Incirlik Air Base UCMJ Defense Lawyers

Incirlik Air Base Military Defense Lawyers

Short answer: Airmen at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, including the 39th Air Base Wing, can hire a civilian military defense lawyer in addition to free military 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). Under Article VII of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement, Turkey and the United States share jurisdiction: the United States generally has the primary right to prosecute offenses solely against U.S. property, security or personnel and acts done in the performance of official duty, and Turkey generally has the primary right for other offenses, though either country can ask the other to waive it. Gonzalez & Waddington travels to Incirlik for interviews, hearings and trials. Call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019.

Service members associated with Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye can contact Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC for civilian military defense counsel worldwide. Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington represent military clients facing UCMJ investigations, court-martial defense needs, and administrative representation, including matters that arise during overseas assignments. The firm serves as independent civilian defense counsel, without claiming a local office or verified local case history, for Airmen and other service members who need strategic guidance before decisions harden.

Military defense context at Incirlik Air Base

Incirlik Air Base is a specific overseas U.S. Air Force installation in Türkiye. Official Air Force materials identify the 39th Air Base Wing as the host wing and describe Incirlik as a strategic hub for U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa. That setting matters for military-defense planning because a service member’s command environment, assignment responsibilities, and operational tempo may influence how quickly an allegation is reviewed and what records or witnesses may become important.

The official 39th Air Base Wing mission is to defend NATO’s southern flank by projecting global power through strategic deterrence, agile combat support, and enduring partnerships. Air Force materials also describe the wing as providing a responsive staging and operational air base capable of projecting integrated, forward-based airpower for U.S. and allied interests. For a service member under investigation, those facts do not prove anything about the allegation, but they help explain why professionalism, access, reliability, and command confidence may become part of the broader military-law conversation.

Gonzalez & Waddington approaches Incirlik Air Base UCMJ defense with that broader context in mind. A court-martial threat, administrative action, reprimand, separation issue, or command investigation can affect more than a single assignment. Civilian counsel can help evaluate the allegations, identify what is known and unknown, protect the service member from avoidable mistakes, and prepare for the possibility that the matter will move from an initial inquiry into formal military justice or administrative proceedings.

Overseas setting and historical identity

Official history places Incirlik Air Base in Türkiye, about 250 miles southeast of Ankara. The installation also has a historical connection to the Adana area: it was officially named Adana Air Base in 1955 and was renamed Incirlik Air Base on February 28, 1958. Those details reinforce that this page concerns a particular installation, not a general countrywide guide, and that defense planning should match the actual location and command setting.

Because the supplied official source set does not verify local investigator practices, local court-martial frequency, or recurring categories of misconduct at Incirlik Air Base, those topics should not be treated as facts. A careful defense starts with the specific allegation, the known evidence, the client’s status, and the command process actually in motion. Assumptions about what “usually happens” at a base can be dangerous when the available research does not support them.

Still, the verified installation facts are useful. Incirlik is an overseas Air Force base, tied to the 39th Air Base Wing, NATO’s southern flank, USAFE-AFAFRICA operations, and U.S.-allied interests. Those facts can shape the practical concerns surrounding a case, including scheduling, communication, document collection, witness availability, and the professional consequences a service member may face while serving outside the continental United States.

When to seek civilian military defense counsel

A service member should consider speaking with civilian military defense counsel as soon as a UCMJ investigation, court-martial concern, or administrative action becomes realistic. Early legal advice can help the service member understand the stakes, avoid unnecessary statements, organize relevant records, and prepare for command decisions. This is especially important when the case may involve overseas assignment pressures, military records, professional reputation, or potential career-ending consequences.

Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington defend service members worldwide in serious military matters. For personnel associated with Incirlik Air Base, their role is to provide independent civilian defense representation focused on the facts, the evidence, and the procedural posture of the case. They do not need to claim a local office to assist service members facing military allegations connected to an overseas installation.

If you are stationed at or otherwise associated with Incirlik Air Base and are facing a UCMJ investigation, court-martial allegation, or administrative military action, contact Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC to discuss your situation before making decisions that could affect your career and future. To request a consultation, call 1-800-921-8607.

