Which categories of people may potentially be subject to the UCMJ?

The correct answer indicates that service academy midshipmen and cadets are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). This encompasses individuals who are enrolled in military academies like the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy. These students are in a military training environment and are considered members of the armed forces while in training, which subjects them to the same legal standards and disciplinary actions as active-duty personnel.

When the focus is on active duty military and reservists, they also fall under the UCMJ, but the primary focus of the question centers on specific categories, making midshipmen and cadets a clear subset of individuals under UCMJ jurisdiction. Retired military members typically are only subject to the UCMJ under certain circumstances, often related to specific offenses that occurred while they were on active duty. Civilians, on the other hand, generally are not subject to the UCMJ unless they are involved in certain legal situations connected to military operations or installations, such as military contracts.

Therefore, service academy midshipmen and cadets are definitively responsible under the UCMJ due to their status and the nature of their training, which makes this answer the most precise in identifying a category of individuals explicitly governed by the