Holloman Air Force Base Military Defense Counsel for UCMJ Matters
Short answer: Airmen at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, including the 49th Wing, can hire a civilian military defense lawyer in addition to their free Area Defense Counsel (Article 38(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 838). If 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 Alamogordo or elsewhere in Otero County can lead to both a New Mexico prosecution and military action (Gamble v. United States, 587 U.S. 678 (2019)). Gonzalez & Waddington travels to Holloman 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 Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington serve military clients worldwide in matters involving UCMJ investigations, court-martial defense, and administrative representation. If you are assigned to, training at, supporting, or otherwise connected to Holloman, the firm can help you evaluate the allegations, the evidence, and the next decisions before you respond to investigators or command inquiries.
Military defense context at Holloman Air Force Base
Holloman Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in southern New Mexico, about six miles west of Alamogordo. Official materials describe roughly 186,000 acres, three runways, and more than 1,000 on-base homes. The scale matters because a UCMJ matter may unfold in a community where training, housing, aviation support, shift schedules, and off-base life around Alamogordo all intersect. A defense assessment should start with the real location, not a generic Air Force template.
The installation is closely associated with the 49th Wing. The wing’s stated mission includes deploying worldwide for peacetime and wartime contingencies, producing combat-ready Airmen and Guardians, training F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operators, and supporting Air Transportable Clinics and Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources. Official Holloman materials also identify F-16, MQ-9, and T-38 aircraft communities and installation support for more than 21,000 military and civilian personnel.
Why the local mission can shape early legal decisions
For a service member at Holloman AFB, the location’s mission can affect the questions that matter at the start of a defense. An allegation may require review of witness timelines, duty expectations, digital communications, training context, or administrative paperwork. A case involving aviation or remotely piloted aircraft training may raise different practical issues than a case arising from on-base housing, a civilian contact in Alamogordo, or a command concern about professionalism.
This does not mean every allegation at Holloman is unique, or that the firm has verified case experience at the installation. It means the defense should be grounded in what Holloman actually is: a large Air Force installation centered on operational readiness, pilot and sensor-operator training, expeditionary support functions, and a substantial military-civilian population in southern New Mexico. Civilian defense counsel can help a service member slow down, identify what is known, separate assumptions from evidence, and prepare for UCMJ or administrative processes.
49th Wing command environment and current installation facts
Official installation reporting states that on June 4, 2026, the 49th Wing transitioned from Air Education and Training Command to Air Combat Command, with 15th Air Force identified during the reassignment ceremony. That source-supported command detail is useful background, but it should not be stretched into claims about how a particular case will be handled. Individual matters turn on facts, evidence, witnesses, applicable procedure, and command or prosecutorial decisions.
Holloman’s history also reflects a long connection to aviation and research. Official materials state that the installation was established in 1942 as Alamogordo Air Field and renamed in 1948 for Col. George Holloman, identified as an early rocket and pilotless-aircraft research pioneer. That background helps explain why military-defense content for Holloman should speak to this installation specifically, rather than treating it as just another New Mexico legal page.
Civilian military defense representation for Holloman AFB
When a Holloman Air Force Base service member is facing questions from investigators, a potential court-martial, or an adverse administrative action, early representation is often about clarity. What has been alleged? What records exist? What statements have already been made? What witnesses or documents may be important? What career consequences may follow from an administrative process even if no court-martial occurs? Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC can assist service members and families in organizing those issues without claiming an office at Holloman or a guaranteed outcome.
Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington serve as civilian military defense counsel for service members worldwide. For personnel connected to Holloman Air Force Base, that representation may involve UCMJ investigation guidance, court-martial defense, and administrative advocacy tailored to the facts and the member’s military status. If you or a loved one at Holloman AFB needs to discuss a military investigation, court-martial risk, or administrative action, contact Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC for a consultation at 1-800-921-8607.
Holloman Air Force Base Military Defense Lawyers | UCMJ & Court-Martial Defense
Holloman Air Force Base is a major Air Force training, aviation, remotely piloted aircraft, and mission-support installation in southern New Mexico. It is located near Alamogordo, Tularosa, Las Cruces, White Sands Missile Range, Otero County, Lincoln National Forest, and the broader Tularosa Basin.
