As an experienced NCO, "Teal" is well aware that many enlisted personnel supplement their incomes by taking second (and even third) jobs in their off-duty time. As an experienced supervisor, Teal also is very well aware that Air Force personnel must request approval from their commanders prior to engaging in off-duty employment. If the off-duty employment violates the law or the commander believes that it conflicts with readiness or security, the commander can and should deny the request. Personnel who fail to secure prior approval are subject to actions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. They also jeopardize medical and other benefits if an investigation determines they were engaged in an authorized activity.

Teal also knows many persons in his organization are engaged in off-duty employment, and a number of them have not gotten approval for it. In fact, two of them¾ "Smith" and Jones"¾ work directly for Teal, and he keeps reminding himself to light a fire under them to complete the necessary paperwork. Teal means well and wants to follow the rules, but there are just so many important things to do during the day that he keeps forgetting to take care of these pain-in-the-neck bureaucratic requirements.

Late one night, just as Teal is preparing for bed, the phone rings. On the other end of the line is a civilian policeman who tells Teal that one of his subordinates¾ Sergeant Jones¾ "was killed this evening during a robbery of the convenience store in which she was working." Teal suddenly remembers the uncompleted paperwork in his desk, and he realizes that Jones’ family may not receive life insurance benefits from the military because of his negligence in enforcing the rules governing off-duty employment.

If he post-dated the paperwork and fudged some signatures, then maybe . . . . .