This guide is meant to help in understanding administrative reprimands and admonitions. Administrative reprimands and admonitions are management tools available to commanders, supervisors, and other superiors to reprove and correct subordinates for their departure (on or off duty) from norms of performance, conduct, bearing, behavior, or integrity. They should be used when it is determined that more formal action under Article 15, UCMJ, is not necessary. A “reprimand” is more severe than an “admonition” and carries a strong implication of official censure. An “admonition” is similar to a reprimand but carries a lesser degree of severity and censure. Both are intended as corrective and rehabilitative in nature rather than punitive. They are administered verbally or in writing, as deemed appropriate, to correct the identified deficiency. Verbal reprimands or admonitions should only be used in the least severe situations, and should be documented in the member’s Personnel Information File (PIF). When an admonition or reprimand is written, there is no required format. However, this guide includes a suggested format that is adaptable to nearly every situation.
NOTE: This document is in MS Word format
