Discipline is not a curtailment of freedom, or unnecessary rules and regulations. If you have that idea about discipline, now is the time to change your viewpoint by making an honest personal evaluation of naval discipline to understand what it is.
Like any large organization the Navy is governed by regulations and laws. Navy discipline is based on good common sense rules and courtesies. It is designed to help the man in the Navy. Discipline, obedience, and honesty are not merely virtues, but military necessities. The Navy protects the security of this country in proportion to the effectiveness of its discipline.
Written laws made by duly constituted authority together with unwritten laws known as customs and usages of the service are the cornerstone of naval discipline.
Do not get the idea you are being oppressed with the number of rules and regulations which you must obey. Use your head. Good common sense has no substitute and every rule for your guidance in the Navy is based on common sense.
Pay attention at quarters, read the bulletin boards, consult your division officers, and do not think that no one is concerned about you.
Your division officer has a direct personal interest in your welfare. He wants you to fit as a part of his division; he wants to insure that you have pleasure living quarters and proper recreational opportunities; he wants to see you advance in rating; and most important, he wants you to know that he is the one who will counsel you and assist you in any problem or difficulty that you may have.
The greatest number of men who go to Captain's Mast are unauthorized absentees. In the average case, it is due to the fact that the man did not use his head; he did not know when to stop drinking; he did not plan his liberty so that he could return on time; or he wanted a few extra hours off and decided that it was too much trouble to ask for special liberty.
Traffic violations are the second biggest headache in the squadron. Men are constantly arrested by either the Honolulu Police or Hawaiian Armed Services Police for speeding, running a stop sign, careless and reckless driving, or driving without a drivers license. Persons under 20 years of age cannot drive a vehicle in Hawaii without a Hawaiian Drivers License. To obtain a license these persons under age must obtain from their parents a signed statement of responsibility. These vouchers are available at the City Hall. Persons over 20 and possessing a valid stateside license may drive for a period of 90 days with their stateside license; after 90 days they must have a territorial drivers license. It doesn't take much mathematics to find that it is cheaper to take a bus to town (approx .58¢) than to pay the Judge $50 for driving without a territorial license. Another pitfall that bother some men is the universal law against minors (under 20 in Hawaii) partaking of alcoholic beverages. It is an offense for both you and the bartender so don't be dismayed if the bartender turns you in to the police; he is only trying to protect himself.
You want to be proud of your squadron, and your squadron wants to be proud of you. Conduct yourself as a military man wherever you are.