Holloman is not a routine Air Force base. It supports high-tempo aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, fighter training, test and evaluation support, expeditionary readiness, security forces, medical support, logistics, communications, and mission-support functions tied to national defense.
Service members at Holloman AFB may face UCMJ investigations that begin on base, off base, in housing, during training, during TDY, during flight-line activity, during weapons or aviation support work, or after contact with New Mexico law enforcement.
These cases may involve:
- Holloman Air Force Base personnel
- 49th Wing personnel
- Aircrew, maintenance, and mission-support personnel
- Remotely piloted aircraft training and operations personnel
- Fighter training and aviation support personnel
- Security forces personnel
- Medical, logistics, communications, and administrative personnel
- Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen
- OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, military police, or command investigations
- Alamogordo, Tularosa, Las Cruces, Otero County, or New Mexico civilian witnesses
- Local police reports, 911 calls, body-camera footage, and New Mexico civilian court records
- Hotel, rideshare, restaurant, bar, apartment, housing, and off-base evidence
- Phone extractions, text messages, app messages, emails, photos, and social media evidence
- Flight-line records, training records, access logs, official emails, duty rosters, safety records, and security clearance information
Civilian Court-Martial Attorneys for Service Members at Holloman AFB
Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in serious UCMJ matters. The firm handles courts-martial, Article 15 actions, letters of reprimand, administrative separation boards, and Boards of Inquiry.
An allegation at Holloman can threaten a military career quickly. This is especially true for service members assigned to aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, fighter training, maintenance, security forces, logistics, medical roles, communications, or clearance-sensitive positions.
Holloman cases often involve more than a simple command investigation. A case may include training records, access logs, flight-line records, safety records, official emails, contractor witnesses, civilian employee witnesses, New Mexico police reports, hotel evidence, rideshare data, digital records, security concerns, and civilian witnesses from Alamogordo, Las Cruces, or the surrounding region.
If you are accused of a UCMJ offense at or near Holloman AFB, do not wait for the command’s theory to harden. This includes Article 120 sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, domestic violence, assault, DUI, drug misconduct, fraud, larceny, false official statement, orders violations, harassment, stalking, threats, online misconduct, security violations, and off-base misconduct in New Mexico.
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 Holloman AFB Service Members
Service members stationed at Holloman Air Force Base remain subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. That authority applies on base, off base, during training, during TDY, during flight-line work, during mission-support duties, and while assigned to any Holloman command or tenant organization.
A Holloman UCMJ case may involve the military justice system, the command, OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, military police, New Mexico law enforcement, civilian witnesses, digital evidence, official records, and training-related documentation.
The mission environment is serious. Holloman supports aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, fighter training, test support, expeditionary readiness, logistics, maintenance, security forces, medical support, communications, and mission support.
That environment affects how cases are handled. Commands may act quickly when allegations involve violence, sexual misconduct, alcohol, drugs, fraud, security concerns, classified information, aviation safety, flight-line access, training performance, professional conduct, public visibility, or command climate.
Early defense action matters. It can preserve favorable evidence. It can also protect the service member before statements are made to investigators, command representatives, security managers, or legal advisors.
Why Holloman AFB UCMJ Cases Are Different
Holloman is an Air Force aviation, training, and remotely piloted aircraft installation in a remote New Mexico environment. It is also close to White Sands Missile Range and other defense-related activity in southern New Mexico.
That combination changes how UCMJ cases develop. A Holloman case may involve Air Force records, contractor witnesses, civilian employees, training personnel, flight-line access, maintenance records, command staff, New Mexico police, local civilians, hotel evidence, rideshare records, and digital communications.
