While Congress has recently overhauled parts of the military justice system, some members of Congress believe further changes need to be made. Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar is calling for pretrial confinement to be issued based on legal advice and not by the ranking Commander. Current Pretrial Confinement Protocol Pretrial confinement, as defined by the MCM, … Read more
Recent events surrounding Army Reserve Major Jamie Schwandt in North Carolina bring up the First Amendment issue regarding political and religious proselytizing within the military. Army Reserve Major Schwandt on YouTube In July of this year, Army Reserve Major Schwandt posted a video on YouTube discussing abortion and transgender issues. In his video, Schwandt identified … Read more
As a military service member, it’s important to understand how the military handles alcohol use. This way, you can make lawful, responsible choices regarding your alcohol consumption. Here’s what you need to know to remain in good standing as a service member and what to do if you face disciplinary action for excessive alcohol use. … Read more
Pentagon officials have recently reported that complaints filed against military brass – or commissioned officers – and senior civilian officials for sexual misconduct are on a noticeable rise. Between the years of 2015 and 2017, the reports spiked a total of 13%, or up to a total of 803. It has been noted that the increase in … Read more
When a person is charged with a crime, the judge may order pretrial confinement. The military version of pretrial confinement shares some similarities to civilian rules, but there are some notable differences. By understanding how pretrial confinement works for military members, you’ll know what to expect if this has been imposed on you. How Pretrial … Read more
Following FDA approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021, President Joe Biden asked the Department of Defense (DoD) to explore adding it to the list of required vaccinations for service members. It wasn’t long before the military began mandating the COVID vaccine. In fact, the Navy set a deadline for all sailors to … Read more
The Air Force has announced new re-enrollment protocols for airmen who have failed out of their professional military education. According to a memo posted by the Air University’s Education Support Center, airmen looking to re-enroll a second (or subsequent) time must receive written approval of a supervisor or commander to do so. As Air Force Times reports, … Read more
The Army Court of Criminal Appeals has suspended the much-anticipated litigation against embattled U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. The ruling comes after prosecutors went to the court to review the decision of Col. Jeffery Nance, the Army judge that ordered them to turn over hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the defense. Last month, … Read more
In the latest episode of the Serial podcast, titled “Trade Secrets,” journalist Sarah Koenig and her team delve into the details of Bowe Bergdahl’s rescue from the Taliban. What most people know as the controversial Gitmo prisoner swap of 2014 actually started off much loftier in scale—and aimed to end the war in Afghanistan. MILITARY … Read more
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s defense counsel has released documents to the press this week in an effort to quell the negative publicity surrounding his upcoming court-martial. The documents, which include debriefing interviews with Bergdahl with Army officials following his 2014 rescue, detail his rationale behind leaving his Afghanistan post in 2009. As Army Times reports, Bergdahl believed that … Read more