US Navy To Scrap “Bread-And-Water” Punishment

The New York Times reports:

The United States Navy has come a long way, from its first wooden frigates to today’s nuclear carriers.

But in all that time, one thing remained almost as fixed as the North Star: A skipper’s power to throw troublesome sailors in the brig with nothing to eat but bread and water.

Though it sounds like something from an old pirate movie, the antique penalty is not only still on the Navy’s books, it is still actually imposed, despite a century of abolition efforts. On New Year’s Day, it will finally go by the boards.

The Week reports:

For years, Navy commanders could punish sailors’ minor infractions with “diminished rations” for up to three days.

The practice was modeled after a British Navy punishment outlawed in 1891, and typically granted for missing curfew or drinking underage.

Constant use of the punishment earned one ship the nickname “U.S.S. Bread and Water” just last year, per the Navy Times.

The change comes due to a 2016 update to the Uniform Code of Military Justice that goes into effect on January 1st. Hit the link for more.