Bagram Airman faces punishment in a summary court martial Published Aug. 15, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- A 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Airman was found guilty during a summary court martial Aug. 8, 2014 here. The Senior Airman was convicted of disrespect, assault toward a superior non-commissioned officer and wrongfully drawing her M-9 pistol for an unofficial purpose. The violations included Articles 91, 92 and 128 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Punishment included 20 days confinement, reprimand, reduction in grade to pay E-2 and 100 dollars of pay forfeiture. After she was sentenced, the Airman was immediately taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs to begin serving confinement. "It is never a good day to see an Airman punished by court-martial," commented Maj. Trenton Hamilton, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Deputy Staff Judge Advocate and lead trial counsel. "But threatening an NCO with a weapon is a serious offense, and it is important that our judicial process can hold Airmen accountable, especially in a combat zone." The summary court martial was the first for the wing since 2002. However, courts-martial while deployed are not uncommon, last November four Airmen were tried by special court martial. Airmen in a deployed environment can be court-martialed depending on the severity of the situation and commander's recommendation. All three levels of courts such as General, Special and Summary can be convened here. A general court-martial is used for severe offenses and requires an Article 32 investigation, military judge and at least five jury members. A special court martial, used for less severe offenses, requires a military judge with at least three jury members. Lastly, a summary court-martial is primarily used for Senior Airmen or below for offenses that do not warrant a special or general court-martial. In a summary court-martial, a commissioned officer is appointed to preside over the trial, determine whether the member is guilty or not and decide an appropriate punishment if the member is found guilty. The maximum punishment will vary if the accused holds a rank higher than Senior Airman. "Even though we are in a deployed environment, a court martial can still occur," said Staff Sgt. April Horn, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing military justice non-commissioned officer-in-charge. "A court martial can be initiated by the immediate wing commander after a review of the evidence." Although misconduct is typically handled at the lowest appropriate level, Airmen who commit serious violations of the UCMJ will be held accountable and punished for their actions. "One of the principles of sentencing is the deterrent effect on other Airmen," said Maj. Cody Fowler, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Staff Judge Advocate. "It is important for Airmen to know there are rules and that they will be enforced." Fowler added that Airmen should know that commanders have the same disciplinary toolbox available here as they do in their home station. "The UCMJ is structured to follow us everywhere we go," said Fowler. "Commanders have the full set of options to hold people accountable for their misconduct." While the Judge Advocate office does not typically handle many court cases, the process is nearly the same back at home station, with the exception of processing time. "Because of the tempo here, the process is much faster," said Horn. "The steps taken to initiate the court martial are the same but it moves faster to ensure swift justice. Here, the individuals being tried may have to be sent home and replaced. The faster the misconduct is taken care of the sooner the unit can move forward with the mission." Whether in a deployed environment or at home station, misconduct can be punished under the UCMJ. For legal questions or concerns Airmen at Bagram can contact the Staff Judge Advocate office at DSN 447-6218.