Deserving a reprimand (6)
I believe the answer is:
rating
This clue is a double definition.
'deserving' is the first definition.
('rate' can be a synonym of 'deserve')
'a reprimand' is the second definition.
(thesaurus)
(Other definitions for rating that I've seen before include "Position on a scale" , "Seaman; class" , "rebuke?" , "level" , "Classification or NCO sailor" .)