"The way to have good soldiers is to treat them rightly...A private soldier has as much right to justice as a major general."
President Abraham Lincoln"I can think of no more fitting expression of this country's appreciation for the sacrifices of our young servicemen than to grant them the same rights they are defending."
Senator Sam J. ErvinBrigadier General Janis Karpinski would be only the second Army flag officer court-martialed in the last half century.
WASHINGTON: "Several army officers including a brigadier general, face a court martial for mistreating and humiliating Iraqi prisoners. Seventeen soldiers had been removed from duty in Iraq last month but the details of this action were not until CBS 60 Minutes II revealed them on Wednesday evening."
Camera found in female sailors' shower
"Navy investigators are searching for the person who hid a small wireless video camera above a shower stall for female sailors aboard the San Diego-based command ship Coronado..."
Schofield soldier charged in Iraqi civilian's death
"Pfc. Edward L. Richmond Jr., 20, was charged April 5 with the unjustified shooting of an Iraqi male on Feb. 28."
Schofield soldier charged in death of Iraqi civilian
"On April 8, Pfc. Edward L. Richmond Jr., 20, was charged with one count of unpremeditated murder under article 118 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Richmond is assigned to the headquarters company, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry regiment."
Recruiting Hit-men? Gives tag lines like "Be all you can be" and "An Army of One" entirely new meaning...
Tech. Sgt. Rodney E. Wells, a recruiter at Lackland AFB, was in military court Wednesday at an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a pretrial hearing and a grand jury investigation...Wells was charged March 12 with solicitation to commit murder, soliciting a civilian to commit prostitution and conspiracy to commit assault."
U.S. soldiers accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners
"U.S. soldiers at a prison outside Baghdad have been accused of forcing Iraqi prisoners into acts of sexual humiliation and other abuses in order to make them talk, according to officials and others familiar with the charges."
Army Corporal Gary Shafto
"5/30/2002
I appologize for not keeping this sight up to date...It's been a long time. It breaks my heart and soul to have to update with the following news:
On 3/14/2002 My Husband, Corporal Gary L. Shafto, was found dead in his cell in Ft Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks. I do not have the energy or heart to go into details...it's been 2 1/2 months, and still have a very hard time writing about it. I receive regular emails from people after they have been exposed to and read this sight. I'm still receiving emails saying things to the effect of proving his innocence and bringing him home. People have been reading this sight thinking he is still alive. It breaks my heart everytime I get an encouraging email to continue fighting and bring him home. Well, I have brought him home, but not the way it was supposed be. It should have been a big welcome home party with friends and family, with balloons, streamers and welcome home signs. Instead he was brought home covered by the United States Flag, with a 21 gun salute and TAPS playing in the background. I have no more case to fight...three weeks after his death, I received notification from the Army Court of Appeals stating that the motion to drop all the charges and dismiss the case was granted. Alot that does now that my soulmate is dead...even more so, dead at the hands of the military, the USDB, and their guards. Please keep on eye on this sight...I promise you, there will be LOTS more to write and inform you of. Trust me on this... the fight is FAR from over!"
What did Army MPs do to Coporal Gary Shafto at Fort Leavenworth in March 2002?
"A lot of us have known about the arrests and the court-martial, but everyone knew to keep their mouths shut," said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of hurting her relative's military career.
TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
"Of the six people reported in March to be facing preliminary charges, three have been recommended for court martial trials..."
TV shows US military police torturing Baghdad prisoners
"The US army announced that six members of the 800th Military Police Brigade would face court-martial over abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The charges included cruelty and maltreatment, dereliction of duty, assault and forced acts of indecency."
Office of Special Investigations
"The office plans to integrate MetaCarta’s Geographic Text Search tool with its Threat and Local Observation Notice system to show a geospatial picture to analysts of potential or suspected terrorist activities, according to a company release. TALON is a program that encourages Air Force officials and citizens to report possible terrorist planning activities they observe."
Military delays arraignment of W'md's own Sgt.Williams
"People from one end of Westmoreland to the other became outraged when they learned from the front page of this Sunday's Free Lance-Star that one of the historical county's own sons, decorated Desert Storm hero and 17-year Army veteran, Jim Williams, is being treated like a common thug..."
GSA Awards $25 Million Army CID Contract to American Systems Corporation (ASC)
CHANTILLY, Va., April 28, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- "American Systems Corporation (ASC) announced today the award of a follow-on contract for software support to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC). The task order, awarded by the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM) under the GSA Millennia Lite Contract is valued at more than $25 million over four years."
Inquiry sought into Muslim chaplain's case
"The case of Army Capt. James Yee raises serious questions about the fairness of military justice, said Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts."
Supreme Court refuses to hear school prayer case
WASHINGTON, D.C. — "The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a ruling that struck down the Virginia Military Institute’s mealtime prayers as unconstitutional, causing two the court’s most conservative member to speak out against the court’s liberal judges avoiding an important church-state dispute."