Incirlik Air Base Military Defense Lawyers | UCMJ & Court-Martial Defense for U.S. Forces in Turkey

Incirlik Air Base is one of the most strategically important overseas military installations connected to U.S. and NATO operations in Turkey. It is located near Adana in southern Turkey, close to the eastern Mediterranean, NATO regional operations, Middle East contingency missions, and joint U.S.-Turkish military activity.

Incirlik is not a routine stateside Air Force base. It is an overseas operational installation with a host-nation environment, security-sensitive missions, multinational coordination, restricted areas, deployment timelines, force protection concerns, aviation support, logistics, command oversight, and international legal considerations.

Service members at Incirlik AB may face UCMJ investigations that begin on base, off base, in housing, during deployment support, during TDY, during liberty, during operational duties, during security-related work, or after contact with Turkish authorities or U.S. military investigators.

These cases may involve:

Incirlik Air Base personnel
39th Air Base Wing personnel
Airmen assigned to operations, logistics, maintenance, medical, security forces, communications, and mission support roles
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Guardians, Coast Guardsmen, contractors, and joint-service personnel attached to Turkey-based missions
OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, security forces, military police, or command investigations
Turkish police contact, host-nation evidence, local witnesses, interpreters, contractors, and civilian employees
Adana-area hotels, restaurants, taxis, housing, gate logs, local CCTV, and off-base evidence
Article 120 sexual assault allegations, domestic violence, assault, drug allegations, fraud, larceny, false official statements, orders violations, harassment, stalking, threats, and digital evidence cases
Security clearance concerns, classified information issues, access records, deployment records, travel records, weapons-related allegations, and mission-sensitive information

Civilian Court-Martial Attorneys for Service Members at Incirlik Air Base

Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members stationed at Incirlik Air Base in serious UCMJ matters. The firm handles courts-martial, Article 15/NJP actions, letters of reprimand, administrative separation boards, Boards of Inquiry, and high-risk investigations worldwide.

An allegation at Incirlik can threaten a military career quickly. This is especially true for service members assigned to overseas operational missions, security forces, aviation support, logistics, communications, medical roles, force protection, classified systems, or clearance-sensitive positions.

Incirlik cases often involve more than a simple command investigation. A case may include OSI reports, Turkish police contact, host-nation evidence, interpreter issues, gate logs, restricted-area records, travel records, hotel evidence, taxi records, phone data, digital messages, command emails, security concerns, and witnesses who may rotate out of Turkey before the defense has a chance to interview them.

If you are accused of a UCMJ offense at or near Incirlik AB, do not wait for the command’s theory to harden. This includes Article 120 sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, domestic violence, assault, drug misconduct, fraud, larceny, false official statement, orders violations, harassment, stalking, threats, online misconduct, security violations, classified-information concerns, weapons-related allegations, and off-base misconduct in Turkey.

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 U.S. Forces at Incirlik AB

Service members stationed at Incirlik Air Base remain subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Their overseas location does not remove military jurisdiction. Their commander can initiate an investigation, impose restrictions, refer allegations to law enforcement, issue adverse paperwork, prefer charges, or move a case toward court-martial.

An Incirlik UCMJ case may involve the military justice system, the command, OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, security forces, Turkish law enforcement, host-nation witnesses, civilian witnesses, contractors, digital evidence, operational records, and security-related documentation.

The mission environment is serious. Incirlik supports U.S. Air Force operations, NATO coordination, regional security missions, logistics, aviation support, security forces, medical support, communications, and force protection.

That environment affects how cases are handled. Commands may act quickly when allegations involve violence, sexual misconduct, alcohol, drugs, fraud, security concerns, classified information, operational integrity, weapons accountability, host-nation interaction, 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, host-nation authorities, or legal advisors.

Why Incirlik Air Base UCMJ Cases Are Different

Incirlik is an overseas Air Force installation in Turkey with a host-nation environment and significant operational sensitivity. It is not the same as defending a case at a stateside base.

That combination changes how UCMJ cases develop. An Incirlik case may involve U.S. military records, Turkish police contact, host-nation evidence, local civilian witnesses, contractors, interpreters, security personnel, gate records, travel records, command staff, hotel evidence, taxi records, and digital communications.

