Ah, good ol’ Captain’s Mast. There’s a myriad reasons you can go, and more often than not it seems like you’re going to lose a rank and half of two month’s pay when you do. It’s often for stuff you couldn’t get in trouble for on the outside, but you’re not on the outside.
In the running up to a Mast, you’re probably nervous as hell. You messed up, you got caught, and now it seems like your life’s over.
But you went, and it’s not over. So where do you go from here?
- Pretend it didn’t happen.
Don’t talk about it. You’ll want to make your case to your fellow sailors after the fact, don’t. If you did it, and you accept it, shrug and say “I messed up.” If you intend to appeal, don’t say anything at all. It’s not my business, it’s not SN Schmuckatelli’s business, just keep your mouth shut about it. What happened between you and the skipper at an NJP is the business of those present.
- Appeal your NJP.
You have the right to appeal the results of your NJP. Talk to your chain of command, and if you think they’re not going to be accommodating (they very well might not be), talk to Navy Legal. COs make mistakes at NJP all the time. They’re people. Some of them are cantankerous old salts, and they might even be out to get you. Pick your battles, though. Navy Legal will usually make a recommendation to you based on the case, and if you decide to move forward, make sure it’s a fight you can win. If you go over your Captain’s head and lose, you can be willing to bet you’re going to suffer the consequences back onboard.
For a list of your rights in regards to NJP, have a look at JAG’s official website here.
- Cowboy up.
If you did it, you know you messed up, and you’re willing to face the repercussions of your actions (good on you), you need to change the existing opinion everyone is going to have of you. Especially if you were unlucky enough to get Masted during a deployment, your Mast was probably the most interesting thing anybody had to talk about that week. You might have lost a rank, so now you’ve got to get it back.
Bust your ass. Show that you’re willing to get past what you did if your command is. One thing working in your favor is that commands love to show progression. Everybody had that one dirtbag that seemed to be getting awards left and right. Commands love to be able to say “we got this guy as a POS, and we’ve made him into an EP sailor!” That can easily be you. Keep your nose clean, and work like everybody’s watching.
Remember, Mast is not the end of your career. Some of the most impressive sailors I’ve ever met had two or three NJPs under their belt. Hell, it’s almost a mantra that you can’t make Chief unless you’ve got a divorce, a Captain’s Mast, and a drinking problem under your belt. It’s not quite as true anymore, but every cycle there’s plenty of new khakis that have…let’s say colorful records in the Navy.
As always, make sure and check out Navy Crow for all your Navy memorabilia. Remind yourself what it means to be a sailor with a challenge coin or one of our fantastic US-made shirts, and get back in the saddle. You ain’t done yet, shipmate.
DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended as legal advice. If you’re unsure of your options, contact Navy Legal. Do not take ours, or anybody else’s, word for it. We are not legal professionals, we’re just sailors that have seen a thousand guys go to mast and still make mistakes after.
