Iowa Military Defense Lawyers
Short answer: Service members in Iowa, including soldiers at Camp Dodge and airmen of the 132nd Wing and the 185th Air Refueling Wing, and Guard and Reserve members when they are in a federal status covered by the UCMJ (Article 2, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 802), can hire a civilian military defense lawyer in addition to free military defense counsel (Article 38(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 838). If Army CID or Air Force OSI asks to interview you, you have the right to remain silent and must be told what you are suspected of before questioning (Article 31(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 831). An arrest in Johnston, Des Moines, Sioux City or elsewhere in Iowa can lead to both an Iowa prosecution and military action (Gamble v. United States, 587 U.S. 678 (2019)). Gonzalez & Waddington travels to Iowa for interviews, hearings and trials. Call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019.
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC provides civilian military defense counsel for service members associated with Iowa, including the Iowa National Guard, Camp Dodge, the 132d Wing, and the 185th Air Refueling Wing. Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington serve military clients worldwide in UCMJ investigations, court-martial defense, and administrative representation. The firm can assist service members facing command action, investigative interviews, adverse paperwork, separation concerns, or serious military criminal allegations without claiming a local Iowa office or verified local case history.
Iowa’s statewide military-defense setting
Iowa is best understood as a statewide military-defense location, not as a single installation. The official state public-defense information describes the Iowa National Guard as a combined Army and Air organization with about 9,000 service members. That statewide structure matters for anyone searching for Iowa military defense lawyers because allegations may involve soldiers or airmen connected to Guard headquarters, armories, aviation units, training events, mobilization support, or state and national mission requirements.
Key Iowa military locations include Camp Dodge and Iowa Joint Force Headquarters in Johnston, the 132d Wing in Des Moines, and the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City. These locations give Iowa a Guard-centered defense profile rather than the profile of a large active-duty Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force base. For a service member, that can make early legal advice especially important, because the relevant facts may include duty status, orders, training records, command communications, civilian records, and the timing of the alleged conduct.
Camp Dodge, Des Moines, and Sioux City military communities
Camp Dodge and Iowa Joint Force Headquarters are located in Johnston, giving central Iowa an important role in statewide Guard administration and military coordination. The 132d Wing is listed at Des Moines International Airport, 3100 McKinley Avenue, Des Moines, and its fact sheet describes a mission to train, deploy, execute, and sustain operations supporting the nation, the state, and the community. The 185th Air Refueling Wing is listed at 2920 Headquarters Avenue, Colonel Bud Day Field, Sioux City. Its mission includes mid-air refueling and mobility sustainment for the U.S. Air Force global mission, along with the ability to support Iowa during state emergencies.
Those local details are relevant because military legal problems do not always begin in a courtroom. A matter may start with a command inquiry, a request for a statement, a civilian law-enforcement contact, a training-related allegation, a security concern, or a notice of adverse administrative action. For Iowa service members, the same factual event can have military career consequences even when it also involves local civilian agencies, workplace issues, or family obligations outside the unit.
UCMJ investigations, courts-martial, and administrative representation
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC represents service members in serious military matters worldwide. In an Iowa setting, civilian defense counsel may be asked to help with a UCMJ investigation, court-martial defense, Article 15 or nonjudicial punishment concerns, administrative separation matters, officer adverse-action issues, written rebuttals, or related command proceedings. The goal at the opening stage is not to guess at facts, assume guilt, or overstate local patterns. It is to identify what process is actually underway, what evidence exists, what military status applies, and what decisions could affect the service member’s future.
Because Iowa’s military presence is closely tied to Guard locations and missions, a defense approach should be practical and fact-driven. Counsel may need to understand whether the matter involves Camp Dodge or Joint Force Headquarters, an Air National Guard unit in Des Moines, the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, or a broader Iowa National Guard mission. The available research does not verify local investigative statistics, court-martial frequency, or a single installation-wide legal process for all Iowa matters. Those are gaps, not facts to fill in with assumptions.
