Fairchild Air Force Base Military Defense Lawyers
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC, with civilian military defense counsel Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington, serves service members associated with Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington and military clients worldwide. The firm represents personnel facing UCMJ investigations, court-martial defense, and administrative representation, including Article 15 matters, adverse paperwork, separation boards, Boards of Inquiry, and letters of reprimand. This page is for Fairchild AFB personnel and families seeking civilian defense guidance without suggesting a local office or verified installation-specific case history.
Fairchild AFB’s Air Mobility Setting
Fairchild Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Spokane County, Washington, near Spokane. Official planning materials place the base in the local context of Spokane County and the nearby cities of Airway Heights and Medical Lake. For military defense purposes, that geographic scope matters because this page is not about all of Washington or the Pacific Northwest. It is about the installation, its Fairchild community, and service members whose assignments, witnesses, command relationships, or factual timelines may be tied to the base and the Spokane-area setting.
The base’s official Team Fairchild information identifies the 92d Air Refueling Wing as the host wing, with the Washington Air National Guard’s 141st Air Refueling Wing, the 336th Training Group, and other tenant organizations also part of the Fairchild environment. The 92d Air Refueling Wing directly supports Air Mobility Command. The base describes it as the largest KC-135 Stratotanker unit in the Air Force. Those local mission facts give Fairchild AFB a defense context shaped by tanker operations, mobility support, active-duty and Guard integration, and specialized training missions.
Mission Facts That Can Frame a Defense Assessment
The 92d Air Refueling Wing’s mission includes aerial refueling, passenger and cargo airlift, and aeromedical evacuation support for U.S. and coalition operations and strategic deterrence. That does not mean every Fairchild AFB legal issue is an aviation case. It does mean that defense preparation should be grounded in the actual Fairchild mission rather than generic assumptions: air refueling, airlift support, aeromedical evacuation, strategic-deterrence support, KC-135 Stratotanker operations, and the command environment of a major mobility installation.
Fairchild also includes the 336th Training Group, which the supplied research identifies with Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training for personnel at risk of isolation and SERE specialists. That mission, connected to Air Education and Training Command in the supplied research, is different from the tanker mission but equally relevant to the local defense picture. A service member connected to SERE training, air refueling, cargo or passenger airlift, medical evacuation support, or a tenant organization may need counsel who can separate ordinary workplace friction, training-related facts, command concerns, and legally significant evidence.
What Civilian Counsel Can Do at the Opening Stage
At the beginning of a UCMJ investigation or court-martial threat, the immediate question is often not whether a case will end at trial. It is how to protect the service member while facts are still being collected. Civilian military defense counsel can help evaluate allegations, identify documents and digital communications that should be preserved, prepare for interviews or written responses when appropriate, and coordinate with detailed military counsel. The goal is disciplined defense work, not speculation about unsupported Fairchild-specific prosecution trends.
Administrative representation can also matter early. A Fairchild AFB service member may face command paperwork, nonjudicial punishment, separation processing, or a board process even when a criminal charge has not been referred. The available research provided for this opening does not establish installation-specific misconduct rates, common offenses, or investigator office details. Those are gaps, not facts to be filled in. A sound opening assessment should distinguish what is known about Fairchild’s mission and location from what must be investigated in the individual case.
Defense Guidance for Fairchild Air Force Base Personnel
For clients and families, the practical takeaway is straightforward: treat any serious military allegation as a legal problem before it becomes a paperwork problem, a career problem, or a charging decision. Fairchild AFB’s role as an air refueling installation, its KC-135 Stratotanker presence, its location near Spokane-area communities, and its mix of active-duty, Guard, training, and tenant personnel can all affect the questions a defense team asks. But the defense must still be built on evidence, not assumptions about the base.
Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC represents service members worldwide in UCMJ and military administrative matters. Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington can be contacted by Fairchild Air Force Base service members, families, or referring counsel who need civilian military defense guidance for an investigation, court-martial, Article 15 matter, administrative separation, Board of Inquiry, or adverse military action. To request a consultation about a Fairchild AFB military defense matter, call Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC at 1-800-921-8607.