Powell: More Guantanamo Detainees to Be Freed
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — "Secretary of State Colin Powell said Thursday the United States expects to release more detainees from Guantanamo Bay (search) in Cuba soon, but first must make sure that interrogators have learned all they can from them about terrorism activity."
19-year old Fort Lewis soldier...mom has a tumor in her head and breast cancer.
"Army spokeswoman Martha Rudd said soldiers who remain missing less than 30 days are considered to be "absent without leave," or AWOL, while soldiers gone longer, such as Garcia-Sanchez, are considered deserters."
Enemy Combatants Excerpts
This from National Public Radio
1 in 10 face NJP discipline at Camp Casey, South Korea...
“In 2ID, which has 13,000 soldiers, there were 1,459 Article 15 actions last year...No statistics were available on the number of courts-martial”
Probe of Muslim chaplain's treatment urged
"The government failed to build a capital espionage case against Yee, and Army officials dismissed all criminal charges last month, saying national security concerns prevented them from seeking a court-martial in open court."
Legal commentary
"...much of the debate over civil liberties in wartime has, to this point, been framed in all-or-nothing terms. Against that backdrop, the courts' efforts to find a middle course are welcome."
"We're appalled..."
"[Staff Sgt. Chip] Frederick is charged with maltreatment, assault and indecent acts for posing for a photograph while sitting on top of a detainee, striking detainees and ordering detainees to strike each other, among other things."
Boeing probe widened, sanctions end seen delayed
"The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles is handling the investigation, along with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), part of the Pentagon's inspector general office and NASA's inspector general, the sources said, confirming a report first published in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday."
Will court uphold military detention?
"In a case to be argued Wednesday before the high court, the Bush administration will rely on the precedent established by Ex parte Quirin..."
Boeing Faces Expanded Probe By Prosecutors
"The investigation, which involves a grand jury, is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles, and agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, which reports to the Pentagon's inspector general's office. NASA's inspector general also has joined the probe."
Staff sergeant gets six months for desertion and dereliction of duty
"Staff Sgt. Toni Zito also was reduced to the rank of airman basic and given a dishonorable discharge at a two-day court-martial last week at the base."
Supreme Court Won't Hear VMI Prayer Case
"Justice Antonin Scalia blasted his colleagues for refusing to hear the case, arguing that it raised important church-state and other questions."
Justices won't consider banned prayers at Virginia Military Institute
"A lower federal court had found VMI's mealtime prayers violate the Constitution, and the high court's action means that ruling will stand."
No prayin' at VMI...at a time when our Troops need all the prayers we can pray
WASHINGTON – "The Supreme Court said Monday it would not consider reinstating mealtime prayers at a taxpayer-funded military college, turning aside an appeal from state officials in Virginia who wanted to preserve the tradition."
From Texas A&M...
The appropriate measure is to try the detainees in a U.S. military court, outside U.S. sovereignty. According to an article published by the Harvard Journal of Law regarding the Cuban detainees, a military trial is "morally, politically and legally justified."
Six soldiers arrested after Aggieville confrontation"
MANHATTAN -- "Six Fort Riley soldiers were arrested early Saturday after a confrontation with police..."
Training Air Wing 6 Commander Relieved
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (NNS) -- "Rear Adm. George E. Mayer, Chief of Naval Air Training, has relieved Capt. Chaunce Mitchell, commander, Training Air Wing (TW) 6, of command due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command."
Commentary
"The important decision in the Jose Padilla and Yaser Esam Hamdi consolidate case is expected in July, 2004. If the Supreme Court gives the Bush-Cheney Gang a green light, then say good bye to our Republic. The police state, and the national nightmare of endless Pentagon detentions and endless presidential power, will be here!"
Terror suspects to be held indefinitely
"The statement by Paul Butler, special assistant to Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, is the first Government acknowledgment that hundreds of detainees will probably be held without facing military tribunals."
Status of Guantanamo detainee letters debated
WASHINGTON - 'Attorneys for an Air Force translator at the Guantanamo Bay prison who faces a variety of criminal charges said military officials have offered contradictory explanations about whether they consider information found in his possession to be classified."
Battling his own Army
"None of this passes the common-sense test," Shumac added. "They're trying to wreck this guy, and for what purpose I don't know. He was just doing what he had to do to get the job done."
Ahem...it's called the JAGMIRE
"Historians may well remember the legal quagmire heard last week with the same high-strung emotions."
Senators urge inquiry into Army chaplain's case
Kennedy, joined by fellow Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan sent a letter to Rumsfeld saying the treatment of Yee, who was locked up for 76 days in a brig while the military investigated suspicions of espionage, "raises serious questions about the fair and effective administration of military justice."
Soldier charged with felony child abuse
"[Army Sgt.] Douglas Bradley Allen, 23, of the 6900 block of Rockfish Road in Raeford, was charged with felony child abuse at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center."