A Holloman military justice case may include:
- Article 31 rights advisements
- OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, military police, or command investigations
- Security forces reports
- Alamogordo Police Department reports
- Otero County Sheriff’s Office records
- Las Cruces or New Mexico law enforcement records
- New Mexico civilian court records
- 911 calls and body-camera footage
- Command emails and official messages
- Training records and student files
- Flight-line records and safety documentation
- Maintenance records and duty rosters
- Official communications and access records
- Hotel, restaurant, bar, rideshare, or off-base housing records
- Phone extractions and digital timelines
- Text messages, app messages, emails, photos, and social media
- Witnesses who PCS, separate, deploy, transfer commands, or leave New Mexico
The defense must move fast. Video can be overwritten. Training classmates can move. Witnesses can PCS. Phone data may be lost. Hotel and rideshare records may disappear. Command assumptions can harden before the defense has the full record.
Holloman, Alamogordo and the Southern New Mexico Defense Environment
Holloman Air Force Base is located near Alamogordo, Tularosa, White Sands, Las Cruces, and the Tularosa Basin. The installation sits in a region where military life, desert geography, and small-community dynamics often overlap.
The base supports aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft operations, fighter training, expeditionary readiness, maintenance, logistics, security forces, medical support, communications, and mission support.
That mission creates a unique defense environment. A case may involve Air Force records, contractor witnesses, civilian employees, maintainers, instructors, students, access logs, command emails, local police evidence, or witnesses from the surrounding New Mexico community.
Service members may live on base, in privatized housing, or off base. They may visit Alamogordo, Las Cruces, Ruidoso, Tularosa, Cloudcroft, El Paso, or other regional communities.
Those local facts matter. Off-base conduct can quickly become a military legal problem. A New Mexico police report can lead to an Article 15, reprimand, separation, Board of Inquiry, security clearance review, or court-martial.
Key Holloman Mission Areas and Why They Matter in a Defense Case
The mission area often shapes the evidence. It also affects command pressure, witness access, clearance concerns, and career consequences.
- Aviation training: Cases may involve training records, instructor witnesses, student files, duty rosters, flight-line access, safety records, and official communications.
- Remotely piloted aircraft missions: Cases may involve operations schedules, crew coordination, digital systems, communications records, security concerns, and mission-support documentation.
- Fighter training and aviation support: Cases may involve maintenance records, aircraft support documents, safety rules, training timelines, and flight-line access records.
- Maintenance and logistics: Cases may involve supply records, equipment accountability, safety records, inspection documents, tool control, and contractor witnesses.
- Security forces: Cases may involve gate records, law enforcement reports, use-of-force concerns, detention issues, and witness credibility.
- Training and student environments: Cases may involve alcohol, relationships, dormitory or housing issues, group chats, course timelines, and rapid witness movement after graduation or reassignment.
- Off-base New Mexico incidents: Cases may involve alcohol, hotels, rideshares, restaurants, local police, domestic allegations, and civilian witnesses.
A training-related allegation is different from an Article 120 case. A maintenance allegation is different from a false official statement case. A local civilian arrest requires a strategy that accounts for both the New Mexico case and the military consequences.
Alamogordo, Las Cruces and Local Civilian Evidence
Holloman AFB is part of a military and civilian community in southern New Mexico. Nearby areas include Alamogordo, Tularosa, Las Cruces, Cloudcroft, Ruidoso, Otero County, and surrounding desert communities.
Service members may attend official events, visit restaurants, stay in hotels, use rideshares, live off base, or interact with civilian police.
Off-base incidents can quickly become military cases. A DUI arrest, domestic call, assault allegation, hotel incident, drug issue, civilian complaint, protective order concern, or local police report can lead to command action.
Local evidence may include:
- Alamogordo Police Department reports
- Otero County Sheriff’s Office records
- New Mexico State Police records
- Las Cruces police records
- New Mexico civilian court records
- Military police records
- Security forces records
- OSI, CID, NCIS, or CGIS reports
- Hotel records and security footage
- Rideshare or travel records
- Restaurant, bar, apartment, or event witnesses
- Medical or emergency care records
- Local CCTV
- Base access records
- Phone location data
- Text messages, app messages, emails, and social media
A defense strategy must account for both systems. A New Mexico civilian matter may continue while the command separately considers UCMJ or administrative action.
How Local Holloman AFB 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. They show how local facts can matter when a service member at Holloman AFB is accused of misconduct.
