Can you get in trouble for malingering?

“Malingering” is the criminal offense of feigning mental or physical illness, or intentionally hurting oneself, in order to avoid military duties. While this military-specific offense may sound archaic, malingering is still prosecuted in the military and carries serious punishment.

What UCMJ 115?

Under the Article 115 of the UCMJ, an service member who feigns illness, injury, a head ache, a sore back, mental derangement or mental lapse, or intentionally injures himself or herself for avoiding his or her duties as an aircraft mechanic, a duty officer for the day, or an enlisted personnel during a specified …

How do you prove army malingering?

Action: The accused must have pretended to have an injury to be guilty of malingering. Alternatively, he or she could have intentionally inflicted an injury upon himself or herself. Injuries include illnesses, physical disablement, mental lapses, or derangement.

How is the accuracy of malingering detection assessed?

Malingering detection accuracy is assessed by evaluating each measure’s sensitivity, hit rate, positive predictive power (PPP), and negative predictive power (NPP). Sensitivity refers to the ability of a measure to accurately identify individuals who have the condition the measure is designed to detect.

What is the penalty for malingering in the military?

Malingering carries serious penalties which vary based on specific factors. According to the UCMJ: The essence of this offense is the design to avoid performance of any work, duty, or service which may properly or normally be expected of one in the military service.

What does Article 115 of the UCMJ mean?

Article 115 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) deals with malingering. Although it’s sort of an outdated word, malingering is a serious offense in the military. It means you’re pretending to do the job you’re assigned instead of doing it. Malingering carries serious penalties which vary based on specific factors.

When is a person found guilty of malingering?

Being found guilty of malingering depends on a few factors. If you know you’re assigned to a specific duty—or area of work—and pretend to be sick or injured, or if you intentionally hurt yourself to avoid that duty, then you fit the criteria of a malingerer. (2) intentionally inflicts self-injury; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.