It's called oversight Mr. Secretary...and long past due!
"Mr. Rumsfeld has made no secret of his dislike for congressional micromanaging and demands on his people's time."
Navy confirms weapons facility was temporarily decertified
BREMERTON, Wash. -- "A newly released Navy e-mail confirms its nuclear weapons handling facility at Submarine Base Bangor was decertified late last year and top officials were relieved of duty following an accident with a nuclear missile..."
Democrats Seek Probe of Army Chaplain's Treatment
"Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan, senior Democrat on the committee, and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts said the manner in which Capt. James Lee was detained and prosecuted "raises serious questions about the fair and effective administration of military justice."
Fort Lewis sergeant charged in wife's death
"Sgt. James Pitts, 31, of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, pleaded not guilty in Pierce County Superior Court. Bail was set at $250,000."
Rumsfeld rejects idea of returning to the draft
"Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld yesterday dismissed the notion of reinstating the military draft, saying that the Pentagon, if needed, can dig deeper into Reserve and National Guard forces to relieve troops deployed in the war on terrorism."
Air wing commander fired
"The seasoned aviator commanding Pensacola Naval Air Station's Training Air Wing 6 was relieved of his duties Friday because of unspecified personal misconduct that caused a loss of confidence in his ability to command, Navy officials said."
Remembering Pat Tillman
..."we need to recognize that this is just one story, one man, one sacrifice of many. "
Commentary
"...unchecked detention authority is contrary to U.S. principles. By being slow to recognize this, the Bush administration has risked unwelcome and unwise criminal court oversight."
Terror-linked Mafia was suspected of fixing Navy contracts
"...mob witnesses told prosecutors the Camorra family wanted a piece of the Navy project before work had even begun. When that fell through, witnesses said they demanded cash payoffs from subcontractors. Some even confessed to murders."
Glint of an impostor catches agent's eye at Marine's funeral
"Pinned to his chest were many of the nation's highest honors for bravery and valor, including the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, a Distinguished Flying Cross and Vietnam medals."
Broken Arrow, Bangor: As first reported here...
"[Rear Admiral Charles] Young's e-mail, sent immediately after SWFPAC failed its first nuclear inspection, said the leadership was fired to get the weapons facility back on track."
Unintended consequences loom large.
"If detainees aren't given basic legal rights at Guantanamo Bay, our troops, or any citizens seized overseas and held as prisoners could be at greater peril."
Fort Lewis soldier turns himself in; wife's body found
The soldier, who late yesterday had not been publicly identified, returned to Fort Lewis last month after serving for a year in Iraq with the 555th Combat Engineer Group, or "Triple Nickel..."
War Crimes
"Commander discretion" is enshrined in the Universal Military Code of Justice (sic) and vigorously defended by military leaders as a way to protect the investment represented by a soldier; leniency is endorsed essentially for assailants who are regarded as good soldiers. A 2001 panel that assessed the UMCJ on its 50th anniversary recommended curtailing some of that discretion, but military and civilian defense officials resist the idea.
Accused terrorists face different kind of justice
"Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift is asking a federal judge in Seattle to allow him to challenge the detention of Salem Ahmed Salem Hamdan, 34, of Yemen. Hamdan faces a tribunal but has not been charged."
Murder at Fort Lewis
"This is the second time in the past year a Fort Lewis soldier has been arrested in connection with a homicide."
Guantanamo policy on trial
"It seems rather contrary to an idea of a constitution with three branches that the executive would be free to do whatever they want — whatever they want — without a check," said Justice Stephen Breyer.
Ex-Boeing Official's Plea Poses Problems
"Druyun, a civilian, was the Air Force's No. 2 acquisition official from 1993 until her retirement in November 2002. She had worked out with Sears the outline of her new job three weeks before she formally removed herself from overseeing Boeing-related matters, court papers showed."
Guam drug investigation has led to 20 arrests
"The sailors — junior personnel, most with less than two years of military service — worked for Submarine Squadron 15, Navy Security Force and Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 5."
Ex-Air Force official guilty in tanker case
JAGs advising commanders about conduct on the battlefield
“We’re not bad guys, … we play fair … we fight fair, and that can go along way toward winning a war.”
SILENCE! And that's an order!!
"The letter, received on April 6, informed Yee that as a soldier he is ordered — with threat of punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice — to refrain from any speech violating what sound like fairly vague and malleable criteria."
Stolen Valor? Release your records Senator Kerry!
"Senator Kerry's record of nondisclosure and his flip-flop on this issue should concern voters," Mehlman told the Associated Press.
Pentagon names Guantanamo trial prosecutor
Washington - "Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Swann has been named chief prosecutor for any trials conducted by United States military commissions of foreign prisoners jailed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the war on terrorism, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday."
