Navy issues new fraternization rules

Above: Sailors aboard the USS Nimitz 'man the rails' before embarking to the Persian Gulf in April. The fraternization rules were revised in light of the 'Individual Augmentee' program which has sailors in ground combat as part of Army units. The rules read in part, "Fraternization" is the term traditionally used to identify personal relationships which contravene the customary bounds of acceptable senior-subordinate relationships. Although it has most commonly been applied to officer-enlisted relationships, fraternization also includes improper relationships and social interaction between officer members as well as between enlisted members, regardless of the service affiliation of the other officer or enlisted member, including members of foreign military services."

Sailors in joint- and combined commands, as well as recruiters, must now operate under more stringent fraternization standards, the Navy announced April 26...

The fraternization policy was updated to reflect the current operational environment, as Navy forces are operating more frequently in joint, combined operations,” said Lt. Cmdr. Kim Dixon, spokesperson for the Navy’s chief of personnel’s diversity directorate, which issued the change. “The updates specifically dictate that the Navy fraternization policy prohibiting certain types of relationships is applicable to relationships with members of other U.S. armed services and with members of foreign military services.”

Read the rest at Navy Times

Related Link:
CNO Mullen: Navy has no plans to increase Individual Augmentee levels