage in sexual relations with or date enlisted members. • Share living accommodations with enlisted members • Engage, on a personal basis, in business enterprises with enlisted members, or solicit sales to/from enlisted members.

15. AFI 36-2909 Personal Relationships between AF members become matters of official concern when they adversely affect morale, discipline, respect for authority, unit cohesion, or mission accomplishment.

16. Personal Responsibility • All officers are expected to exhibit the highest standards of professional conduct and lead by example. • Members should expect to be and must be held accountable for the impact of their conduct on the Air Force as an institution. • The senior member in a relationship is primarily responsible for maintaining the professionalism of that relationship

17. Commander and Supervisory Responsibilities • Commanders and supervisors at all levels have the authority and the responsibility to maintain good order, discipline, and morale within their units. • Commanders may be held accountable for failing to act in appropriate cases.

18. Courses of Action • Administrative • Order to Cease • Counseling • Reprimand • Removal • Demotion • Loss of NCO Status • Adverse Comments on performance reports • Administrative Separations

19. Courses of Action • Punitive • Article 15 • Courts-Martial • Action taken should normally be the least severe necessary to correct the relationship, giving full consideration to the impact the relationship has had on the organization.

20. UCMJ • Article 92, Failure to Obey a Lawful Order or General Regulation • Enlisted/Enlisted UPR • Military/Civilian UPR • Article 133, Conduct Unbecoming an Officer • Officer/Officer UPR • Article 134, Fraternization • Officer/Enlisted UPR

21. Maximum Punishment • Forfeiture of All Pay and Allowances • Dismissal • Confinement for 2 Years

22. Summary • AFI 36-2909 • Professional Relations • Unprofessional Relationships • Fraternization • Responsibilities • Personal/Commander/Supervisor • Courses of Actions • Administrative/Punitive • Legalities • UCMJ/Maximum Punishment • Questions/Answers

23. QUESTIONS