Commentary: Captain James Yee
"After the Yee case came to light last fall, I wrote that the military's dangerous deference to radical Islam was a menace to our national security. The outcome of the Yee case does not change my position on this."
Supreme Court justices open to challenge on Guantanamo detainees
O'Connor summarized the Eisentrager ruling this way: "At the end of the day these people have no rights [because] they've had a trial under a military tribunal."
Air Force Academy rape kourt-martial. COMMAND INFLUENCE in plain view!!!
"Meester says the officers forced academy base commanders to pursue the case, despite knowing that an acade my investigator recommended the Air Force not proceed with it. The officers ignored an investigator's recommendation to dismiss the rape charges."
Unlawful detention? Unlawful imprisonment? Kidnapping? Take you pick!
"The Army typically confines members of a unit when dangerous, expensive or "sensitive" equipment is missing."
Druyun sending others to the federal tank?
"The government can seek reduced penalties depending on how much Druyun cooperates with investigators from several agencies, including the Pentagon's inspector general, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI."
Gitmo Military Tribunals Pose Life, Death Question
"Military juries are certainly not afraid of handing out Draconian sentences, but who knows what — they don't have a track record for any of this," said Eugene R. Fidell, a lawyer with Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP.
Supreme Court Takes Hard Look at Guantanamo Detention
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday sharply questioned the administration's detention of enemy combatants at what their lawyer termed a "lawless enclave" at Guantanamo Bay without access to the courts, in the first big legal test of the war on terrorism."
Former Boeing Executive Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy
"Darleen A. Druyun, 56, of Vienna, Va., entered the plea in U.S. District Court to a single count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum five years in prison."
Two soldiers ordered held in connection with fatal stabbing in German nightclub
"On Monday, a German court ordered two American soldiers to be detained pending charges surrounding the fatal stabbing of an Italian man at the Euro Palace nightclub in Mainz-Kastel."
Explaining Eisentrager
"As the Supreme Court considers whether the U.S. Constitution protects the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay - it hears oral arguments today in the case - the central issue is the meaning of a case involving illegal combatants from World War II: Johnson v. Eisentrager."
Court martial date set for Mejia
"Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia pled not guilty to desertion Friday during an arraignment in a Fort Stewart courtroom. Mejia was charged with quitting his unit, C Company, 1/124th Infantry Battalion, with the intent to avoid hazardous duty Oct. 16, 2003."
Guantánamo cases go to supreme court
"Today's case is the first of three challenges to the administration's sweeping powers over the hundreds of men and boys held for more than two years without charge or access to lawyers at the US base in Cuba following the invasion of Afghanistan."
Adrift at Guantánamo
"... a group of retired senior JAG officers has submitted a brief in the cases, arguing that the behavior of the United States undermines the reciprocity on which the international rule of law depends and puts at risk American service members who are captured behind enemy lines."
20 sailors charged in drug bust
"...the sailors involved in the drug bust were either stationed on Submarine Squadron 15 or the Navy security forces."
Third world justice in a thrid world nation
"Hearings and courts martial will not be moved to the United States."
US Soldier arrested
"A US soldier was arrested yesterday over the stabbing death of an Italian teenager and the wounding of three other men in a nightclub brawl."
Supreme Court to hear Guantánamo cases
"...the cases are expected to prove the most important test yet of the power of the executive branch to conduct a war-on-terror campaign..."
The political court-martial of Maj. Harry Schmidt
"On April 18, 2002, a U.S. pilot mistook the nighttime firing of Canadian troops on a training exercise outside of Kandahar for Taliban fighters."
The political court-martial of Maj. Harry Schmidt...two years and counting!
"Along with Sgt. Marc Leger, Pte. Nathan Smith and Pte. Richard Green, Dyer died April 17, 2002..."
Major General John Altenburg, USA (Ret.)
"A former Army two-star general who will oversee military tribunals for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay says he's confident the process will be fair."
Supreme Court Terrorism Glance
"The Supreme Court on Tuesday hears two consolidated appeals from current and former prisoners at the military's detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."
U.S. sailor arrested for touching woman's breasts
"U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Henson Justice, 25, denies the accusation..."
Commentary: The Supreme Court's role...
"A review of our history is not reassuring, however. In war, the executive branch by necessity expands in power; Congress and the judiciary recede, deferring to the president and his officers."
"I've been ridin' on the railroad..."
"[Cadet Meester's attorney, Frank] Spinner cited evidence Friday that Rosa and Weida had met in Washington, D.C., with Air Force Secretary James Roche and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper on May 16, two days after Meester's Article 32 hearing."
V-22 Osprey lawsuit tossed
"The V-22, Bell's largest and most important project, has been marked by developmental problems, delays and cost overruns. The aircraft were grounded for 18 months after two crashes in 2000 that killed 23 Marines."
The political court-martial of Maj. Harry Schmidt
"The three women are a reminder that, for all the political ramifications of the friendly fire bombing in Afghanistan two years ago today, it was first and foremost a human drama that remains unresolved for families across the continent."