An Incirlik military justice case may include:

Article 31 rights advisements
OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, security forces, or command investigations
Turkish police records or host-nation reports
Interpreter or translation issues
Security forces reports
Gate logs and access-control records
Base housing records
Travel records and TDY documentation
Operational records and duty rosters
Deployment and rotation records
Command emails and official messages
Restricted-area records
Weapons or security records
Hotel, restaurant, bar, taxi, or off-base housing records
Local CCTV from gates, roads, shops, hotels, restaurants, and public areas
Phone extractions and digital timelines
Text messages, app messages, WhatsApp, Signal, emails, photos, and social media
Witnesses who PCS, redeploy, separate, rotate to another country, or leave Turkey

The defense must move fast. Video can be overwritten. Witnesses can redeploy. Contractor witnesses can leave the country. Turkish civilian witnesses may become difficult to locate. Phone data may be lost. Hotel and taxi records may disappear. Command assumptions can harden before the defense has the full record.

Incirlik, Adana and the Turkey Defense Environment

Incirlik Air Base is located near Adana in southern Turkey. The base sits in a region with a major Turkish civilian population, a host-nation military relationship, NATO-related activity, and regional operational importance.

The base supports air operations, logistics, security forces, communications, mission support, medical support, force protection, and contingency-related activity.

That mission creates a unique defense environment. A case may involve Air Force records, Turkish witnesses, contractors, civilian employees, access logs, command emails, local police evidence, host-nation records, and witnesses from multiple services or countries.

Service members may live on base, in assigned housing, or in approved off-base arrangements. They may travel in the Adana area, interact with Turkish civilians, use taxis, stay in hotels, visit restaurants, or participate in official and off-duty events.

Those local facts matter. Off-base conduct can quickly become a military legal problem. A Turkish police contact or local complaint can lead to an Article 15, reprimand, separation, Board of Inquiry, security clearance review, or court-martial.

Video: Incirlik Air Base Court-Martial Lawyers | Article 120 UCMJ Turkey (3:27) — watch on YouTube

Key Incirlik 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.

Overseas air base operations: Cases may involve operational records, duty rosters, deployment timelines, access logs, mission-support documents, and security concerns.
Security forces and force protection: Cases may involve gate records, patrol reports, restricted-area access, weapons issues, use-of-force concerns, detention issues, and witness credibility.
Logistics and mission support: Cases may involve supply records, travel documents, government property, official emails, vehicle logs, shipping records, and contractor witnesses.
Communications and cyber-related support: Cases may involve government devices, network activity, electronic records, information systems, and allegations involving computer misuse or unauthorized access.
Medical and support roles: Cases may involve medical records, patient-care issues, prescription allegations, privacy concerns, and witness statements from medical personnel.
Host-nation coordination: Cases may involve Turkish civilian witnesses, local police, translation issues, local records, off-base travel, and Status of Forces Agreement considerations.
Off-base Turkey incidents: Cases may involve alcohol, hotels, taxis, restaurants, local police, domestic allegations, and civilian witnesses.

An overseas liberty allegation is different from an Article 120 case. A security issue is different from a false official statement case. A local host-nation police contact requires a strategy that accounts for both the Turkish evidence and the U.S. military consequences.

Adana, Local Travel and Host-Nation Civilian Evidence

Incirlik AB is located in a host-nation environment where military and civilian evidence may overlap. Nearby activity may involve Adana, local hotels, restaurants, taxis, roads, shops, housing areas, local police, and Turkish civilians.

Service members may attend official events, visit restaurants, use taxis, travel for mission needs, stay in lodging, live in assigned housing, or interact with host-nation civilians.

Off-base incidents can quickly become military cases. A local police contact, assault allegation, hotel incident, drug issue, domestic complaint, civilian witness statement, or protective order concern can lead to command action.

Local evidence may include:

Turkish police reports
Host-nation civilian witness statements
Interpreter notes or translated statements
Local CCTV from gates, roads, hotels, restaurants, shops, and public areas
Taxi records or driver statements
Hotel records and security footage
Restaurant, bar, housing, or event witnesses
Medical or emergency care records
Military police records
Security forces records
OSI, CID, NCIS, or CGIS reports
Base access records and gate logs
Phone location data
Text messages, WhatsApp, Signal, app messages, emails, and social media

A defense strategy must account for both systems. A Turkish civilian matter may continue while the command separately considers UCMJ or administrative action. The military does not always wait for local authorities before taking action against the service member.

How Local Incirlik 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 Incirlik AB is accused of misconduct.

