Admiral Ozawa placed a letter of reprimand on Captain Ed Mercer's permanent file for failing to disclose first contact.
A letter of reprimand was a Planetary Union procedure involving a letter from a superior officer detailing the wrongful actions of a junior officer and probably listing the punishment that could be expected. However, the letter of reprimand might have been filed by a senior officer in lieu of a punishment. For example, Admiral Ozawa placed a letter on Captain Ed Mercer's permanent file instead of stripping him of his rank.[1]
A formal letter of reprimand was permanently stored in the junior officer's record[2] (also called a permanent file[3]). The letter was seen as a serious form of punishment that lasted the officer's career, more severe than an informal reprimand which might involve a punishment or private admonition.[2]
The letter of reprimand did not necessarily entail charges filed against the officer, necessitating a court martial.[4]
History[]
Ed placed a formal letter of reprimand on First Officer Kelly Grayson's file for illegally searching Pria Lavesque's quarters.[2]
Kelly placed formal letters of reprimand on Navigator John LaMarr and Helmsman Gordon Malloy's records for hiding a piece of Lieutenant Yaphit's body in Prawgus cake, which Second Officer Bortus ate.[4]
Ozawa placed a letter of reprimand on Ed's record for failing to report first contact with the primitive peoples of Kandar 1.[1]