AFA rape court-martial - Unlawful command influence argued
“Restore the integrity of the process and show the American public that a judge can be independent and courageous,” defense attorney Frank Spinner said Friday.
Reporters transcript
LISA MILLAR: Major Mori, were you surprised to see that an interrogator was speaking out publicly about what he said he'd learned from David Hicks?
Inside the Ring
"The Army brought in Charles Krohn to help salvage the stewardship of Army Secretary Thomas White. As Mr. White's public affairs adviser, Mr. Krohn fielded press questions about the embattled secretary's lucrative career at Enron."
Soldiers' families seek answers
"Families are frustrated and angry, fearful of talking about 21 soldiers from the U.S. Army Reserve 656th Transportation Company being held indefinitely in Iraq military zone after being accused of crimes involving destruction or theft of government property."
Supreme Court will hear first appeals involving Guantanamo detainees
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- "Raising the curtain on an important test of the legal muscle of the Bush administration's sweeping antiterrorism policies, the Supreme Court will hear two appeals Tuesday that question whether hundreds of terrorist suspects imprisoned in near-secrecy at an overseas military base are being detained lawfully."
Pending the Supreme Court ruling
"A hearing is scheduled for the US Supreme Court on Tuesday in which 16 detainees will appeal against an earlier ruling that they fall outside the jurisdiction of the US legal system."
Supreme Court to examine terror war policies"
"Over the next two weeks, the Supreme Court will review these policies in four of the most pivotal cases this term. The justices will hear arguments in cases that will decide whether the administration's war on terrorism is being conducted in accordance with constitutional restraints or whether it represents an unprecedented, and illegal, power grab on the part of the executive branch."
The Hidden Supreme Court
"If the Supreme Court agrees with George W. Bush—says Judge Barrington Parker Jr. of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals—"we would be effecting a sea change in the constitutional life of this country." (Emphasis added.)
Article 15 results - Non-judicial punishment
"An airman first class from the 28th AMXS received an Article 15 for wrongful use of marijuana. Punishment consisted of reduction to the rank of airman basic. The Airman was administratively discharged."
Captain Yee update: Gag order imposed
"Its clear purpose [the gag order] was to chill his exercise of free-speech rights. It was an order reminding him of the constraints on his free-speech rights and helpfully reminding him if he violates them, they would punish him criminally."
Commentary: Captain James Yee
"Uncle Sam basically wants Yee to zip his lips."
Command influence in plain view
"His lawyers said high-level Air Force officials may have influenced lower officers to pursue the prosecution of Meester, even though a legal officer who heard the case last May recommended against court-martialing him."
Military bids to dispel 'myths' of Guantanamo prison
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - "As the indefinite detention of terrorism suspects faces legal challenges, military authorities have allowed unprecedented media access to prison operations in a bid to dispel what they call "the myth" of human rights violations."
Air Force Academy pretrial hearings underway
"Meester, the first cadet at the academy to face court-martial in the scandal, is charged with rape, forcible sodomy, indecent assault and conduct unbecoming an officer."
Don't try this at home..."Sergeant took explosive as war trophy, Marines testify"
“I heard two of the batteries hit something metal,” Hayes said. “I woke up three to four days later” in a U.S. military hospital.
US interrogator lifts lid on Guantanamo Bay suspects
"The interrogator, said to be in the US Army and identified only as Tom, said on the 60 Minutes II programme that Mr Hicks, from Adelaide, became so deeply involved in the al-Qa'ida network that he..."
Commentary by
"Next Tuesday, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments from the American lawyers who have challenged the administration and the lower court's refusal to grant detainees access to judicial review. The case is joined by 175 British peers and MPs, and by the officers from the US Judge Advocates Group who have been assigned to defend the detainees. "
Special Forces Soldier Charged With Molesting 2 Girls
"It doesn't reflect well on the military. If, in fact, (Miller) is doing these things," Beaty said. "But, we're not all the same person. There's bad people in every group."
Guam sailor found innocent in baby’s death
"The defense also pointed to the investigation by the Navy Criminal Investigative Service as lacking thoroughness, based largely on the mother’s accusation."
Cuba seeks US censure on X-Ray
"CUBA said today that it would ask the UN's top human rights body to investigate the United States' detention of al-Qaeda and Taliban suspects at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay, ending Havana's policy of avoiding direct confrontation on the issue."
Fort Bragg Soldier Faces Multiple Sex Charges
"After a four-month investigation, Cumberland County detectives arrested Sgt. 1st Class Scott Kendrick Miller Thursday."
Cutting parachutes 'Chaffin's idea'
"A Marine who pleaded guilty to sabotaging military parachutes said Friday that the idea of cutting suspension lines in the chutes came from Marine Cpl. Clayton Chaffin."
