Officials said there are safeguards to protect employees from abusing the nonpunitive reporting system.

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Safety advocates have long touted the benefits of nonpunitive systems, and some welcomed the FAA's announcement.

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The key difference is that nonjudicial punishment generates a paper trail and nonpunitive doesn't.

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The FAA took a half-step in that direction in 2008, creating a nonpunitive reporting system for air traffic controllers.

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In other words, nonpunitive offenders are treated as first-time offenders if they get in trouble down the road while nonjudicial offenders are treated like recidivists.

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In turn, nonpunitive discipline is even lighter than nonjudicial punishment.

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Federal Aviation Administration officials announced that as part of a new "safety culture" at the agency, they would fully embrace nonpunitive reporting systems, in an effort to generate information that could expose bigger dangers.

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"A commander should use nonpunitive measures to the fullest extent to further the efficiency of the command before resorting to nonjudicial punishment, " according to a revision of the U.S. Army regulations that went into effect on Dec. 16, 2005.

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