If you are a service member connected to Iowa and you have been contacted by command, investigators, or legal personnel about a UCMJ allegation, court-martial issue, or administrative action, consider speaking with civilian military defense counsel before making statements or submitting written responses. To discuss representation with Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC, Michael Waddington, and Alexandra González-Waddington, call 1-800-921-8607.
Key Legal Facts for Iowa Military Cases
- Civilian counsel: You may hire a civilian lawyer at your own expense and keep your free detailed military defense counsel (Article 38(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 838).
- Questioning: Army CID, NCIS, Air Force OSI and CGIS agents must tell you what offense you are suspected of and that you have the right to remain silent before they question you (Article 31(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 831; Mil. R. Evid. 305).
- Drugs: Whatever local law allows, use or possession of marijuana, THC products or other controlled substances by a service member is a crime under Article 112a, UCMJ (10 U.S.C. § 912a), on or off base.
- DUI: An impaired-driving arrest in Iowa is prosecuted under state law (Iowa Code § 321J.2) and can also lead to Article 15 punishment (10 U.S.C. § 815), an Army GOMOR (AR 600-37), a Navy or Marine Corps punitive letter, or an Air Force letter of reprimand (DAFI 36-2907).
- Two prosecutions: A state case does not by itself bar a court-martial for the same conduct (Gamble v. United States, 587 U.S. 678 (2019)).
- National Guard and Reserve: Guard members are subject to the UCMJ when in federal service, and reservists while on active duty or inactive-duty training (Article 2, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 802).
- Sexual assault cases: For Article 120 offenses (10 U.S.C. § 920) committed after December 27, 2023, the Office of Special Trial Counsel, not the local commander, decides whether to refer charges (Article 24a, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 824a).
- Preliminary hearing: Before charges can be referred to a general court-martial, you are entitled to an Article 32 preliminary hearing (10 U.S.C. § 832).
Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC are civilian military defense lawyers who represent service members stationed in Iowa in investigations, courts-martial and administrative actions. Michael Waddington is a former Army JAG prosecutor and Senior Defense Counsel; each partner has practiced military and criminal defense for more than 20 years. Call 1-800-921-8607 for a free, confidential consultation.
Iowa | Military Legal Guide
Iowa does not have a large active-duty Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force base, but it has an important Guard and Reserve military footprint. Service members in Iowa may serve through Camp Dodge, Joint Force Headquarters, Iowa Army National Guard units, the 132d Wing in Des Moines, the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Reserve units, ROTC programs, and regional training or mobilization pipelines.
Iowa military cases may involve:
- Camp Dodge and Joint Force Headquarters in Johnston
- Iowa Army National Guard units, Recruit Sustainment Program units, civil support, troop command, and regional support units
- 132d Wing operations near Des Moines International Airport
- 185th Air Refueling Wing and KC-135 operations in Sioux City
- Reserve, Guard, drill-weekend, annual training, mobilization, and deployment-related issues
- DUI stops, domestic calls, hotel allegations, dating-app encounters, civilian arrests, digital evidence, and Iowa court matters
- CID, OSI, NCIS, CGIS, command-directed, and security-clearance investigations
Civilian Court-Martial Attorneys for Service Members in Iowa
Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members stationed, drilling, mobilizing, or training in Iowa in serious UCMJ matters. We handle courts-martial, Article 15/NJP actions, GOMOR and letter of reprimand rebuttals, administrative separation boards, and Boards of Inquiry.
Iowa military cases often require careful jurisdiction analysis. The defense must determine whether the service member was on Title 10 orders, Title 32 status, state active duty, annual training, drill status, mobilization orders, TDY, or attached to a federal command when the allegation occurred. That status can affect jurisdiction, command authority, available defenses, and the path of the case.