- Off-base alcohol incident: A night out in Alamogordo, Las Cruces, Ruidoso, El Paso, or nearby communities leads to a police report, command notification, or UCMJ investigation.
- Article 120 allegation: A dorm room, hotel stay, off-base apartment, social event, dating-app encounter, training environment, or workplace relationship becomes a sexual assault or abusive sexual contact investigation.
- Domestic violence allegation: A family or relationship dispute in on-base or off-base housing leads to police contact, a no-contact order, Family Advocacy involvement, and possible Article 128b action.
- Training or aviation allegation: A service member is accused of violating safety rules, mishandling equipment, making false entries, ignoring procedures, or failing to follow technical guidance.
- Digital or mission-system allegation: A case involves phones, computers, official systems, communications records, cloud data, or alleged misuse of government technology.
- Civilian arrest: A New Mexico police matter triggers command action before the local case is resolved.
- False statement allegation: A service member is accused of lying during an inquiry, omitting context, misstating a timeline, or submitting an inaccurate official statement.
- Digital evidence case: Investigators rely on texts, app messages, screenshots, deleted messages, emails, location data, cloud records, or phone extractions.
- Security or access allegation: A case involves restricted areas, access records, sensitive information, security rules, or alleged failure to follow procedures.
- Travel or TDY case: A case involves travel claims, government cards, lodging records, receipts, official orders, or alleged false statements.
Common UCMJ Charges at Holloman AFB
Service members at Holloman may face UCMJ allegations tied to aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, maintenance, government systems, off-base conduct, digital communications, travel, command investigations, or local police contact.
- Article 120 sexual assault and abusive sexual contact allegations
- Article 128 assault and Article 128b domestic violence allegations
- Drug offenses, urinalysis cases, and prescription-related allegations
- Larceny, fraud, travel-card issues, supply issues, and property-related misconduct
- False official statement allegations
- Orders violations and duty-related misconduct
- Fraternization and improper relationship allegations
- Harassment, stalking, threats, or workplace-related allegations
- Training record, safety record, or accountability investigations
- Computer, phone, and digital evidence investigations
- Security clearance and sensitive-information concerns
- Access violations and restricted-area allegations
Once a case enters the court-martial system, the stakes increase. The result can affect liberty, rank, clearance, PCS, future assignments, civilian employment, and reputation.
Under Investigation at Holloman AFB? Know These Rules First
Before you answer OSI's questions. Under Article 31(b) of the UCMJ, agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) 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 Holloman AFB end up charged.
Titling can follow you. OSI 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 Holloman AFB. 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. Marijuana may be legal for adults under New Mexico law, but it remains prohibited for service members under Article 112a of the UCMJ, on post and off. 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 Holloman AFB, talk to a military defense lawyer before you make any statement. Call Gonzalez & Waddington at 1-800-921-8607.
How Court-Martial Investigations Often Begin at Holloman AFB
Many Holloman military justice cases begin with a complaint, command notification, rights advisement, local police report, command-directed inquiry, security report, safety report, training concern, or request for an interview.
A typical case may involve:
- An initial complaint, allegation, or command report
- An OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, military police, or command investigation
- Witness interviews
- Collection of official, documentary, training, security, safety, and digital evidence
- Review of texts, app messages, emails, social media, phone data, travel records, hotel records, or CCTV
- Review of local police reports, body-camera footage, 911 calls, or civilian court records
- Review of access records, training files, safety records, official emails, maintenance records, or security files
- Command review and legal evaluation
- Preferral of charges
- An Article 32 preliminary hearing when required
- Referral to a special or general court-martial
Investigators often seek statements early. Those statements can shape the government’s theory. A service member should not assume an interview is harmless because charges have not yet been filed.
Why Early Defense Action Matters in Holloman UCMJ Cases
Holloman cases can move quickly. Many involve training records, digital evidence, local civilian evidence, command pressure, instructor witnesses, official communications, and professional reputation.
Evidence can disappear or become difficult to obtain. CCTV, rideshare records, hotel records, phone data, restaurant records, access records, and civilian witness memories may not remain available for long.