Off-base alcohol incident: A night out in Adana or a local area leads to a police report, command notification, or UCMJ investigation.
Article 120 allegation: A dorm room, hotel stay, off-base encounter, social event, dating-app communication, or workplace relationship becomes a sexual assault or abusive sexual contact investigation.
Domestic violence allegation: A family or relationship dispute in housing or off base leads to police contact, a no-contact order, Family Advocacy involvement, and possible Article 128b action.
Host-nation police contact: A local complaint, traffic incident, assault report, or public disturbance becomes a command investigation even if the local matter is unresolved.
Security or access allegation: A service member is accused of violating restricted-area rules, mishandling information, failing to report a concern, or using official systems improperly.
Digital evidence case: Investigators rely on texts, app messages, WhatsApp, Signal, screenshots, deleted messages, emails, location data, cloud records, or phone extractions.
Travel or TDY case: A case involves travel claims, government cards, lodging records, receipts, official orders, or alleged false statements.
False statement allegation: A service member is accused of lying during an inquiry, omitting context, misstating a timeline, or submitting an inaccurate official statement.
Weapons or force protection allegation: A case involves weapons rules, patrol procedures, restricted areas, security posture, or alleged failure to follow force-protection guidance.
Contractor or civilian witness issue: A case depends on a contractor, host-nation employee, interpreter, or civilian witness whose statement may be incomplete, mistranslated, or difficult to test.

Common UCMJ Charges at Incirlik Air Base

Service members at Incirlik may face UCMJ allegations tied to overseas operations, host-nation interaction, off-base conduct, digital communications, travel, command investigations, restricted areas, and security concerns.

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
Host-nation police contact and off-base misconduct
Computer, phone, and digital evidence investigations
Security clearance and sensitive-information concerns
Access violations, restricted-area allegations, and force-protection issues

Once a case enters the court-martial system, the stakes increase. The result can affect liberty, rank, clearance, PCS, future assignments, overseas eligibility, civilian employment, and reputation.

What to Know If OSI Contacts You at Incirlik Air Base

Your rights in an OSI interview. Article 31(b) of the UCMJ gives you the right to know what you are suspected of and to remain silent, and you may ask for a lawyer before any questioning by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). Declining to answer is not an admission. At Incirlik Air Base, as anywhere, the safest first step is to say you want to speak with counsel and then stop talking.

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 Incirlik Air Base. 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 and off-duty allegations overseas. Article 112a of the UCMJ applies to service members in every host nation whatever local law allows, and host-nation authorities may also have jurisdiction under the Status of Forces Agreement. A positive urinalysis can still be challenged on chain of custody, testing and innocent ingestion.

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 Incirlik Air Base, 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 Incirlik AB

Many Incirlik military justice cases begin with a complaint, command notification, rights advisement, host-nation police contact, command-directed inquiry, security report, force-protection concern, or request for an interview.

A typical case may involve:

An initial complaint, allegation, or command report
An OSI, CID, NCIS, CGIS, security forces, military police, or command investigation
Witness interviews
Collection of official, documentary, operational, security, and digital evidence
Review of texts, app messages, emails, social media, phone data, travel records, hotel records, or CCTV
Review of host-nation reports, translated statements, local records, or civilian witness accounts
Review of access records, restricted-area logs, official emails, security records, travel records, or force-protection 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 Incirlik UCMJ Cases

Incirlik cases can move quickly. Many involve operational records, digital evidence, host-nation evidence, command pressure, contractor witnesses, translated statements, official communications, and professional reputation.

Evidence can disappear or become difficult to obtain. CCTV, taxi 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, redeploy, separate, transfer commands, leave Turkey, or rotate to another overseas location before the defense has a chance to interview them.

Early defense action can help preserve favorable evidence. It can also identify gaps, inconsistencies, translation issues, and unsupported assumptions before the command’s view becomes fixed.

This is especially important in cases involving Article 120 allegations, host-nation witnesses, off-base incidents, local police contact, digital evidence, drug allegations, contradictory witness accounts, security issues, force-protection concerns, or clearance matters.

Military Law Issues for Service Members at Incirlik Air Base

Article 120 Sexual Assault & Abusive Sexual Contact

Article 120 cases may involve dorm rooms, hotels, off-base encounters, social events, alcohol, dating apps, delayed reports, text messages, app messages, WhatsApp, Signal, social media, phone extractions, and civilian witnesses from Adana or the local area.