If you are accused of Article 120 sexual assault or any other UCMJ offense in Iowa, do not wait for the command’s theory to harden. This includes abusive sexual contact, domestic violence, assault, DUI, drug misconduct, fraud, larceny, false official statement, orders violations, harassment, stalking, threats, weapons misconduct, training misconduct, aviation misconduct, cyber misconduct, and digital-evidence cases.
Call Gonzalez & Waddington at 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019 to request a confidential consultation with civilian military defense lawyers who defend service members worldwide.
Civilian Military Defense for Iowa Service Members
Iowa’s military environment is Guard and Reserve heavy. The Iowa National Guard identifies major subordinate commands including the 67th Troop Command, 734th Regional Support Group, and 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. It also lists Camp Dodge and Joint Force Headquarters in Des Moines, the 132d Wing, and the 185th Air Refueling Wing. See Iowa National Guard Units.
Camp Dodge in Johnston supports Joint Force Headquarters, lodging, post operations, the Mission Training Complex, the Sustainment Training Center, family services, legal, Inspector General, equal opportunity, SAPR, recruiting, education incentives, and other support functions. See Camp Dodge.
The 132d Wing states that it is based near Des Moines International Airport and is one of two Iowa Air National Guard wings. Its mission is to train, deploy, execute, and sustain operations supporting the nation, state, and community. See 132d Wing Fact Sheet.
The Air National Guard describes the 185th Air Refueling Wing at Sioux City Air National Guard Base as providing core aerial refueling capability for the Air Force and Air Guard, with KC-135 operations supporting Global Reach and Global Power.
That structure matters. Iowa cases may not look like cases from a large active-duty base. They may involve drill weekends, annual training, federal activation, state missions, mobilization paperwork, Guard command channels, Reserve status, civilian employers, local police, and overlapping state and federal military authority.
Camp Dodge and Joint Force Headquarters Military Defense Lawyers
Camp Dodge in Johnston is the center of much of Iowa’s military administration and Guard activity. Cases connected to Camp Dodge may involve Iowa Army National Guard soldiers, Joint Force Headquarters staff, recruiting and retention personnel, legal personnel, civil support units, training center personnel, sustainment training, and command staff.
Camp Dodge cases may involve:
- Drill weekends, annual training, mobilization orders, and Title 10 or Title 32 status
- Joint Force Headquarters records, training records, counseling packets, and command emails
- Des Moines, Johnston, Polk County, Ankeny, West Des Moines, Ames, and central Iowa civilian evidence
- Article 120, domestic violence, assault, DUI, drug, false statement, fraud, harassment, and digital evidence allegations
- Administrative separation, officer elimination, adverse evaluations, reprimands, and clearance concerns
A Camp Dodge defense strategy must answer a basic question early: what military status was the accused in when the alleged conduct occurred? That answer can shape jurisdiction, command action, evidence collection, and defense options.
Iowa Army National Guard Military Defense Lawyers
Iowa Army National Guard cases may arise from armories, training centers, mobilizations, annual training events, emergency-response missions, recruiting activity, or regional support commands. Because Guard members often live as civilians between duty periods, the defense must examine the connection between the alleged conduct and military jurisdiction.
Iowa Army National Guard cases may involve:
- Recruit Sustainment Program units in Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Waterloo, Iowa City, and Davenport
- 67th Troop Command, 734th Regional Support Group, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, and support units
- Annual training, mobilization, disaster response, civil support, convoy movement, weapons training, and range records
- Domestic violence, DUI, assault, drug, sexual misconduct, fraud, false statement, and government property allegations
- Local police reports, county court records, texts, social media, body-camera footage, and civilian witnesses
These cases may also involve civilian employment, state licensing, promotion boards, retention decisions, AGR/ADOS status, technician employment, and security clearance consequences.
132d Wing Des Moines Military Defense Lawyers
The 132d Wing is based near Des Moines International Airport. Cases may involve Air National Guard personnel, cyber or intelligence-related work, security forces, civil engineering, logistics, mission support, communications, and aviation-adjacent support records.
