The Frank Wuterich Court-Martial: Haditha, the Rules of Engagement, and a Plea to Dereliction
Marine Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich led the squad that killed 24 Iraqi men, women, and children in Haditha on November 19, 2005, after a roadside bomb…
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49 entriesThe John Walker Espionage Case: Inside the Walker Spy Ring
John Anthony Walker Jr., a Navy radioman who retired as a warrant officer in 1976, sold Navy cryptographic material to the Soviet Union for about seventeen…
The Arthur Walker Espionage Case: The Brother in the Ring
Arthur James Walker, a retired Navy lieutenant commander, joined his younger brother John's Soviet spy ring in 1980, seven years after leaving the Navy. At John's…
What Happens If You’re Accused of Sexual Assault in the Military
An accusation of sexual assault against a service member is handled under Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and for any offense committed…
The Ernest Medina Court-Martial: Command Responsibility After My Lai
Army Captain Ernest L. Medina commanded Charlie Company, the unit whose soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed civilians at My Lai, South Vietnam, on March 16, 1968.…
What Happens If You Fail a Drug Test in the Military
A positive military urinalysis is not an offense by itself. It is evidence the government can use to try to prove wrongful use of a controlled…
The Jackie Robinson Court-Martial: A Bus, a Refusal, and an Acquittal
On July 6, 1944, Second Lieutenant Jack Roosevelt Robinson refused a civilian bus driver's order to move to the back of an Army shuttle bus at…
The Clint Lorance Court-Martial: An Order to Fire and a Presidential Pardon
Army First Lieutenant Clint Lorance never fired his weapon in the shooting he was convicted for. On July 2, 2012, near Strong Point Payenzai in Kandahar…
What Happens If You Get a DUI in the Military
A service member arrested for impaired driving can face up to three separate tracks for the same stop. The first is a state or local criminal…
The Robert Bales Court-Martial: The Kandahar Massacre and a Plea to Avoid Death
Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales left his outpost in the Panjwai district of Kandahar Province before dawn on March 11, 2012, and killed 16 Afghan villagers…
What Happens If You Assault an Officer or NCO in the Military
Striking a superior commissioned officer who is in the execution of office is an Article 89 offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The peacetime…
The Eddie Slovik Court-Martial: The Only American Executed for Desertion Since the Civil War
Private Eddie Slovik was shot by an Army firing squad near Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, France, on January 31, 1945. He is the only American soldier executed for desertion…
The Sabrina Harman Court-Martial: Documenting Abuse and the Limits of “Just a Witness”
Army Reserve Specialist Sabrina Harman took and appeared in some of the best-known Abu Ghraib photographs. In May 2005, a military jury convicted her on six…
The Andrew Holmes Court-Martial: The Youngest of the Kill Team
Private First Class Andrew Holmes was described in coverage of his sentencing as the youngest of the five U.S. soldiers accused in the 2010 killings of…
What Happens If You Abuse Your Rank in the Military
The Uniform Code of Military Justice has no single offense called abuse of rank; abusive conduct is charged under the article whose elements it meets. The…
What Happens If You Leak Classified Information in the Military
A service member who discloses classified or national defense information can face two very different sets of charges, and the line between them is the recipient…
The Bryan Howard Court-Martial: The Accessory at Mahmudiyah
Private First Class Bryan Howard was the one Mahmudiyah defendant whose sentence was measured in months. In March 2007 he pleaded guilty to being an accessory…
What Happens If You Get Arrested Off Base in the Military
An off-base arrest can lead to civilian charges in the local court, although an arrest by itself does not mean a case has been filed. Either…
What Happens If You Refuse Deployment in the Military
Refusing to deploy is not a single offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The charge depends on what the refusal looked like. Failing to…
The Nidal Hasan Court-Martial: The Fort Hood Shooting and a Death Sentence
Army Major Nidal Hasan, a psychiatrist, opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing center at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. He killed 13 people…
The Adam Winfield Court-Martial: The Soldier Who Warned His Father
Army Specialist Adam Winfield wrote to his father on Facebook in February 2010 that soldiers in his platoon had killed an Afghan civilian and planned more…
The Lynndie England Court-Martial: Abu Ghraib, the Photographs, and Diminished Capacity
Private First Class Lynndie England, the reservist photographed holding a leash tied to a naked detainee at Abu Ghraib, first tried to plead guilty in 2005.…
What Happens If You Negligently Discharge Your Weapon in the Military
A negligent discharge with no one hurt can be charged under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice as discharging a firearm through negligence,…
The Javal Davis Court-Martial: Abu Ghraib and a Guilty Plea
Army Reserve Sergeant Javal Davis was a guard at Abu Ghraib. On February 1, 2005, at Fort Hood, Texas, after the judge denied a motion to…