Army Regulation 600-20: Command Authority, SHARP, and Complaints

Army Regulation 600-20, the Army Command Policy, is the master document that governs how Army commanders lead and how soldiers are expected to behave, both on and off duty. It sets the rules for chain of command, prohibited relationships, equal opportunity, sexual assault prevention, hazing, political activity, religious accommodations, and formal complaints against commanders. It works alongside the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and violations of its punitive provisions can be prosecuted under the UCMJ or handled through administrative action up to involuntary separation.

What AR 600-20 Covers

The regulation is organized by chapter around command responsibilities. Chapter 2 defines command authority and the chain of command. Chapter 4 addresses prohibited relationships, hazing, bullying, and online misconduct. Chapter 5 covers religious accommodations and family readiness. Chapter 6 sets out the Military Equal Opportunity Program.¹ SHARP, political activity, and Article 138 complaint procedures round out the areas soldiers most often need to look up.

Command Authority and the Chain of Command

Command authority is the legal power a commander exercises over subordinates by virtue of rank and assignment. Disobeying a lawful order is a criminal offense under Article 92 of the UCMJ, punishable by court-martial.² Every commander must maintain an Open Door Policy, meaning any soldier in the unit can request a personal meeting with the commander without going through intermediaries. Failing to maintain that accessibility can result in negative evaluations or administrative relief.

Relief for Cause

A senior commander can relieve a subordinate commander when the senior loses confidence in the subordinate’s ability to lead, whether from misconduct, poor judgment, or failure to complete assigned duties. Any commander may temporarily suspend a subordinate from command, but final relief requires written approval from the first general officer in the chain of command. For colonels, lieutenant colonels, and command sergeants major, the senior theater or command-level general must be notified before the first general officer signs off.³ If the relief stems from a formal investigation, the soldier being relieved must first be given the chance to review and respond to the findings before the relief takes effect.

Prohibited Relationships and Fraternization

Chapter 4 prohibits any relationship between an officer and an enlisted soldier, or between an NCO and a junior enlisted soldier, that compromises the chain of command, creates favoritism, or harms unit discipline.⁴ Actual harm is not required. The appearance of partiality or exploitation is enough.

Certain categories are flatly prohibited regardless of visible problems:

Dating and intimate relationships between officers and enlisted personnel, or NCOs and junior enlisted soldiers, including shared living arrangements not required by operations.
Ongoing business relationships between the same groups, such as borrowing money or entering commercial ventures together. One-time transactions like selling a car are permitted.
Gambling between officers and enlisted personnel or between NCOs and junior enlisted soldiers.

Commanders have broad discretion in response. Options run from counseling and a verbal order to cease the relationship, up through official reprimand, adverse evaluation reports, nonjudicial punishment, demotion, involuntary separation, or court-martial. Severity usually depends on whether the relationship involved a direct supervisory chain and whether either party received favorable treatment. Even if both soldiers consented, the senior-ranking individual bears greater responsibility.

Equal Opportunity Complaints

The Military Equal Opportunity Program prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex (including gender identity), national origin, religion, or sexual orientation. Promotions, assignments, and training opportunities must remain free of bias. Brigade-level commanders and above must assign MEO professionals to their special staff.⁵

Informal complaints can be resolved directly by the soldier, with help from another unit member, or through the chain of command. They must be documented on a memorandum for record and should be resolved within 60 calendar days.⁶

Formal complaints follow a stricter timeline. Once a commander receives a formal complaint, an investigation must begin within five calendar days. The investigation must be completed within 30 days, and the entire complaint process must wrap up within 60 days. The assigned MEO professional follows up with the commander, complainant, and subject every 14 days.⁵ Validated complaints can lead to Letters of Reprimand, adverse evaluation reports, or separation from service.

SHARP: Reporting and Expedited Transfers

The Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program operates under a zero-tolerance policy. Sexual harassment covers unwelcome sexual advances or requests that create a hostile environment. Sexual assault covers criminal acts under UCMJ Article 120.⁷

Victims have two reporting pathways.⁸ Restricted reporting allows a victim to receive medical care and advocacy services without triggering an investigation or notifying the chain of command. Unrestricted reporting initiates a criminal investigation and requires the commander to take protective measures. Retaliation against a victim is itself a punishable offense.

A service member who has filed an Unrestricted Report may request an expedited transfer, either a permanent change of station or a unit transfer, to get away from the environment where the assault occurred. A victim who initially filed a Restricted Report must change to Unrestricted before becoming eligible. The commander must approve or deny within five calendar days. If denied, the victim can escalate to the first general officer in the chain of command, who also has five calendar days to decide. Approved transfers are expected to happen within 30 days.⁹

Hazing, Bullying, and Online Misconduct

Hazing involves coercing a soldier into a cruel, abusive, or demeaning activity, often tied to an initiation or rite of passage. Bullying involves repeated acts of aggression or intimidation intended to harm or exclude someone. Both are punishable, and consequences can include rank reduction or involuntary separation with an Other Than Honorable characterization.⁴

Every soldier has a duty to report hazing or bullying. Commanders must investigate every allegation. When the accused is a promotable colonel, general officer, inspector general, or member of the Senior Executive Service, the allegation must be reported to the Inspector General’s Investigations Division within two working days.

