How do Anglo-American military legal systems classify military offenses?

In Anglo-American military legal systems, there is no formal distinction between breaches of discipline and criminal offenses; instead, all military offenses are classified as crimes. This approach differs from many Continental European systems, which categorize military offenses into two distinct groups: those subject to judicial punishment and those handled through administrative action.1

Under the Anglo-American model, military law takes cognizance of two primary categories of offenses:

• Peculiarly military offenses: These include acts such as mutiny, insubordination, desertion, and misconduct in action or in the performance of service duties.1
• Civil offenses: Acts committed by military personnel that would also constitute offenses under the civil law of their respective countries are frequently treated as military crimes.1

While military law maintains jurisdiction over these actions, rules are in place to prevent double jeopardy, ensuring an offender is not punished for the same act by both civil and military authorities. Generally, civil jurisdiction takes precedence when it can be exercised.1