ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Drumhead court-martial

Okay, kiddo, imagine you're playing tag with your friends and you accidentally touch someone in a way they don't like. Your friends might say it's not fair and want to play a game of "court" to decide what to do about it.

Now imagine you're in the army and someone in your unit breaks a really important rule, like stealing from another soldier. Instead of playing "court" like your friends did, the army has a special process called a court-martial to decide what to do about it.

A court-martial is like having a big trial with judges and lawyers, but it only happens within the military. A drumhead court-martial is a special kind of court-martial that happens in really urgent situations, like when soldiers are in battle and they need to make quick decisions to keep everyone safe.

The word "drumhead" comes from the fact that in the old days, soldiers used to have a big drum that they banged on to signal that there was going to be a court-martial. It was like a big drum-shaped gavel!

In a drumhead court-martial, the rules are a little less strict than in a regular court-martial. The judges might not be as well-trained, and the trial might happen really fast. But the most important thing is that everyone has to follow the rules and make sure that justice is served.

So, to sum it up, a drumhead court-martial is like a fast and urgent version of a regular military trial that happens in really important situations. It's kind of like playing a grown-up game of "court" with really important consequences!