132d Wing cases may involve:
- Air National Guard duty status, drill weekends, annual training, activation orders, and federal mission assignments
- Des Moines, Polk County, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Altoona, and airport-area civilian evidence
- Security forces records, communications, digital evidence, command emails, and access issues
- Article 120, domestic violence, DUI, drug, assault, fraud, false statement, harassment, and orders violation allegations
- Cyber, government systems, and professional reputation concerns
Because many Air National Guard members also have civilian careers, a military allegation can affect far more than rank. It can affect employment, professional licensing, federal technician status, clearance eligibility, and future mobilization opportunities.
185th Air Refueling Wing Sioux City Military Defense Lawyers
The 185th Air Refueling Wing operates from Sioux City Air National Guard Base at Colonel Bud Day Field. It supports aerial refueling and mobility missions. Cases may involve aircraft maintenance, aircrew, security forces, medical personnel, logistics, command post personnel, fuel systems, and flight-line access.
185th ARW cases may involve:
- KC-135 operations, air refueling missions, aircraft maintenance records, and flight-line evidence
- Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff, Woodbury County, Dakota County, South Sioux City, and tri-state regional evidence
- OSI, command-directed, security forces, aviation, access, and maintenance-related investigations
- Article 120, DUI, domestic violence, assault, drug, fraud, false statement, aircraft-related, and digital evidence cases
- Clearance concerns, aviation reliability, federal technician status, and deployment eligibility
A Sioux City Air Guard case may require review of aircraft records, duty rosters, maintenance logs, flight-line access, command messages, phone extractions, and local civilian police records.
Iowa Civilian Courts and Military Consequences
An Iowa civilian case does not have to end before military consequences begin. A service member may face civilian charges and military action at the same time.
Military consequences may include:
- Article 15 or NJP
- GOMOR, letter of reprimand, or adverse paperwork
- No-contact orders and duty restrictions
- Administrative separation boards
- Boards of Inquiry
- Loss of AGR, ADOS, technician, or mobilization opportunities
- Preferral and referral of charges to court-martial when federal jurisdiction applies
The key point is practical. A civilian dismissal does not automatically stop the command. A reduced charge does not automatically prevent adverse paperwork. A weak civilian case can still become a career-threatening military matter.
How Local Iowa Incidents Become Military Legal Problems
The following examples are hypothetical. They are not claims about any actual case, command, business, service member, civilian, contractor, or witness.
- Camp Dodge drill-weekend allegation: A Guard member is accused during drill weekend. The case may involve duty status, barracks or lodging records, texts, witness timelines, command emails, and local police reports.
- Des Moines hotel allegation: A hotel stay, dating-app encounter, training event, or off-duty gathering leads to an Article 120 allegation involving phone data, hotel records, rideshare records, digital messages, and competing accounts.
- Sioux City aviation issue: An Airman from the 185th ARW is accused of misconduct involving flight-line access, maintenance records, alcohol, drugs, false statements, or security-sensitive duties.
- Recruiting or RSP allegation: A complaint involves a recruiter, trainee, student, applicant, or junior service member and may involve texts, social media, travel records, authority issues, and witness credibility.
- Off-base domestic call: A family argument in Des Moines, Johnston, Sioux City, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Council Bluffs, or Waterloo leads to a 911 call, police report, protective order issue, no-contact order, and command action.
- Reserve or Guard status dispute: A service member is accused during a period where jurisdiction depends on orders, duty status, timing, and command authority.
- Digital evidence case: Investigators rely on texts, deleted messages, screenshots, Snapchat, Instagram, location data, metadata, or a partial phone extraction. Early defense work can preserve context and expose missing evidence.