Marines testify at court-martial
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina-AP -- "A Marine sergeant is facing charges for allegedly bringing what he saw as a war trophy aboard a warship."
Article 15 Hearings at Hill AFB
"All administrative action decisions and resulting punishments are determined on a case-by-case basis taking several factors into consideration to include the facts and circumstances of a particular case, the accused's duty history, culpability, rank and age, and potential for rehabilitation."
Guantanamo chaplain cleared of all charges
MIAMI, April 14 (UPI) -- "The commander of the U.S. military's Southern Command Wednesday dismissed all charges against Muslim chaplain Capt. James Yee."
More on Operation Highest Bidder
"Federal investigators began a sting to make purchases on the Internet auction site and have identified suspected sellers in 33 states..."
Captain Yee cleared of all charges. What evidence ever existed to support Army governors locking this man up for 76 days?
"Gen. James Hill said he dismissed a reprimand on noncriminal charges of adultery and downloading pornography against Capt. James Yee, 35..."
New River Marine in court martial for shipboard blast off Iraq
"Sgt. Mark S. Hoerber, 24, of Miami, is facing a court-martial on charges that include damaging the USS Saipan by bringing the explosive onboard, assault, and failure to obey a general order."
Soldier with 101st Airborne arrested in bank robbery
"Master Sgt. Kenneth Lee Schweitzer, 38, walked into the Keokuk Savings Bank about 3 p.m. Tuesday, threw a bag on the counter and demanded money, police said."
Pardon this question gone begging...what exactly happened to Army Corporal Gary Shafto at Fort Leavenworth?
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — "Two Marines face a court-martial on charges including assault and dereliction of duty in the death of an Iraqi prisoner in their custody, a Camp Pendleton spokeswoman said Tuesday."
Okinawa Marine arrested in assault
KIN, Okinawa - "Okinawa police said they arrested a 22-year-old Marine assigned to Camp Hansen after he punched a Japanese woman in the face early Sunday while drinking at a local bar."
Watchdog Group Hails Boeing Case Guilty Plea
WASHINGTON, April 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "News that former Air Force procurement official Darleen Druyun has agreed to plead guilty in a federal criminal case to one count of conspiracy has been hailed by the ethics watchdog group that first exposed personal ties between Druyun and Boeing."
A dangerous liaison
"Besides Everett, other agencies involved in this program include the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Bremerton Police Department, Seattle Police Department, Snohomish County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol."
Marines cleared in death of corporal from Arundel
"Military investigators have exonerated a Marine sniper team that killed a 20-year-old corporal from Pasadena in Iraq last April after mistaking him for an enemy fighter."
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - "Two Marines face a court-martial on charges including assault and dereliction of duty in the death of an Iraqi prisoner in their custody, a Camp Pendleton spokeswoman said."
Navy Investigates 'Security Breach' At Base
"Earlier this year, five Chinese nationals entered the base perimeter of Naval Station San Diego without clearance, sources told 10News."
ID theft ring strikes carrier Washington's officers
"Although the identity theft ring operated in and around Baltimore, naval investigators suspect that an enlisted sailor on the George Washington aided the thieves, according to court papers and interviews."
All volunteer since 1973...the U.S. armed forces draws only the best...
GULFPORT - "A judge declined to revoke probation Monday for a Stone County man who failed two drug tests, allowing him a chance to serve with U.S. Marines in Iraq."
Body armor thefts - Operation High Bidder
"A Trappe man has been charged with selling at least seven stolen military-issue bulletproof vests on an online auction site between January and April 2003, authorities said."
Utah Soldier Charged With Having Sex With Minors
"Court documents say the Colorado incident happened while Park was stationed at Fort Carson."
Armor probe hits Bragg
"Frank Crocco, resident agent in charge of the DCIS Raleigh office, said four civilians and three servicemen were targeted in the searches."
Fort Campbell soldier arrested in shooting death of civilian
"Michael Joseph Hulett, 19, assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, was charged Sunday with criminal homicide in the killing of Fahmee A. Donahue in Clarksville."
Charges against reservist dropped
"Charges against a Marine reservist accused in the death of an Iraqi prisoner last year have been dismissed"
Supreme Court arguments set for 20 and 28 April 2004
"The cases also shine a spotlight on the role of international human rights law in US courts and on the obligation of the United States to support human rights principles at home as well as abroad..."
What do ya do with a drunken sailor...?"
SASEBO, Nagasaki -- "Two United States Navy sailors were arrested Monday for stealing a fishing trawler after a drinking spree here, police said."
Navy court to resume Shepherd murder trial
"For the past week, a court-martial has been taking place for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Shepherd, who has been charged with murder."
On the lecture circuit...
"Indiana Supreme Court Justice Frank Sullivan says the courts have been wrong before, and they could be again."
Duty in Iraq...above and beyond
"U.S. soldiers accused of rape and other sex crimes...routinely dodged prosecution..."
