the commander officer, diego garcia, a senior navy captain held the court-martial authority for the island's personal -- property personnel. i am familiar with the authority the commander needs to execute. to the that he or she has four good order and discipline while meeting a demanding command mission. this, like all of my fellow military people who have been convening authorities, i spent a long time thinking about the military and justice improvement act. i came to the conclusion that i needed to support it, and i wrote a letter to senator gillibrand telling her i supported that act, here is why. first, the military justice improvement act does not infringe on or in any way diminish a commander's responsibility for good order and discipline. for the means and authority a commander has to carry out that responsibility. it keeps nontraditional punishment and convening authority for summaries and special court-martial level crimes for the commander, and general court-martial convening authority for felony level ella terry crimes such as desertion, or mutiny, all in the chain of command. i a