Witness movement is also a major issue. Service members may PCS, separate, deploy, transfer commands, graduate from training, or leave New Mexico before the defense has a chance to interview them.
Early defense action can help preserve favorable evidence. It can also identify gaps, inconsistencies, and unsupported assumptions before the command’s view becomes fixed.
This is especially important in cases involving Article 120 allegations, training-related allegations, maintenance issues, off-base incidents, local police contact, digital evidence, drug allegations, contradictory witness accounts, security issues, or clearance concerns.
Military Law Issues for Service Members at Holloman Air Force Base
Article 120 Sexual Assault & Abusive Sexual Contact
Article 120 cases may involve dorm rooms, hotels, apartments, off-base social events, alcohol, dating apps, delayed reports, text messages, app messages, social media, phone extractions, and civilian witnesses from Alamogordo, Las Cruces, El Paso, or nearby areas.
These cases often turn on consent, credibility, intoxication, timing, digital evidence, witness contamination, and command assumptions.
Training, Aviation & Safety Allegations
Holloman cases may involve aviation training records, safety documentation, instructor comments, student files, operational rules, equipment accountability, official emails, and chain-of-command reporting.
The defense must determine whether the allegation is criminal, administrative, technical, or based on misunderstanding, incomplete records, or poor context.
Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Mission-System Allegations
Some cases may involve official systems, communications records, mission support records, computer use, network activity, access logs, and security-related questions.
The defense must evaluate whether the government can prove intent. It must also determine whether records are complete and whether a technical issue is being treated as misconduct.
Domestic Violence & Assault
Domestic violence and assault cases may involve military police reports, New Mexico police reports, 911 calls, body-camera footage, medical records, photographs, protective orders, Family Advocacy records, text messages, and command no-contact orders.
Even if the civilian case is reduced or dismissed, the command may still pursue Article 15, adverse paperwork, separation, Board of Inquiry, or clearance-related action.
Security, Access & Leadership Integrity Issues
Because Holloman supports aviation, training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, and defense operations, some cases may involve integrity, access, sensitive information, security managers, or clearance concerns.
The defense must address both the UCMJ case and the career risks tied to credibility, trustworthiness, and command confidence.
False Statements, Travel & Records Issues
These cases may involve travel cards, official claims, housing records, TDY, leave forms, official reports, emails, text messages, receipts, duty logs, or command-directed inquiries.
The defense must determine whether statements were knowingly false or whether the government is treating memory gaps, confusion, or incomplete records as intentional misconduct.
Drug & Alcohol Cases
A positive urinalysis, prescription issue, alcohol-related incident, DUI arrest, or property search can lead to adverse paperwork, Article 15, separation processing, or clearance concerns.
For service members in aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, maintenance, security forces, medical, communications, or clearance-sensitive roles, administrative consequences may move faster than the criminal process.
Why Service Members at Holloman AFB Hire Civilian Court-Martial Lawyers
Military criminal cases are not routine administrative matters. A serious allegation can threaten confinement, punitive discharge, rank, pay, clearance, reputation, and long-term career prospects.
A civilian military defense lawyer provides independent trial-focused representation. The goal is to protect the client early and prepare the case as if it may be litigated in court.
- Immediate intervention during OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, military police, or command investigations
- Protection from damaging statements during interviews, rights advisements, and written responses
- Evidence preservation involving texts, emails, call logs, social media, photos, app messages, and witness timelines
- Local evidence review involving police reports, 911 calls, body-camera footage, hotels, CCTV, and civilian court records
- Training-record review involving official emails, access logs, student files, training records, safety records, maintenance records, and command paperwork
- Security-record review involving access records, sensitive information, clearance issues, and restricted-area concerns
- Witness movement strategy when witnesses may PCS, separate, deploy, graduate, or leave New Mexico
- Investigation review to identify credibility problems and missing evidence
- Article 32 preparation designed to expose weaknesses in the government’s proof
- Motions practice challenging unlawful searches, statements, digital extractions, expert testimony, and procedural violations
- Trial preparation for contested special and general courts-martial
Civilian Military Defense Counsel Working With Detailed Military Defense Counsel
A service member facing court-martial generally has the right to detailed military defense counsel. Civilian military defense counsel does not replace detailed military counsel. Civilian counsel can work alongside the detailed military lawyer.