Fairchild Air Force Base Military Defense Lawyers | UCMJ & Court-Martial Defense
Fairchild Air Force Base is a major Air Force installation near Spokane, Washington. It is located close to Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Cheney, Spokane Valley, Davenport, and the broader Inland Northwest region.
Fairchild is not a routine Air Force base. It supports air mobility, air refueling, KC-135 Stratotanker operations, global reach, deployment readiness, aircraft maintenance, security forces, logistics, and command support.
Service members at Fairchild AFB may face UCMJ investigations that begin on base, off base, in housing, during liberty, during TDY, during training, during deployment preparation, or after contact with Washington law enforcement.
Cases may involve:
- 92nd Air Refueling Wing personnel
- KC-135 Stratotanker operations and support personnel
- Aircraft maintenance and logistics units
- Security forces personnel
- Medical, support, and command staff
- Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen
- OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, military police, or command investigations
- Spokane, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, or Washington civilian witnesses
- Local police reports, 911 calls, body-camera footage, and civilian court records
- Hotel, rideshare, restaurant, bar, and off-base housing evidence
- Digital evidence, phone extractions, text messages, app messages, emails, photos, and witness timelines
Civilian Court-Martial Attorneys for Service Members at Fairchild AFB
Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in serious UCMJ matters. The firm handles courts-martial, Article 15 actions, letters of reprimand, administrative separation boards, Boards of Inquiry, and security clearance matters.
An allegation at Fairchild can threaten a career quickly. This is especially true for Airmen assigned to air refueling missions, aircraft maintenance, security forces, logistics, medical roles, command support, or clearance-sensitive positions.
Fairchild cases are different from ordinary low-visibility cases. They may involve air mobility missions, KC-135 operational records, aircraft maintenance documents, security forces reports, local police reports, digital evidence, and civilian witnesses from Spokane, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, or nearby Washington communities.
If you are accused of a UCMJ offense at or near Fairchild 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 Washington.
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 Service Members at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington
Service members stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base remain subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. That authority applies on base, off base, during training, during TDY, and while assigned to any Fairchild command.
A Fairchild case may involve the military justice system, the command, OSI, military police, local Washington law enforcement, civilian witnesses, digital evidence, official records, and operational records.
The mission environment is serious. Fairchild supports the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, KC-135 operations, air mobility, global reach, aircraft maintenance, logistics, security, medical support, and deployment readiness.
That environment affects how cases are handled. Commands may act quickly when allegations involve violence, sexual misconduct, alcohol, drugs, fraud, security concerns, aircraft safety, operational readiness, or command climate.
Early defense action can help preserve favorable evidence. It can also protect the service member before statements are made to investigators, command representatives, or legal advisors.
Why Fairchild AFB UCMJ Cases Are Different
Fairchild Air Force Base is an air refueling and mobility installation. Many cases involve aviation records, maintenance records, local police evidence, Spokane-area civilian witnesses, and digital communications.
That changes the defense strategy.
A Fairchild UCMJ case may involve:
- Article 31 rights advisements
- OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, military police, or command investigations
- Security forces reports
- Spokane, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, or Spokane County police reports
- Washington civilian court records
- 911 calls and body-camera footage
- Command emails and official messages
- Squadron schedules and duty rosters
- Aircraft maintenance and operational records
- Air refueling, mobility, and deployment records
- Access-control records
- Hotel, restaurant, bar, or off-base housing records
- Rideshare, vehicle, and travel records
- Phone extractions and digital timelines
- Text messages, app messages, emails, photos, and social media
- Witnesses who PCS, deploy, separate, or move to another unit
The defense must move fast. Video can be overwritten. Witnesses can leave. Phone data may be lost. Access logs and duty records may become harder to obtain. Command assumptions can harden before the defense has the full record.
Fairchild, Spokane and the Eastern Washington Defense Environment
Fairchild Air Force Base is located west of Spokane. It is closely tied to Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Cheney, Spokane Valley, Davenport, and Spokane County.
The base supports air refueling, aircraft maintenance, deployment preparation, air base security, logistics, medical support, command functions, and global mobility operations.
That mission creates a unique legal environment. A case may involve squadron records, access records, security forces reports, maintenance documents, mobility records, command emails, local police evidence, or witnesses from multiple units.
