The Long Commission, which investigated the terrorist bombing of the Beirut Marine barracks, recommended punitive action against officers in the chain of command. The president, however, ruled out courts-martial. This article examines the concept of command accountability and the role of the military justice system.
Professional dereliction and incompetence have rarely been punished since World War II. . . . Failure to do so has bred an atmosphere of professional unaccountability that encourages, because it does not penalize, repetition of failure on the battlefield
