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GOMOR vs. Article 15 vs. Court-Martial: Which Is Worse for Your Career?

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Reviewed by Michael Waddington, former Army JAG prosecutor, Trial Defense Counsel and Senior Defense Counsel, Gonzalez & Waddington. Last reviewed: November 2026.

Short answer: A court-martial is the most serious of the three, because a guilty finding at a special or general court-martial is a federal criminal conviction and can bring confinement and a punitive discharge. An Article 15 is nonjudicial punishment, not a court-martial conviction, but it can cost you rank and pay. A GOMOR is an administrative reprimand with no punishment attached, yet a GOMOR filed permanently in your official record can end a career, especially an officer’s or senior NCO’s. Which one hurts your career most depends on where it is filed and what your command does next.

This guide uses Army terms. The Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard use letters of reprimand instead of GOMORs; see Letter of Reprimand Rebuttal.

The three at a glance

GOMOR Article 15 (NJP) Court-martial
What it is Administrative reprimand Nonjudicial punishment by your commander Federal criminal trial
Criminal conviction? No No Yes, if found guilty at a special or general court-martial
Possible punishment None by itself Reduction, forfeiture of pay, extra duty, restriction, correctional custody, within the limits of Article 15(b) Up to confinement and a punitive discharge, depending on the type of court-martial and the offense
Your main response Written rebuttal within the deadline Accept or demand trial; present matters; appeal Full trial defense
Key deadline 7 calendar days for active duty Soldiers to respond Appeal presumed untimely after 5 calendar days Set by the court and the rules for courts-martial
Where it ends up Local file or the performance portion of your AMHRR Commander decides the filing Permanent record of trial

GOMOR: no punishment, but it can follow you

A general officer memorandum of reprimand is an administrative action under AR 600-37. It takes no rank or pay. What matters is where it is filed:

  • Local filing lasts up to 18 months or until you are reassigned to another general court-martial jurisdiction, whichever comes first (AR 600-37, para 3-5e).
  • Filing in the performance portion of your Army Military Human Resource Record (AMHRR) is ordered by a general officer or another authority listed in AR 600-37, para 3-5b. It stays in your official record unless it is later removed or moved to the restricted portion.

Active duty Soldiers get 7 calendar days to respond before the filing decision is made (AR 600-37, para 3-7b). After filing, removal requires clear and convincing evidence that the reprimand is untrue or unjust, and transfer to the restricted portion requires substantial evidence that its purpose has been served and at least one evaluation since it was imposed (AR 600-37, para 7-2d). That is why the rebuttal is usually the best chance to keep it local.

Learn more: GOMOR Rebuttal, Can a Lawyer Get My GOMOR Filed Locally?, GOMOR Removal and DASEB Appeals.

Article 15: punishment without a conviction

Nonjudicial punishment under Article 15, UCMJ (10 U.S.C. § 815) lets a commander punish minor misconduct without a trial. The Army describes one of its purposes as preserving a Soldier’s record from the stigma of a court-martial conviction (AR 27-10, para 3-2b).

  • Punishments are capped. For example, a field grade commander may impose on an enlisted member up to 30 days of correctional custody, forfeiture of half a month’s pay per month for two months, reduction in grade, 45 days of extra duty and 60 days of restriction (10 U.S.C. § 815(b)(2)(H)). A reprimand can also be part of an Article 15 punishment (§ 815(b)).
  • You can usually demand trial instead, unless you are attached to or embarked in a vessel (10 U.S.C. § 815(a)). That choice has risks of its own; see Turning Down an Article 15.
  • You have time to consult a lawyer. In the Army, 48 hours is normally a reasonable decision period (AR 27-10, para 3-18f(1)).
  • Appeal quickly. An Army appeal submitted more than 5 calendar days after punishment is presumed untimely (AR 27-10, para 3-29a), and punishment can be carried out while the appeal is pending (10 U.S.C. § 815(e)).
  • Filing matters. The commander decides where the DA Form 2627 is filed; guilty findings for sex-related offenses go in the performance portion of the AMHRR regardless of grade (AR 27-10, para 3-6).