The regulation extends these prohibitions to online behavior. Online misconduct is defined as the use of electronic communication to inflict harm, including harassment, stalking, bullying, and retaliation through digital platforms. Posting material prejudicial to good order and discipline, or communicating contemptuous words about the President, Vice President, Congress, or other senior officials, can lead to charges under the UCMJ.¹⁰

Political Activity and Social Media

Active duty soldiers face significant restrictions on political activity. Anything reasonably viewed as associating the Department of Defense with a partisan political cause is off limits. Soldiers may attend political fundraisers but cannot actively participate in them, solicit donations, or take part in conventions, debates, or political club activities. Wearing a military uniform to any political event is prohibited for all members, including reservists and retirees.¹¹

Social media trips up more soldiers than rallies do. Sharing, retweeting, or linking to content from a political party’s official account or from a candidate running for partisan office counts as prohibited participation. Personal political opinions are permitted; publicly amplifying partisan content in a way that implies DoD endorsement is not.

Religious Accommodations

Section 5-6 recognizes five categories of religious accommodation: worship practices, dietary practices, medical care (including immunizations), uniform wear, and personal grooming.¹² A soldier requesting to wear a beard, turban, or hijab based on sincere religious beliefs submits a formal packet through the chain of command. Commanders evaluate each request against military necessity, including whether the accommodation interferes with protective equipment or unit readiness.

Denials can be appealed up the chain of command, ultimately reaching the Secretary of the Army or a designee for final decision. Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act standard used in the regulation, the Army can only deny a request if the policy furthers a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive means of doing so.

Accommodations for wearing a hijab, beard, or turban with uncut hair are considered permanent and carry forward throughout the soldier’s career. Only the Secretary of the Army can permanently revoke or modify them, and they survive a transfer to a new installation unless the Secretary acts. Accommodations for worship, diet, medical care, and modesty concerns are treated as temporary. Immediate commanders can modify or revoke these based on mission requirements.

Command Climate Assessments

Commanders must formally measure the climate of their units through Command Climate Assessments, using surveys developed by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute. Regular Army commanders must conduct their initial assessment within 60 days of assuming command and repeat it annually. Army Reserve commanders have 120 days for the initial assessment, with annual follow-ups after that. The requirement applies at company, battalion, brigade, and division levels.¹ Commanders are expected to brief their units on the results and develop action plans. Ignoring poor results, or skipping the assessment, creates a record that will surface during senior rater evaluations and can support a relief for cause.

Filing an Article 138 Complaint Against a Commander

When a soldier believes a commander has personally wronged them, Article 138 of the UCMJ provides a formal complaint mechanism outside the normal chain of command. The process has two steps, and skipping the first step kills the complaint.

First, the soldier must submit a written request for redress directly to the commander who committed the alleged wrong. The request must explain what happened and what remedy the soldier is seeking. The commander normally has 15 days to respond. If the commander refuses or does not answer within that window, the soldier can treat it as a refusal and move to the formal complaint.¹³

The formal complaint must be in writing, signed, and submitted to the soldier’s immediate superior commissioned officer within 90 days of discovering the wrong. That 90-day clock does not run while the request for redress is pending with the offending commander. The complaint must include details about the soldier’s unit, the commanding officer involved, the date of the original request for redress, and a clear explanation of why the action was wrong and what remedy is appropriate. Supporting documents and the original request for redress must be attached. Missing any of these elements gives the reviewing authority a procedural reason to reject the complaint.

Soldier and Family Readiness Groups

Soldier and Family Readiness Groups are official commander’s programs that bridge communication between a unit and its families, especially during deployments. Commanders at all levels are required to maintain these groups, and the groups disseminate updates on unit status and emergency procedures and help families access resources like legal assistance and counseling.¹⁴

Money is where commanders most often get into trouble. Informal fund balances cannot exceed $10,000 at any point during the calendar year. A brigade commander can grant a temporary exception up to $25,000, but only for three months, and that exception can only be renewed once every six months. SFRGs cannot enter commercial sponsorship agreements, meaning they cannot accept funding, goods, or services from a business in exchange for promotional recognition on the installation.¹⁵ Commanders must appoint a fund custodian to maintain records, and improper handling of these funds can result in fiscal liability or administrative punishment for the commander.

1
Department of the Army. Army Regulation 600-20 – Army Command Policy
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 892 – Art 92 Failure to Obey Order or Regulation
3
U.S. Army. Information Paper – Relief for Cause
4
U.S. Army. Army Regulation 600-20 – Army Command Policy
5
U.S. Army. AR 600-20 – Army Command Policy, Chapter 6
6
Army.mil. Military Services Complaint Processing Procedures
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 920 – Rape and Sexual Assault Generally
8
Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. Reporting Options
9
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response. Expedited Transfer Slick Sheet
10
U.S. Army. Personal Social Media Use
11
Department of Defense Standards of Conduct Office. FAQs About Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces
12
United States Forces Korea. Army Regulation 600-20 – Army Command Policy
13
U.S. Army. The Article 138 Process
14
Department of the Army. Army Regulation 600-20 – Army Command Policy – Section 5-2 Army Family Readiness
15
U.S. Army MWR. Army Directive 2019-17 – Changes to the Soldier and Family Readiness Group Program