Civilian counsel can bring independent investigation, family communication, digital evidence review, witness preparation, cross-examination strategy, and continuity outside the command structure.
In Holloman cases, civilian defense counsel may need to review evidence from many sources. These may include OSI reports, CID reports, NCIS reports, CGIS reports, military police records, command emails, travel records, duty rosters, training records, aircraft records, safety records, maintenance records, government computer records, access records, phone extractions, text messages, app messages, emails, social media, hotel records, rideshare records, New Mexico police records, civilian court records, protective order records, urinalysis documents, and adverse administrative paperwork.
Gonzalez & Waddington represents service members worldwide in serious military cases. The firm defends clients 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, letters of reprimand, fraud cases, violent offenses, digital evidence cases, and other serious UCMJ matters.
Quick Answer: Military Defense Lawyers for Holloman Air Force Base
Service members stationed at Holloman Air Force Base can face military consequences from allegations tied to aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, maintenance, training environments, off-base conduct, New Mexico police contact, digital evidence, safety issues, security concerns, and command investigations.
A civilian military defense lawyer can work alongside detailed military defense counsel in courts-martial, Article 120 cases, Article 15 matters, letters of reprimand, administrative separations, Boards of Inquiry, and command investigations.
Because Holloman is an Air Force, aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft, southern New Mexico, and mission-support environment, defense strategy should account for training records, safety records, digital evidence, local civilian evidence, command pressure, instructor and student witnesses, security concerns, and long-term military career consequences.
Video transcript
Transcript of the video “Holloman AFB Military Defense Lawyer | Article 120 UCMJ NM,” with Michael Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington.
Read the full transcript of this video
My name is Michael Waddington, and I’m a criminal defense attorney. I have been aggressively defending military service members for over 20 years. If you or a loved one are stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and you’re suspected or accused of any crime under the UCMJ, such as an Article 120 sexual assault or sexual harassment, and your career’s in jeopardy, then reach out and speak with one of our experienced military lawyers today.
If you are accused of any serious offense under the UCMJ, such as a UCMJ Article 120 sexual assault, then you should be concerned. Right now, the military is waging a war on sexual assault. You can expect a zealous and determined prosecution team coming after you and trying to win their case. These elite military prosecution teams are well-funded, well-trained and bound and determined to win convictions. They are on a mission to prove to Congress that the military does not tolerate any form of sexual assault, domestic violence or sexual harassment. Military prosecutors will be relentless in seeking a conviction and serious jail time once they have you in their sights.
To make matters worse, under new laws that went into effect in December of 2023, the new military justice system is victim-centered. What that means to you, if you’re accused, is that if a person makes an allegation against you, they are believed from the start. They won’t probe the credibility of a person making an allegation. They won’t look for any evidence that could disprove the allegation. They’re taking anyone who claims to be a victim, and they’re taking their word for it.
That also means that people who have made false or exaggerated allegations will not be punished, even if their allegation is proven to be false. [Editor’s note: Making a false allegation can still be prosecuted, for example as a false official statement under Article 107, UCMJ, although those prosecutions are uncommon.] If anything, they may be allowed to retire and get military benefits for military sexual trauma, even if the allegation is proven false in court. You could expect to encounter law enforcement trained to “start by believing.” Therefore, you’re presumed to be guilty once the investigation has started, and the law enforcement and prosecutors will act accordingly. Yes, that cuts against your constitutional rights, and that cuts against what our country was founded upon and what we stand for, but that’s what you can expect in the military justice system.
In this new victim-centered approach, the victim, even if the victim is a lying victim, plays a key role in determining what happens to you. What could end up happening is, in a case where there’s no evidence, or if you’re in fact innocent, the victim may still insist that you get some sort of punishment. Even if you’re innocent and there is no evidence, do not be surprised that you end up at a court-martial, an administrative separation board, or receiving some sort of negative paperwork, such as a letter of reprimand.
