“He held his peer accountable and still kept the rest of the squad on schedule.”

“Corporal Reid understands what the uniform stands for,” I said.

I picked up the black pen lying next to the desk clock.

The court-martial paperwork sat on the left, full of thick legal paragraphs that would wreck a young man’s future.

The administrative discipline form sat on the right, laying out a path of strict accountability, lost pay and ninety days of remedial instruction.

“A real officer uses authority to build discipline, not to tear down careers,” I said quietly, looking at the official form.