Military Law Issues for Service Members in Iowa
Article 120 Sexual Assault & Abusive Sexual Contact
Article 120 cases may involve hotels, armories, barracks, off-base apartments, training events, parties, alcohol, dating apps, delayed reports, texts, social media, phone extractions, rideshare records, and civilian witnesses. These cases often turn on consent, credibility, intoxication, timing, motive, digital evidence, duty status, and command assumptions.
Domestic Violence & Assault
These cases may involve Iowa police reports, 911 calls, body-camera footage, photographs, medical records, protective order filings, text messages, no-contact orders, and firearms restrictions. A civilian dismissal does not automatically stop military action.
Drug, Alcohol & Urinalysis Cases
A positive urinalysis, prescription issue, DUI, suspected drug allegation, alcohol-related incident, or off-duty arrest may lead to adverse paperwork, separation, loss of orders, or clearance consequences.
Fraud, Larceny, False Statements & Property Offenses
These allegations may involve travel claims, drill attendance, lodging records, government cards, equipment, weapons, vehicles, official forms, supply records, or command-directed inquiries. The defense must evaluate intent, documentation, access, witness reliability, and duty status.
Clearance, Cyber, Aviation & Federal Technician Cases
Iowa Guard and Reserve assignments may involve classified or controlled information, cyber evidence, government systems, access logs, aircraft records, foreign contact concerns, federal technician employment, and clearance reporting.
If You're Investigated at Iowa: What to Know First
Before you answer military investigators's questions. Under Article 31(b) of the UCMJ, agents of military investigators (CID, OSI, NCIS or CGIS) must advise you of the suspected offense and of your right to remain silent before questioning you as a suspect. You can decline the interview and ask for counsel, and your silence cannot be used as evidence of guilt. Statements made to "explain your side" are one of the most common reasons service members at Iowa end up charged.
Titling can follow you. military investigators can title you as the subject of an investigation, which indexes your name in the Defense Central Index of Investigations, on a low "credible information" standard. Titling is not a finding of guilt, but the record can surface in later background and security clearance checks even if no charges are ever brought.
Who decides whether you are charged. For covered offenses, including sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, kidnapping, murder, child pornography and, since 2025, sexual harassment, the decision to prefer and refer charges belongs to an independent special trial counsel rather than your commander at Iowa. For other offenses the command still decides. Which track a case is on shapes the defense from the first day.
Family and relationship allegations. Domestic violence is charged under Article 128b, and strangulation or suffocation can be charged as aggravated assault whether or not there is a mark. The hidden cost is the Lautenberg Amendment: a qualifying conviction bars possession of firearms and ammunition, which few military careers survive.
Drug allegations. Article 112a of the UCMJ applies to service members at Iowa on post and off, separately from Iowa law. A positive urinalysis is serious but contestable: the chain of custody, the testing process and innocent ingestion can all be challenged, and the government must prove the use was knowing and wrongful.
BAH and allowance cases. An overpayment is a debt, not a crime. To convict under Article 121 (larceny) or Article 124 (frauds against the United States), the government must prove intent, and that is where many BAH cases fall apart once the paperwork history is reconstructed.
If you are under investigation at Iowa, talk to a military defense lawyer before you make any statement. Call Gonzalez & Waddington at 1-800-921-8607.
Working Alongside Detailed Military Defense Counsel
A service member facing court-martial generally has the right to detailed military defense counsel. Civilian counsel does not replace that lawyer. Civilian counsel works alongside them.
In Iowa cases, civilian counsel may need to review CID reports, OSI reports, NCIS reports, CGIS reports, command emails, Security Forces records, local police reports, county court filings, body-camera footage, 911 calls, phone extractions, drill records, orders, pay records, lodging records, training records, aviation records, access logs, maintenance records, hotel records, rideshare data, medical records, social media, protective order filings, urinalysis documents, weapons records, clearance paperwork, and adverse administrative files.
Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members worldwide in courts-martial, Article 120 cases, Article 128 and 128b cases, CID, NCIS, OSI, and CGIS investigations, Article 15/NJP actions, Boards of Inquiry, administrative separations, GOMOR and letter of reprimand rebuttals, fraud cases, violent offenses, digital evidence cases, and serious UCMJ matters.
Quick Answer: Iowa Military Defense Lawyers
Service members in Iowa can face military consequences from Guard or Reserve allegations, Camp Dodge matters, 132d Wing cases, 185th Air Refueling Wing cases, drill-weekend incidents, annual training issues, mobilization orders, civilian arrests, digital evidence, domestic calls, DUI stops, Article 120 allegations, and command investigations.
A civilian military defense lawyer can work alongside detailed military counsel in courts-martial, Article 120 cases, Article 15/NJP matters, GOMORs, letters of reprimand, administrative separation boards, Boards of Inquiry, clearance matters, and command investigations.
Because Iowa is primarily a Guard and Reserve military environment, defense strategy should account for duty status, Title 10 orders, Title 32 status, state active duty, drill records, local civilian courts, command pressure, digital evidence, clearance risk, technician employment, and long-term military career consequences.
Video transcript
Transcript of the video “What to Look For When Hiring a Court-Martial Lawyer,” with Michael Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington.
Read the full transcript of this video
What trial experience actually matters in a court-martial lawyer? The experience that counts is personally trying contested cases to a verdict. Standing up, cross-examining government witnesses, arguing motions, making objections, and giving the closing. Recent contested trials in military courts matter most. Years in practice, the number of cases handled and plea deals don’t tell you whether a lawyer can win a trial.
And here’s the part people miss. Trial experience matters even if your case never goes to trial. I’m Michael Waddington, civilian military defense lawyer and co-founder of Gonzalez & Waddington. And I’ve tried cases in military and civilian courts around the world for 26 years. I teach trial skills to other defense lawyers and I wrote kick-ass closings and the art of trial warfare.
In this video, I’ll explain which kinds of experience matter, how plea practice differs from trial work, and how to check what a lawyer has really done. First, why trial experience matters even if you plead. Most cases don’t end in a full trial. Many end in a plea agreement, a dismissal, or an administrative resolution. So, why does trial experience matter?
Leverage. Prosecutors, special trial counsel, and convening authorities know which defense lawyers try cases and which ones always plead. When the government believes your lawyer will take the case to verdict and do it well, the offers get better, weak charges get dropped, and some cases go away. A lawyer who never tries cases negotiates from weakness, whether they say so or not. If a plea agreement is the right choice for you, you want it negotiated by someone the government doesn’t want to face at trial.
We have a separate video on how plea agreements work. Second, the kinds of experience and what each one is worth. Lawyers describe their experience in ways that sound alike but aren’t. Contested trials to verdict. The lawyer led the defense through a full trial and the panel or the judge decided.
This is the experience that matters most. Motions litigation. Suppressing statements or searches, unlawful command influence, speedy trial, and illegal pre-trial punishment. Strong motions practice can win a case before trial. Article 32 hearings useful and a chance to lock in witness testimony, but a preliminary hearing isn’t a trial.
Second chair, valuable training, but the person in the second chair didn’t make the decisions. Plea negotiation, a real skill, but a different one. Prosecution experience. A former trial counsel knows how the government builds a case. That helps, but prosecuting and defending take different instincts.
And civilian criminal trials. Many trial skills carry over, but a court-martial has different rules, a different jury, and a different culture. Third, why military trial experience is its own thing. A good civilian trial lawyer can still be lost in a courtroom on base. Here’s what’s different.
The panel. Court-martial members are officers, and if you ask, enlisted members selected by the convening authority. They’re educated, used to following orders, and trained to respect the chain of command. You don’t argue to them the way you argue to a civilian jury. The rules, the military rules of evidence and the rules for courts-martial are close to the federal rules, but not the same.
