When a U.S. service member is accused of a crime in Japan, South Korea, Germany or Italy, a status of forces agreement (SOFA) decides whether the host nation or the U.S. military has the primary right to prosecute. Under these agreements, the U.S. military has the primary right for offenses that arise from official duty […]
If you are convicted of domestic violence in the military, you can go to prison, be reduced to E-1, lose your pay and allowances, receive a bad-conduct discharge or dishonorable discharge, and, if the sentence did not include a punitive discharge, still be processed for administrative separation or officer show-cause proceedings afterward. On top of […]
What OSTC Means in Domestic Violence Cases Under Article 128b of the UCMJ By Tim Bilecki | Published 10 March 2026 | Updated 6 November 2026 Counsel tables and the podium in an empty courtroom at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. The photo is illustrative and is not connected to any case. (U.S. Air Force photo […]
If you are under investigation for domestic violence, you do not have time to sit around and “see how this plays out.” The first 24 to 72 hours matter. That is the window where command starts reacting, investigators start collecting statements, protection measures get put in place, and the government starts deciding what kind of […]
By Tim Bilecki | Published 8 March 2026 | Updated 6 November 2026 An empty courtroom at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. The photo is illustrative and is not connected to any case. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Albert Morel.) The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply […]
How to Beat Strangulation Charges Under UCMJ Article 128b By Tim Bilecki | Published 8 March 2026 | Updated 6 November 2026 A building at Fort Drum, New York, lit purple for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The photo is illustrative and is not connected to any case. (Photo by Michael Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public […]
Many service members come into the military young, sexually inexperienced, and with sexual expectations shaped more by porn than by real life. That may sound like a harmless reality of the internet age, but it is not. For some service members, that skewed baseline is leading directly to trouble under the UCMJ. One of the […]
False Allegations of Domestic Violence in the Military: Cheating, Custody, Housing, and Leverage False allegations of domestic violence do not come out of nowhere. They usually show up when something else is already breaking. A marriage is collapsing. Cheating just came to light. Divorce is around the corner. Custody is about to become war. Housing […]
Can My Spouse Drop the Domestic Violence Case? Recantations, Reconciliations, and What Happens Next A lot of service members ask the same panicked question the moment the spouse or partner cools off: “If she takes it back, is the case over?” Usually, no. That is one of the hardest things for people to understand about […]