Fort Richardson Military Defense Lawyers | UCMJ Court-Martial Defense

Civilian Military Defense for Service Members at Fort Richardson & JBER, Alaska

Fort Richardson is not a typical Army post. In 2010, Fort Richardson and Elmendorf Air Force Base merged under BRAC to form Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson — a joint installation supporting both Army and Air Force missions in the Arctic.

The Army’s 11th Airborne Division, reactivated in 2022, is headquartered at JBER. The division is focused on Arctic warfare, extreme cold weather, and mountainous high-altitude operations. Its mission makes JBER fundamentally different from a temperate-climate garrison. See Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

On the Air Force side, the 3rd Wing operates F-22 Raptors, C-17 Globemasters, and E-3 Sentry aircraft, while the 673rd Air Base Wing manages the joint installation. The Eleventh Air Force and Alaskan Command are also headquartered here.

That joint, Arctic-focused mission shapes the legal environment. JBER personnel serve in:

• Airborne infantry, reconnaissance, and Arctic warfare units
• Combat aviation and air assault formations
• Fighter, airlift, and command-and-control aviation squadrons
• Security forces, intelligence, and cyber billets
• Medical, sustainment, and headquarters staff
• Joint and interagency commands (ALCOM, JTF-AK)

Allegations may arise in barracks, motor pools, airfields, Arctic training areas, ranges, off-post housing, downtown Anchorage bars, Eagle River restaurants, hotels, dating-app encounters, or during field exercises, deployments, and TDY travel.

When an allegation starts, the consequences can move quickly. A service member may face CID or OSI questioning, a command investigation, a no-contact order, restriction, a flag, suspension from duties, an Article 15, a GOMOR or letter of reprimand, administrative separation processing, a Board of Inquiry or administrative discharge board, a clearance review, or a court-martial — often before the evidence has been fully tested.

The 11th Airborne Division, Arctic Warfare & Alaska’s Isolation Factor

The 11th Airborne Division was reactivated at JBER in June 2022, uniting about 12,000 Soldiers in Alaska under one flag. The division’s 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) is stationed at JBER, while the 1st Brigade is at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks.

Alaska’s environment creates legal pressures that do not exist at stateside bases:

• Winter darkness: Anchorage gets as little as five hours of daylight in December. Extended darkness is correlated with higher rates of alcohol use, depression, relationship strain, and domestic conflict. These factors drive DUI, domestic violence, and alcohol-related misconduct cases.
• Geographic isolation: Alaska is far from family, friends, and familiar support systems. Soldiers may struggle with adjustment, especially on a first assignment. Isolation can amplify relationship problems, financial stress, and substance use — all of which become UCMJ problems.
• Arctic field training: The 11th Airborne conducts extreme cold weather training, airborne operations in sub-zero conditions, and exercises in remote Alaska terrain. Field training injuries, equipment issues, safety incidents, hazing allegations, and sleep-deprivation-related events may all become command investigations.
• Summer extremes: In contrast, Alaska’s summer brings nearly 20 hours of daylight. Extended light means extended nightlife, longer bar hours, and social activity that can produce DUI, Article 120, and alcohol-related cases during the summer months.

Deployment cycles also matter. JBER units deploy to the Pacific, Europe, and other theaters. Pre-deployment stress, post-deployment reintegration, block leave incidents, and rear-detachment conduct create the same deployment-cycle case patterns seen at other combat-arms installations — compounded by Alaska’s isolation.

3rd Wing, 673rd Air Base Wing & Air Force Cases at JBER

JBER is also a major Air Force installation. The 3rd Wing operates fighter, airlift, and command-and-control aircraft. The 673rd Air Base Wing manages the joint installation and its more than 5,500 military and civilian personnel.

Air Force cases at JBER may involve OSI investigations, Security Forces records, aircraft maintenance concerns, flight-line discipline, clearance issues, letters of reprimand, Article 15 actions, administrative discharge boards, Boards of Inquiry, or courts-martial.

For Airmen, the Air Force-specific administrative track applies: OSI instead of CID, Article 15 instead of NJP (same statute, different culture), letter of reprimand, UIF, control roster, referral EPR/OPR, and administrative discharge board or Board of Inquiry for officers. However, because JBER is a joint base, Army and Air Force personnel often socialize in the same Anchorage environments, and cases may involve witnesses or evidence from both sides of the installation.

Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, Palmer & the Alaska Setting

JBER sits on the edge of Anchorage — Alaska’s largest city, with about 290,000 people. Unlike many bases surrounded by small military towns, JBER personnel live and socialize in a real urban environment. Service members may live or spend off-duty time in:

• Downtown Anchorage: 4th Avenue, 6th Avenue, and the brewery and bar cluster around Humpy’s, Williwaw, 49th State Brewing, and Glacier Brewhouse. The JBER commander placed the Gaslight Lounge on West 4th Avenue off-limits in late 2025 after multiple fatalities associated with the bar.
• Spenard: Spenard Road is Anchorage’s other major nightlife corridor, with bars, restaurants, and late-night venues including the legendary Chilkoot Charlie’s (now Koot’s).
• Eagle River and Chugiak: Many military families live in Eagle River, a community between JBER and the Glenn Highway corridor. Domestic calls and DUI stops in Eagle River go through APD or Alaska State Troopers.
• Wasilla and Palmer (Mat-Su Valley): Some service members live in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, about 40 minutes north on the Glenn Highway. Incidents there involve Palmer or Wasilla police, Mat-Su Borough courts, and Alaska State Troopers.
• Seward Highway and Kenai Peninsula: Weekend fishing trips, cabin stays, and recreational travel to Seward, Kenai, Homer, or Girdwood can produce DUI, alcohol, or Article 120 evidence far from the base.

Key local evidence sources include:

• Anchorage Police Department (APD) reports
• Alaska State Trooper reports
• Hotel records from downtown Anchorage or Midtown
• Bar and restaurant surveillance from 4th Avenue, Spenard, or Eagle River
• Rideshare data, phone location history, and social media
• Body-camera footage, 911 calls, and hospital records

Early defense work is critical. Video may be overwritten. Civilian witnesses may leave Alaska entirely. And command assumptions in a high-OPTEMPO Arctic unit can harden fast.

Alaska’s Court System & the Marijuana-UCMJ Conflict

Alaska’s court system is unified and state-funded — it does not use county courts like most states. Criminal cases go through Alaska Superior Court (felonies) or Alaska District Court (misdemeanors), both in the Third Judicial District for the Anchorage area. The Anchorage Superior Court is located at the Nesbett Courthouse, 825 West 4th Avenue. See the Anchorage Court Directory.

Federal cases go through the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, located at the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown Anchorage. See U.S. District Court, District of Alaska.

The marijuana conflict: Recreational marijuana is legal in Alaska for adults 21 and over. But marijuana remains prohibited under the UCMJ regardless of state law. A service member who uses marijuana — even off-post, even legally under Alaska law — may face a positive urinalysis, Article 15, GOMOR, administrative separation, or court-martial. This conflict catches service members off guard, especially those new to Alaska or unfamiliar with the UCMJ’s supremacy over state drug laws.

A DUI, assault allegation, domestic violence report, protective order, drug allegation, or civilian arrest can move through the Alaska court system while the command separately evaluates military action.

How Local JBER Incidents Become Military Legal Problems

The following examples are hypothetical. They are not claims about any actual case, command, or person. They illustrate how local facts can matter when a service member stationed at Fort Richardson or JBER is accused of misconduct.

• Downtown Anchorage DUI: A service member leaves a bar on 4th Avenue, Spenard Road, or the brewery district, is stopped by Anchorage Police, and faces both an Alaska DUI case and command action — Article 15, GOMOR, letter of reprimand, driving restrictions, clearance review, or separation processing.
• Hotel or dating-app Article 120 allegation: A hotel encounter, dating-app meeting, or social event in downtown Anchorage, Midtown, or Eagle River leads to an Article 120 sexual assault or abusive sexual contact allegation involving text messages, hotel records, rideshare data, phone location evidence, and competing accounts.
• Off-post domestic call: A family argument at an apartment or home in Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, or Palmer leads to a 911 call, police report, protective order, no-contact order, firearm restriction, Family Advocacy involvement, and possible Article 128b domestic violence or administrative action.
• Marijuana or urinalysis case: A service member uses marijuana — legal in Alaska but prohibited under the UCMJ — and faces a positive urinalysis, investigation, Article 15, GOMOR, or separation. Alternatively, a case involves prescription issues, suspected distribution, or phone messages suggesting drug use.
• Arctic training or weapons issue: A field training event, airborne operation, cold weather exercise, range incident, negligent discharge allegation, lost sensitive item, safety violation, or equipment issue at a JBER training area or remote site becomes a command investigation or UCMJ case.
• Hazing, maltreatment, or assault allegation: A paratrooper or junior Soldier reports a training event, barracks incident, unit punishment, physical contact, or leadership decision as hazing, maltreatment, assault, or abuse of authority.
• Winter-related alcohol incident: An alcohol-related barracks event, off-post fight, or domestic call during the dark winter months involves stress, seasonal depression, isolation, and relationship strain that complicate the facts and the defense.
• Digital evidence case: The government relies on Snapchat, Instagram, texts, deleted messages, partial screenshots, photos, videos, metadata, location data, or a limited phone extraction. Early defense work can preserve context and expose incomplete evidence.

How Civilian & Military Consequences Overlap Near JBER

A service member at JBER does not need a civilian conviction before military consequences begin. A single incident may trigger many parallel actions:

• An Anchorage Police or Alaska State Trooper report, or Security Forces/military police involvement
• A CID or OSI investigation or command-directed inquiry
• A no-contact order, flag, restriction, or suspension from duties
• A GOMOR, letter of reprimand, or Article 15/NJP
• An administrative separation board, administrative discharge board, or Board of Inquiry
• A security clearance review or court-martial referral

Off-post cases may run through Alaska Superior Court or Alaska District Court in Anchorage (Third Judicial District). Cases in Wasilla or Palmer may go through Palmer courts (also Third Judicial District). See the Anchorage Court Directory.