Service members may live off base, commute through Spokane or nearby towns, visit local restaurants, stay in hotels, use rideshares, attend events, or interact with Washington police.
For service members, the consequences can be severe. A UCMJ case may affect liberty, rank, clearance, assignment, PCS, reenlistment, promotion, retirement, and future civilian employment.
Key Fairchild Mission Areas and Why They Matter in a Defense Case
Fairchild Air Force Base supports several mission areas. The mission area often shapes the evidence in a UCMJ case.
- Air refueling operations: Cases may involve squadron schedules, mission timelines, duty rosters, deployment records, and operational witnesses.
- KC-135 support: Cases may involve aviation records, maintenance logs, mission support documents, safety rules, and access controls.
- Global mobility missions: Cases may involve travel records, aircrew schedules, deployment support documents, and operational tempo.
- Aircraft maintenance: Cases may involve maintenance logs, tool control, inspection records, safety rules, access logs, and accountability issues.
- Security forces: Cases may involve law enforcement reports, gate records, use-of-force concerns, detention issues, and command credibility concerns.
- Medical and support personnel: Cases may involve professional conduct, patient care issues, medical records, credentialing concerns, and workplace allegations.
- Off-base Washington incidents: Cases may involve alcohol, hotels, rideshares, restaurants, local police, domestic allegations, and civilian witnesses.
The mission area matters. A maintenance allegation is different from an Article 120 case. A security forces issue is different from a false official statement case. A local civilian arrest may require a strategy that accounts for both the Washington case and the military consequences.
Spokane, Airway Heights and the Local Military Community
Fairchild Air Force Base is part of a broader military and civilian community in eastern Washington. Nearby areas include Spokane, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, Cheney, Spokane Valley, Davenport, and Spokane County.
Service members may live off base, commute to the installation, attend unit events, visit local restaurants, stay in hotels, use rideshares, 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:
- Spokane police reports
- Spokane County law enforcement records
- Airway Heights police records
- Medical Lake police records
- Washington State Patrol records
- Municipal or county court records
- Military police records
- OSI, CID, NCIS, or CGIS reports
- Hotel records and security footage
- Rideshare or travel records
- Restaurant, bar, or nightclub witnesses
- Medical or emergency care records
- Local CCTV
- Phone location data
- Text messages, app messages, emails, and social media
A defense strategy must account for both systems. A Washington civilian matter may move forward while the command separately considers UCMJ or administrative action.
How Local Fairchild 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 Fairchild Air Force Base is accused of misconduct.
- Off-base alcohol incident: A night out in Spokane, Airway Heights, 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, 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.
- Civilian arrest: A Washington police matter triggers command action even 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, Instagram, Snapchat, screenshots, deleted messages, emails, location data, or phone extractions.
- Security or access allegation: A case involves restricted areas, access records, sensitive information, security rules, or alleged failure to follow procedures.
- Aviation or maintenance allegation: A case involves aircraft records, safety rules, maintenance logs, tool control, inspection issues, or conflicting witness accounts.
- Fraud or travel case: A case involves travel claims, government cards, official orders, lodging records, receipts, or alleged false statements.
Common UCMJ Charges at Fairchild Air Force Base
Service members at Fairchild may face UCMJ allegations tied to air refueling missions, aircraft maintenance, security forces duties, 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, and property-related misconduct
- False official statement allegations
- Orders violations and duty-related misconduct
- Harassment, stalking, threats, or workplace-related allegations
- Aviation, maintenance, logistics, security, safety, access, or accountability allegations
- Computer, phone, and digital evidence investigations
- Security clearance and sensitive-information concerns
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.
If You're Investigated at Fairchild AFB: What to Know First
OSI wants to talk to you. An interview request from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) at Fairchild AFB is evidence collection, not a chance to clear things up. 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 before they question you, and you can ask for a lawyer before answering anything. Exercising those rights cannot be used as evidence against you.
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 Fairchild 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 Washington 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 Fairchild 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 Fairchild AFB
Many Fairchild military justice cases begin with a complaint, command notification, rights advisement, local police report, command-directed inquiry, safety report, security report, 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, operational, 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, mission records, maintenance records, logistics 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 Fairchild UCMJ Cases
Fairchild cases can move quickly. Many involve operational records, digital evidence, local civilian evidence, command pressure, and mission-related timelines.