The differences decide motions. Sentencing for offenses after December 27th, 2023. The military judge decides most sentences under new sentencing parameters. That changes how you present mitigation and when you choose a panel. And rank and culture.
How a witness’s rank, a unit’s reputation, or a commander’s opinion plays with members. That’s learned in the courtroom, not from a book. Fourth, what trial skill actually looks like. When you’re judging a lawyer, these are the skills behind the word experienced. Witness control on cross.
Short leading questions. The witness answers the lawyer’s questions, not the ones they wish they’d been asked. Impeachment. When a witness changes their story, the lawyer commits them to the new version, builds up the earlier statement, and then confronts them with it cleanly so the panel sees it. Objections knowing when to object, when not to, and how to preserve the issue for appeal.
Experts challenging whether an expert should testify at all and cross-examining them if they do. A theory that runs from start to finish. The same story in voadier, opening, cross, and closing. Adapting testimony goes sideways in every trial. Experienced lawyers adjust without losing the thread and the closing pulling the evidence together into reasonable doubt the members can explain to each other in deliberations.
Fifth, recency. Military justice has changed more in the last 10 years than in the 40 years before. The Military Justice Act of 2016, the Office of Special trial counsel, and new sentencing rules have changed how cases are charged, tried, and sentenced. Ask about contested trials in the last few years, not just a career total. Sixth, things that sound impressive, but don’t prove trial skill.
Years licensed. 20 years of paperwork is not 20 years of trials. Never lost a case. That often means the lawyer doesn’t try cases. Every trial lawyer who tries hard cases has lost some.
Television appearances. I’ve done a lot of media work. It doesn’t prove anything about trial skill. Mine or anyone else’s and the number of cases handled. Most of those may be please Article 15s and administrative actions.
Seventh, how to check. Ask directly. How many contested trials to verdict in the last 3 years? What were the charges? Who conducted the cross and the closing?
Ask about a loss. What happened? And what did you learn? A real trial lawyer answers that without flinching. Look at appellet opinions.
Opinions from the court of appeals for the armed forces and from the service courts of criminal appeals often name defense counsel. They’re public. Look at what they teach and write. If other lawyers ask someone to teach trial skills, that’s a signal you can check and watch them. Many lawyers have videos of themselves teaching or explaining cases.
Watch how they think. At Gonzalez & Waddington, Alexandra and I personally try contested courts. Marshall, I’ve defended cases in Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Bahrain, Iraq, England, and across the United States. I’ve taught cross-examination and trial strategy for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers Summit, and Gideon’s Promise. And I teach as an adjunct professor at Florida International University College of Law.
I’m Michael Waddington with Gonzalez & Waddington. So, what trial experience actually matters? Recent contested trials to verdict in military courts where the lawyer you’re hiring did the cross and the closing. That experience wins trials and it gets better results in the cases that never go to trial. I’m Michael Waddington with Gonzalez & Waddington.
We defend service members worldwide. Call us at 1800-921-8607 or visit ucmjdefense.com. When the command knows you’ve got real defense, the game changes.
I was wrongly accused under articles 120, 128b, and 130, and the legal battle was an incredibly draining experience. Throughout the two-and-a-half-year ordeal, Michael and Alexandra displayed unmatched professionalism, deep legal expertise, and genuine care for my case.
Prior results and client testimonials do not guarantee a similar outcome, and you may not obtain the same or similar results. Every case is different. No client was paid for a review.
Iowa Military Defense FAQ
Can service members in Iowa hire a civilian military defense lawyer?
Does Iowa have large active-duty military bases?
Can a civilian arrest in Iowa affect a military career?
Why does duty status matter in Iowa military cases?
Can Iowa Guard or Reserve commands act before civilian charges are resolved?
When should I contact a civilian military defense lawyer?
Military investigators want to interview me at Iowa. Do I have to talk to them?