Ft. Campbell soldier arrested on homicide charge
"Military police located 19-year-old Michael Joseph Hulett at his barracks Sunday and turned him over to Clarksville police."
Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents at serious odds with constitutional protections
"When questioned by Navy investigators in 2000, LeBrun was told he was not under arrest, and was asked to give a voluntary statement. They chose not to advise him of his Miranda rights."
Soldiers, Sailors still can't vote...
WASHINGTON — "The Pentagon has failed to fix a problem with the military's voting system — one that may keep American soldiers from voting for who they want as commander in chief, Fox News has learned."
Navy Times
"The tribunal system is an unconstitutional expansion of executive branch powers, says the filing by Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift..."
Unlawful command influence
"Attorney Frank Spinner will argue during a hearing next week that statements made by Air Force Secretary James Roche and Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper gave an appearance they wanted Douglas Meester to be courtmartialed."
Article 15 - School bomb threat in Yokota
"A staff sergeant has received nonjudicial punishment in connection with a Jan. 8 bomb-threat note...[left] in Yokota Middle School on March 29..."
Civil-Military relations
"In September 2000, LeBrun confessed to officers of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that he had stolen $8,600 from the ship's safe and then strangled Ensign Andrew Muns, the ship's payroll officer."
Washington Times
"Maj. Schmidt believed gunfire from a Canadian training exercise in April 2002 was aimed at his F-16 and he responded by dropping a 500-pound bomb."
Commentary from Slate
"The hardest problem to solve is that of armed contractors and their international legal status."
Sasebo sailor admits raping woman
Early in the session, after a short synopsis of the crime and the “rape resulting in bodily injury” charge, Bates declined an opportunity to speak.
“Does this mean these facts are correct?” the judge asked via an interpreter.
Fort Hood soldier arrested...
And Thursday officers arrested a Fort Hood soldier after he drove to the Buda area to meet an underage “girl.”
Dionne A. Richard Jr., 41, who resides on base, was charged with attempted sexual assault of a child.
Washington Post
"My jaw dropped when I heard about this suit," said Kevin Barry, a retired Coast Guard captain and expert on military law. "To my knowledge it's the first time a military defense counsel has filed suit in federal court on a case to which he's been assigned."
Lexington Herald-Leader
Sgt. 1st Class James Williams, with the Fort Campbell-based 101st Airborne Division's 326th Engineer Battalion, is charged with one count of robbery and one count of dereliction of duty for the events that allegedly occurred in April 2003 in Mosul, Iraq.
Why is the NCIS involved?
Naval Crime Investigative Services [NCIS], and deputies with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office scoured the beach Wednesday looking for the murder weapon.
Maj. Harry Schmidt update
Until the tussle over seeing the classified material is settled, the start of Schmidt’s trial is on hold.
The Miami Herald
TAMPA, Fla.- Army officials said two Florida National Guardsmen were not responsible for the death of a fellow Tampa soldier killed a year ago when their military vehicle crashed in western Iraq.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Navy Lt. Commander Charles Swift filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle this week on behalf of Salim Ahmad Hamdan, one of six detainees the administration has said it plans to try by tribunal.
The New York Times
WASHINGTON, April 7 — A military lawyer for a detainee at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba has filed the first lawsuit directly challenging the military tribunal system that has been set up to try prisoners including his client.
Guantanamo on trial...Supreme Court arguments scheduled this month...
“The question in front of the Supreme Court,” [Professor Annas] says, “is whether or not a detainee has access to the U.S. courts to raise due process questions, such as access to lawyers, charges against them, public trial. That question turns on whether or not they are in a U.S. territory where the U.S. is sovereign.”
Department of Defense Press Release
The Department of Defense announced today that agents from the department’s Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and other military criminal investigative organizations executed search warrants in seven states as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal sale of stolen military ballistic protective equipment on Internet auction sites.
Charges filed in Internet sale of military gear
U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan said the stolen items - at least 539 "outer tactical vests," or OTVs, and 506 pieces of "small-arms protective inserts," or SAPIs, which fit into the vests to make them bulletproof - were stolen by current and former military personnel.
Doctors take stand in military court case
The person who killed 1-month-old Jonathan Aidan Shepherd held the boy by the head and repeatedly violently shook the infant, but according to doctors who testified in a military court yesterday, there is no way of telling who committed the act.
John Kerry's Trail of Treachery
April 22, 1971-- John Kerry testifies on behalf of the VVAW before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. He claims that American soldiers had "personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads...
Beach officials charge Navy pilot with bigamy
VIRGINIA BEACH — Did Lt. Cmdr. Karlis I. Burton commit a crime or make an innocent mistake?
Earlier this year, the Navy investigated a claim that Burton, a married man, had wed another woman illegally. His wife provided evidence – two marriage certificates, hers and the other woman’s from a Virginia Beach court record.
