“Ask The Barracks Lawyer" is your semi-regular column giving expert legal advice to military members. The Barracks Lawyer is Private First Class Evan Rodriguez - currently stationed at Separations Platoon, Camp Pendleton, CA. Rodriguez has achieved the rank of Corporal once, Lance Corporal three times, and Private First Class eight times.
DEAR BARRACKS LAWYER: I just joined the Marine Corps only a few months ago. I went to boot camp and now I'm at the School of Infantry. The instructors are always yelling at me and I really don't like it here. What should I do? -GOTTA GET OUT at Camp Pendleton, CA
DEAR GOTTA GET OUT: Hey bro, seriously, I know exactly what you are going through. That's some bullshit they are yelling at you. Listen, you don't have to take that stuff. Them yelling at you is clearly hazing and its against the UCMJ. First thing you do is go directly to your Commanding Officer -- don't let the Sergeants or Staff Sergeants try to tell you that you need to use the chain of command, that's a lie.
So when you go to your CO, tell him you want to request mast for hazing. If he doesn't take you seriously, you can always say that you were molested as a kid or something too. He'll probably give you some paperwork to fill out. Make sure you use better wording than "yelling." Try "the instructors are extremely combative" or they were "verbally hazing me."