An Article 15 does not prevent a later court-martial for a serious offense arising from the same conduct, although the earlier punishment must be considered at sentencing (10 U.S.C. § 815(f)).

Learn more: Article 15 Lawyer, Article 15 vs. Court-Martial.

Court-martial: a criminal conviction is possible

A court-martial is a criminal trial. A special court-martial may adjudge, among other punishments, a bad-conduct discharge and up to one year of confinement; lower limits apply when the case is referred to a special court-martial with a military judge alone (Article 19, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 819). A general court-martial may adjudge any punishment the Manual for Courts-Martial authorizes for the offense, including a dishonorable discharge (Article 18, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 818).

The consequences reach past the military. For example, a conviction for an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year can bar you from possessing firearms under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)).

At a general or special court-martial you have the right to detailed military defense counsel and may also be represented by civilian counsel (10 U.S.C. § 838(b)). Learn more: Court-Martial Defense Attorneys.

So which is worse for your career?

For most service members, the ranking by legal seriousness is court-martial, then Article 15, then GOMOR. Career damage does not always follow that order:

  • A GOMOR filed in the performance portion of an officer’s AMHRR can do more long-term career damage than a locally filed Article 15 given to a junior enlisted Soldier.
  • The same conduct can lead to more than one action. A Soldier can receive an Article 15 and a GOMOR, and either can be followed by an administrative separation board.
  • Turning down an Article 15 to demand a court-martial trades a capped punishment for the risk of a federal conviction. That decision should be made with a lawyer who has looked at the evidence.

The common thread is timing. A GOMOR rebuttal, the Article 15 decision and the Article 15 appeal all run on short deadlines, so get advice before you sign or submit anything.

Who reviewed this guide

Michael Waddington served in the Army JAG Corps as a prosecutor, Trial Defense Counsel and Senior Defense Counsel, and has over 25 years as a lawyer. He and Alexandra González-Waddington founded Gonzalez & Waddington, which has represented service members stationed in more than 20 countries in GOMOR rebuttals, Article 15 proceedings, separation boards and courts-martial. Read Michael’s full biography.

Frequently asked questions

Is an Article 15 a criminal conviction?

No. Nonjudicial punishment is not a court-martial conviction. The Army describes Article 15 as a way to preserve a Soldier’s record from the stigma of a court-martial conviction (AR 27-10, para 3-2b). It can still affect your rank, pay and future evaluations.

Is a GOMOR a punishment?

No. A GOMOR under AR 600-37 is an administrative reprimand. It takes no rank or pay, but a GOMOR filed in the performance portion of your AMHRR stays in your official record unless it is removed or moved to the restricted portion (AR 600-37, paras 3-5 and 7-2d).

Can I get a GOMOR and an Article 15 for the same thing?

Yes. They are separate actions. A reprimand can also be part of the Article 15 punishment itself (10 U.S.C. § 815(b)).

Should I turn down an Article 15 and demand a court-martial?

Sometimes, but it is a serious decision. You can usually demand trial unless you are attached to or embarked in a vessel (10 U.S.C. § 815(a)), and the command can then prefer court-martial charges. See Should I Turn Down NJP and Demand a Court-Martial?

How long do I have to respond to a GOMOR?

Active duty Soldiers and USAR Soldiers in Troop Program Units get 7 calendar days; Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers not on active duty get 30 calendar days (AR 600-37, para 3-7b).

Talk to us about your case

If you have received a GOMOR or an Article 15, or you are facing a court-martial, contact Gonzalez & Waddington. We quote a flat fee after we review your case.

Sources

This page is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice. Contacting Gonzalez & Waddington does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

GOMOR vs. Article 15 vs. Court-Martial: Which Is Worse for Your Career? with Michael Waddington

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