The key point is practical: Alaska civilian consequences and military consequences are separate.

• An Alaska dismissal does not automatically stop a GOMOR or letter of reprimand.
• A reduced state charge does not automatically prevent an Article 15.
• A protective order can still affect command decisions.
• Legal marijuana use under Alaska law can still end a military career under the UCMJ.

Military Law Issues for Service Members at Fort Richardson & JBER

JBER service members may face many kinds of military legal action. These include court-martial charges, Article 32 preliminary hearings, Article 15/NJP actions, GOMORs, letters of reprimand, administrative separation boards, administrative discharge boards, Boards of Inquiry, command-directed investigations, clearance reviews, relief-for-cause actions, referred evaluations, referral EPRs/OPRs, and other adverse administrative paperwork.

An issue can begin in many ways — with CID, OSI, Security Forces, military police, Anchorage Police, Alaska State Troopers, a commander’s inquiry, a SAPR report, a barracks complaint, a field training report, a spouse allegation, a civilian protective order, a positive urinalysis, or an allegation from another member, civilian, family member, hotel witness, or dating partner.

Article 120 Sexual Assault & Abusive Sexual Contact

These allegations may involve barracks rooms, off-post apartments, Anchorage hotels, downtown bars, parties, or unit social events. The evidence may include alcohol, dating apps, delayed reports, text messages, social media, phone extractions, rideshare records, hotel security records, or civilian witnesses from across the Anchorage area. Cases often turn on consent, credibility, intoxication, timing, witness contamination, digital evidence, and command assumptions.

Domestic Violence & Assault

These cases may involve Anchorage Police, Eagle River police, Alaska State Troopers, Wasilla or Palmer police reports, 911 calls, body-camera footage, photographs, medical records, protective order filings, Family Advocacy records, text messages, no-contact orders, and firearms restrictions. Even if the civilian case is reduced or dismissed, the command may still pursue a GOMOR, letter of reprimand, Article 15, administrative separation, Board of Inquiry, or clearance action.

Drug & Alcohol Cases

A positive urinalysis, prescription issue, marijuana use (legal in Alaska, prohibited under UCMJ), suspected distribution allegation, DUI, drunk-and-disorderly incident, or alcohol-related barracks or bar event may lead to investigation, adverse paperwork, or separation. For members in airborne units, aviation, intelligence, security forces, medical, or clearance-sensitive roles, administrative consequences can move faster than the criminal process.

Hazing, Maltreatment, Fraternization, Fraud & Property Offenses

These allegations may involve government property, travel cards, BAH questions, travel claims, field equipment, weapons, sensitive items, supply records, medical records, government computers, digital messages, or command-directed inquiries. The defense must evaluate whether the government can prove intent, whether records are complete, whether witnesses are reliable, and whether administrative mistakes are being framed as crimes.

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 — it works alongside them.

Civilian counsel can add value in several ways:

• Bring an independent defense strategy
• Communicate with the family (especially critical given Alaska’s distance from the Lower 48)
• Conduct early investigation across Anchorage, Eagle River, and the Mat-Su Valley
• Review digital evidence and challenge weak assumptions
• Preserve bar, hotel, or downtown Anchorage evidence before it disappears
• Explain both the legal and the career risks

At JBER, civilian counsel may need to review evidence from many sources. These can include CID and OSI reports, Security Forces and military police records, Anchorage Police reports, Alaska State Trooper reports, Alaska court filings, body-camera footage, 911 calls, phone extractions, barracks witness statements, Arctic field training records, deployment timelines, command emails, counseling entries, evaluations, medical records, hotel records, bar surveillance, rideshare data, social media, protective orders, urinalysis documents, weapons records, and clearance paperwork.

Gonzalez & Waddington is a civilian military defense firm focused on military criminal defense and UCMJ litigation. We represent members of every branch — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Space Force, Reserve, and National Guard. The firm defends courts-martial, Article 120/120b/120c cases, Article 128 and 128b assault and domestic violence cases, CSAM and online sting cases, investigations, Article 15/NJP actions, Boards of Inquiry, administrative separations, GOMOR and letter of reprimand rebuttals, clearance matters, and serious felony-level military cases.

Why Choose Gonzalez & Waddington for JBER 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. Their focus is 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, and cyber and digital-evidence cases.

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, and 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.

The firm’s attorneys have defended service members across the United States and overseas, including in Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Guam, the Middle East, Iraq, and Afghanistan. They have written and taught extensively on trial advocacy, cross-examination, sexual assault defense, digital evidence, DNA evidence, expert witnesses, and military justice. For JBER Soldiers and Airmen facing allegations involving Arctic training, airborne operations, downtown Anchorage evidence, the Alaska marijuana conflict, digital records, CID or OSI investigations, command pressure, or serious UCMJ charges, that trial-focused background matters.