Military jury clears Marine of parachute charges, guilty on drugs
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - A military jury Wednesday acquitted a Marine of charges he sabotaged his comrades' parachutes and caused three servicemen to get hurt during a training jump. But the jury convicted him on drug charges.
Baby's mother takes stand in court-martial
Candice Shepherd, 21, a Navy seaman, testified yesterday that she went to sleep early on Sept. 20 because she had to work the following day. She said her baby was "fine."
Soldier Charged With Soliciting Sex From Young Girls Online
[Specialist Lennon] Park is an intelligence specialist with the Utah National Guard who may have disgraced the uniform.
Another unreported "event" at Subase Bangor
"During my service time, an incident such as that would have been called a 'Bent Spear,' no public notification would have been given. Hell, I was topside security on the USNS Furman when a marine let go a .50 cal round which bounced off the crane cable holding a Polaris missile at SWFPAC, and a broken arrow was not called."
Civil Military Relations - Sidebar companion to the Shukovsky - Barber artilcle posted yesterday
The LINX system's unprecedented power to catch criminals and thwart terrorists also carries a serious potential for abuse of civil rights, law enforcement observers say. And the ramifications for free speech and other constitutionally protected activities such as political opposition to administration policies in Iraq are profound.
Civil Military Relations - Late entry
So instead of waiting for the G-men in the other Washington to make up their minds, frustrated leaders from more than a dozen area law-enforcement agencies are doing it on their own.
The agencies participating in the program, funded by the civilian-led Naval Criminal Investigative Service, will have unprecedented online access to local, state and federal databases and will be able to tap into those files with a Google-like search engine as early as next spring.
Civil Military Relations -- NCIS federal agents working community cases? Huh?
This case netted a house full of criminals - two illegal aliens, one major drug trafficker and another who is on probation," Woodward said. "It's a joint success because the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was instrumental and so were the anonymous calls from the community.
Marine gets 10 years for sale of stolen flak jackets
Another Marine implicated in the case has yet to be charged, said Spalding, who alleges that the suspect falsified the number of vests on hand and sent vests to Funiestas, who sold about $88,000 worth of government equipment for $35,000 to $40,000.
Commentary
With remarkably little attention from our media*, and deep in the shadows, the Bush administration is creating what Neal Katyal, "chief counsel to the military defense lawyers in the Guantanamo case pending at the U.S. Supreme Court," calls a "legal Frankenstein." Or maybe it's just a Frankenstein. In his piece in Slate ( Gitmo' Better Blues), he's referring only to the government's Guantanamo case at the Supreme Court, but it's a phrase that could be applied no less aptly to our larger Bermuda Triangle of injustice that, since the Afghan War of 2001, the Bush administration has been setting up around the world.
Pendleton Marine gets 10 years for selling stolen flak jackets on eBay
Marine authorities believe Staff Sgt. Marvin Funiestas, 26, sold between 100 and 110 the ceramic-reinforced vests before he was arrested in November. The vests were intended for U.S. troops and servicemen deployed to the Middle East reportedly have had trouble obtaining them.
Prosecution rests in parachute tampering court-martial
Three Marines nearly died when they used parachutes allegedly damaged at the behest of Cpl. Clayton A. Chaffin, a 28-year-old air delivery specialist from Franklin, Ohio. He's charged with conspiring to cut the lines on at least 13 parachutes used during a Sept. 21, 2002 training exercise. The prosecution also accuses Chaffin of trying to frame another Marine for the crime.
Court-martial starts today in child's death
Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony D. Shepherd was charged Sept. 29 under the Uniform Code of Military Justice in connection with allegations of violently shaking his baby, according to Pacific Daily News files.
Muslim Army chaplain coming home
Capt. James Yee was scheduled to return to Washington state Monday afternoon, but was "having problems getting on the plane," his attorney, Eugene Fidell, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Murder charge shocks Marine's family, friends
Marine Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ruben Wright, 47, who is based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was charged with the murder of retired Marine Master Sgt. James Taulbee, according to news reports in the Daily News of Jacksonville, N.C.
Air Force Academy
Think of the Air Force Academy as DoD's answer to the Mustang Ranch
Boeing's sweet 'n sour deal with the Air Force. An inside job?
From The Daily Yomiuri online
U.S. Armed Forces being sold to the lowest bidder? How bout JAGs next?
Posse Comitatus violations? Martial law coming to your community soon?
Q&A 4/4 - Col. John D. Posner
Over reaction by Kitsap County officials leads to suspensions of radio hosts...station execs caves
Maj. Harry Schmidt update...Friendly Fire in Afghanistan
"Commandcentric," Command Influence...whatever..., it's...
Friendly Fire - Rape in the United States Armed Forces
Friendly Fire - War with Iraq
Japanese Police granted more access to U.S. troops
Washington Times
From the Reference Desk
BREAKING - Maj. Harry Schmidt update...