If you are under investigation for any crime under the UCMJ, then you need to stand up and take responsibility for your defense. Don’t become another statistic. Don’t play the victim. Don’t sit back hoping that someone comes to the rescue or that things are going to work out. It’s time to stand up, fight for your freedom, fight for your career and fight for your reputation.
As a retired military officer, I know how serious the military justice system is and how much is at stake when a service member faces false allegations. When my brother-in-law found himself in that position, our family knew we needed an attorney with extensive experience in military law.
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.
Holloman Air Force Base Military Defense FAQ
Can a service member hire a civilian lawyer for a Holloman AFB court-martial?
Yes. Service members have the right to military defense counsel and may also retain civilian defense counsel. Civilian counsel can assist during investigations, Article 32 hearings, courts-martial, Article 15 proceedings, administrative separations, Boards of Inquiry, and rebuttals to adverse paperwork.
What types of cases go to court-martial at Holloman Air Force Base?
Serious UCMJ cases may include Article 120 sexual assault allegations, assault, domestic violence, drug offenses, fraud, false official statements, orders violations, training record issues, security violations, digital evidence cases, and other felony-level military charges.
Do OSI, CID, NCIS, or CGIS investigations happen before charges are filed?
Yes. Investigations often begin long before charges are preferred. Investigators may request interviews, collect witness statements, search devices, and review digital or official records before the service member fully understands the risk.
Can a New Mexico civilian arrest affect my Air Force career?
Yes. A civilian arrest, police report, protective order, or local criminal case can trigger command action. The command may consider Article 15, adverse paperwork, administrative separation, Board of Inquiry, clearance review, or court-martial.
Are Holloman cases different from ordinary Air Force cases?
They can be. Holloman cases may involve aviation training records, remotely piloted aircraft mission records, instructor witnesses, student files, government computer records, security concerns, local civilian evidence, and clearance issues.
Can commanders act before civilian charges are resolved?
Yes. The military does not always wait for civilian courts. A command may issue adverse paperwork, impose restrictions, initiate Article 15 proceedings, or begin separation action while the New Mexico case is still pending.
OSI wants to interview me at Holloman AFB. 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 OSI 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 Gonzalez & Waddington for Holloman AFB Military Defense Cases
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC is a civilian military defense law firm representing service members worldwide. The firm focuses on military criminal defense, court-martial litigation, UCMJ investigations, administrative separation boards, Boards of Inquiry, letters of reprimand rebuttals, Article 15/NJP matters, sexual assault defense, violent offense defense, fraud cases, digital evidence cases, and other high-stakes military legal matters.
Michael Waddington is a former Army officer and former Army JAG. He has 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 and is admitted to all U.S. military trial courts worldwide.
Alexandra González-Waddington is a founding partner, former public defender, and experienced military defense lawyer. She is admitted to all U.S. military trial courts worldwide and has defended service members in sexual assault, violent crime, war crimes, murder, classified-information, domestic violence, and white-collar cases.
For service members at Holloman Air Force Base, that background matters. Cases at this installation may involve training records, local police records, command pressure, digital messages, security issues, Article 120 allegations, maintenance concerns, mission-system records, leadership integrity concerns, and serious UCMJ consequences.
Talk to a Civilian Military Defense Lawyer for Holloman AFB UCMJ Cases
If you are stationed at Holloman Air Force Base and are under investigation, do not wait. Get legal guidance before making statements or submitting paperwork that may be used against you later.
Gonzalez & Waddington can work alongside detailed military defense counsel. The firm can help review the evidence, preserve favorable information, prepare for command decisions, and build a defense strategy that accounts for both the military case and the Holloman training and aviation environment.
Call Gonzalez & Waddington at 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019 to request a confidential consultation. No attorney can guarantee a result. The goal is to intervene early, protect your rights, and help you make informed decisions before the command or prosecution theory hardens.
U.S. Military Installations and Commands Connected to Holloman AFB
- Holloman Air Force Base: Air Force installation in New Mexico supporting aviation training, remotely piloted aircraft missions, fighter training, maintenance, security forces, and mission support.
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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.