What is the second step in initiating a court-martial?

• A. Referral
• B. Preferral
• C. Preliminary hearing
• D. Commander issues a convening order

Answer: (B)

The step-by-step flow starts with the convening authority taking action to set the process in motion by issuing a convening order. After that, the next action is the preferral of charges—the formal filing of offenses to be tried. This is the point at which the case moves from being an investigation or consideration into a defined court-martial matter. Only after charges are preferred does the next step occur, which is to refer those charges to a court-martial for trial. A preliminary hearing is a separate procedure, typically invoked to determine probable cause under Article 32 or to address specific pre-trial issues, and it isn’t the initiating step. So, the second step in initiating a court-martial is the preferral of charges.