Dangers of Sex between Ranks

Since there is currently no draft, there is little equity in the military.

Enlisted people are almost all from the middle class and below, while commissioned officers tend to be from the middle class and above.

In addition to the political and economic divisions within the armed forces, there are strictly-enforced prohibitions regarding fraternization among the ranks. People in the military who marry other military people are expected to be in the same or a similar rank. It is a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to even socialize with someone not in or close to your own rank. Good luck trying to explain away that little affair between a lieutenant and a private, or a colonel and junior commissioned officer.

No matter how hot that first-class private is, a commissioned officer can get him- or herself into big trouble for fraternizing when their uniforms are on the floor.