No. Article 31(b) of the UCMJ requires investigators to tell you what you are suspected of and that you have the right to remain silent, and you can ask for a lawyer before answering anything. An interview is evidence collection, and military investigators can title you as a subject on a low "credible information" standard that can follow you into background and clearance checks even if the case is dropped. Politely decline, ask for counsel, and call a military defense lawyer before you say anything.
Why Choose Gonzalez & Waddington for Iowa Military Defense
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC is a civilian military defense firm representing service members worldwide. The firm is led by Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington, a husband-and-wife defense team focused on military criminal defense, court-martial litigation, UCMJ investigations, separation boards, Boards of Inquiry, GOMOR and letter of reprimand rebuttals, Article 15/NJP matters, sexual assault defense, violent offense defense, cyber and digital-evidence cases, and serious felony-level military matters.
Michael Waddington
Michael Waddington is a former Army officer and former Army JAG. He served as an Army Trial Defense Counsel, Senior Defense Counsel, Army prosecutor, Special Assistant United States Attorney, and Chief of Military Justice. He has more than 25 years of military defense experience. He is licensed in Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and South Carolina. He is admitted to all U.S. military trial courts worldwide.
Alexandra González-Waddington
Alexandra González-Waddington is a founding partner, former public defender, and experienced military defense lawyer licensed in Florida and Georgia. She is admitted to all U.S. military trial courts worldwide. She has defended service members in sexual assault, violent crime, war crimes, murder, classified-information, domestic violence, and white-collar cases. She co-tries the firm’s cases with Michael Waddington and is bilingual in English and Spanish.
For Iowa service members facing allegations involving Guard or Reserve status, Camp Dodge, 132d Wing, 185th Air Refueling Wing, OSI or CID investigations, Article 120 allegations, local Iowa civilian evidence, digital records, clearance issues, technician employment, or serious UCMJ charges, that trial-focused background matters.
Talk to a Civilian Military Defense Lawyer Serving Iowa
If you are stationed, drilling, mobilizing, or training in Iowa and are under investigation or facing command action, get legal guidance before making statements or submitting paperwork that may be used against you later.
This includes situations where you are:
- Facing CID, NCIS, OSI, CGIS, Security Forces, or command questioning
- Accused of Article 120 sexual assault or abusive sexual contact
- Dealing with a DUI, domestic allegation, civilian arrest, hotel incident, drill-weekend incident, or protective order
- Accused of training misconduct, aviation misconduct, recruiting misconduct, fraud, false statements, drug misconduct, or security violations
- Receiving Article 15/NJP, a GOMOR, or a letter of reprimand
- Preparing for an administrative separation board or Board of Inquiry
- Worried about duty status, access, federal technician employment, mobilization, promotion, retirement, or future assignments
Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members in serious military cases worldwide. The firm can work alongside detailed military counsel, review the evidence, preserve favorable information, prepare for command decisions, and build a strategy that accounts for the military case, the Iowa Guard or Reserve environment, local civilian courts, duty status, digital evidence, clearance risk, and long-term career consequences.
Call Gonzalez & Waddington at 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019 to request a confidential consultation. No attorney can guarantee a result.
Helpful Iowa Military Resources
- Iowa National Guard Units
- Camp Dodge
- 132d Wing Fact Sheet
- 132d Wing
- 185th Air Refueling Wing
- Sioux City Air National Guard Base
Iowa Military Locations and Commands Covered
- Camp Dodge Military Defense Lawyers
- Joint Force Headquarters Iowa Military Defense Lawyers
- Iowa Army National Guard Military Defense Lawyers
- 132d Wing Des Moines Military Defense Lawyers
- 185th Air Refueling Wing Sioux City Military Defense Lawyers
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This video explains what your rights are and how experienced criminal defense lawyers can make a difference.
Facing a military investigation, UCMJ allegation, or serious criminal charge? Gonzalez & Waddington provides trial-focused defense for high-stakes cases. Call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019 for a confidential, no-cost consultation.