Evidence can disappear or become difficult to obtain. CCTV, rideshare records, hotel records, phone data, club or restaurant records, access logs, and civilian witness memories may not remain available for long.
Witness movement is also a major issue. Service members may PCS, deploy, separate, change units, or move away from Washington 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, off-base incidents, local police contact, digital evidence, drug allegations, aviation or maintenance misconduct, contradictory witness accounts, security issues, or clearance concerns.
Military Law Issues for Service Members at Fairchild 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 Spokane or nearby areas.
These cases often turn on consent, credibility, intoxication, timing, digital evidence, witness contamination, and command assumptions.
Domestic Violence & Assault
Domestic violence and assault cases may involve military police reports, Washington 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.
Air Refueling, Maintenance & Operational Misconduct
Fairchild cases may involve aircraft records, maintenance logs, mobility records, safety rules, access records, inspection issues, official reports, or allegations about judgment and professionalism.
The defense must determine whether the allegation is criminal, administrative, operational, safety-related, or based on incomplete information.
Security, Access & Mission Issues
Some cases may involve restricted areas, security rules, sensitive information, access logs, security managers, or clearance concerns.
The defense must address both the UCMJ case and the career risks tied to clearance, trustworthiness, and command confidence.
Fraud, Travel, False Statements & 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 evaluate whether the government can prove intent. It must also determine whether records are complete and whether administrative mistakes are being treated as crimes.
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, maintenance, logistics, security forces, medical, command, or clearance-sensitive roles, administrative consequences may move faster than the criminal process.
Why Service Members at Fairchild 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
- Operational-record review involving squadron schedules, access logs, maintenance records, duty rosters, mission records, logistics records, and command records
- Witness movement strategy when witnesses may PCS, deploy, separate, or leave Washington
- 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 Fairchild 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, operational records, maintenance records, logistics records, safety records, access records, phone extractions, text messages, app messages, emails, social media, hotel records, rideshare records, Washington 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, security clearance matters, fraud cases, violent offenses, digital evidence cases, and other serious UCMJ matters.
Quick Answer: Military Defense Lawyers for Fairchild Air Force Base
Service members stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base can face military consequences from allegations tied to air refueling missions, aircraft maintenance, logistics, off-base conduct, Washington police contact, digital evidence, 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, security clearance matters, and command investigations.
Because Fairchild is an Air Force, air refueling, KC-135, air mobility, and Spokane-area military environment, defense strategy should account for operational records, access logs, digital evidence, local civilian evidence, command pressure, security concerns, and long-term military career consequences.
Video transcript
Transcript of the video “Fairchild AFB Article 120 Court-Martial Lawyer | UCMJ,” 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 were a loved one or stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington, and you’re suspected or accused of any crime under the UCMJ, such as in 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 conviction. 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. If anything, they 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 work, such as a letter 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.
When my brother was facing false allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence, our family found ourselves in one of the most frightening and overwhelming situations we have ever experienced.
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.
Fairchild Air Force Base Military Defense FAQ
Can a service member hire a civilian lawyer for a Fairchild 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 Fairchild Air Force Base?
Serious UCMJ cases may include Article 120 sexual assault allegations, assault, domestic violence, drug offenses, fraud, false official statements, orders violations, aviation-related misconduct, 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 Washington 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 Fairchild cases different from ordinary Air Force cases?
They can be. Fairchild cases may involve air refueling operations, aircraft maintenance records, mobility records, security forces reports, command visibility, local civilian evidence, and clearance concerns.
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 Washington case is still pending.
OSI wants to interview me at Fairchild 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 Fairchild 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 Fairchild Air Force Base, that background matters. Cases at this installation may involve operational records, local police records, command pressure, digital messages, security issues, Article 120 allegations, Air Force mission concerns, and serious UCMJ consequences.
Talk to a Civilian Military Defense Lawyer for Fairchild AFB UCMJ Cases
If you are stationed at Fairchild 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 Fairchild operational 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 Fairchild
- Fairchild Air Force Base: U.S. Air Force installation near Spokane, Washington, supporting the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, KC-135 Stratotanker operations, air mobility, and global reach missions.
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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.