These cases often turn on consent, credibility, intoxication, timing, digital evidence, witness contamination, translation issues, and command assumptions.

Host-Nation Police Contact and Off-Base Incidents

Incirlik cases may involve Turkish police contact, local complaints, public disturbance allegations, traffic incidents, hotel reports, civilian witness statements, and translated documents.

The defense must evaluate the local evidence carefully. A host-nation report may not tell the full story. Translation issues, cultural differences, incomplete statements, and missing context can shape how the command views the case.

Security, Access & Force Protection Allegations

Because Incirlik supports overseas operations and sensitive missions, some cases may involve restricted areas, access records, security managers, force protection rules, weapons accountability, classified information, or clearance concerns.

The defense must address both the UCMJ case and the career risks tied to credibility, trustworthiness, security access, and command confidence.

Domestic Violence & Assault

Domestic violence and assault cases may involve military police reports, host-nation police reports, medical records, photographs, protective orders, Family Advocacy records, text messages, translated statements, and command no-contact orders.

Even if the local civilian matter is reduced, dismissed, or unresolved, the command may still pursue Article 15, adverse paperwork, separation, Board of Inquiry, or clearance-related action.

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, deployment records, 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, off-base police contact, or property search can lead to adverse paperwork, Article 15, separation processing, or clearance concerns.

For service members in an overseas operational environment, administrative consequences may move faster than the criminal process.

Why Service Members at Incirlik AB Hire Civilian Court-Martial Lawyers

Military criminal cases are not routine administrative matters. A serious allegation can threaten confinement, punitive discharge, rank, pay, clearance, overseas eligibility, 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, security forces, 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, WhatsApp, Signal, and witness timelines
Host-nation evidence review involving police reports, translated statements, CCTV, hotel records, taxi records, and civilian witness accounts
Operational-record review involving official emails, access logs, travel records, security reports, force-protection 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, redeploy, separate, transfer, or leave Turkey
Investigation review to identify credibility problems, translation issues, 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 Incirlik cases, civilian defense counsel may need to review evidence from many sources. These may include OSI reports, CID reports, NCIS reports, CGIS reports, security forces records, command emails, travel records, duty rosters, deployment records, access logs, restricted-area records, force-protection records, government computer records, phone extractions, text messages, app messages, emails, social media, Turkish police records, translated statements, local CCTV, hotel records, taxi records, medical 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 Incirlik Air Base

Service members stationed at Incirlik Air Base can face military consequences from allegations tied to overseas operations, host-nation police contact, off-base conduct, digital evidence, security issues, force protection, travel records, restricted areas, and command investigations.

A civilian military defense lawyer can work alongside detailed military defense counsel in courts-martial, Article 120 cases, Article 15/NJP matters, letters of reprimand, administrative separations, Boards of Inquiry, and command investigations.

Because Incirlik is an overseas, Air Force, NATO-connected, Turkey-based, security-sensitive, and operational military environment, defense strategy should account for host-nation evidence, translated statements, operational records, digital evidence, local civilian evidence, command pressure, witness movement, security concerns, and long-term military career consequences.

Video transcript

Transcript of the video “Incirlik Air Base Court-Martial Lawyers | Article 120 UCMJ Turkey,” 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 are loved one or stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, 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 convictions. They 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 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.

— Rezvin K. ★★★★★ Google review · More client reviews

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.

Incirlik Air Base Military Defense FAQ

Can a service member hire a civilian lawyer for an Incirlik Air Base 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/NJP proceedings, administrative separations, Boards of Inquiry, and rebuttals to adverse paperwork.

What types of cases go to court-martial at Incirlik Air Base?

Serious UCMJ cases may include Article 120 sexual assault allegations, assault, domestic violence, drug offenses, fraud, false official statements, orders violations, host-nation police incidents, 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 Turkish police involvement affect my Air Force career?

Yes. A host-nation police report, local complaint, translated statement, or local incident can trigger command action. The command may consider Article 15, adverse paperwork, administrative separation, Board of Inquiry, clearance review, or court-martial.

Are Incirlik cases different from stateside Air Force cases?

Yes. Incirlik cases may involve host-nation evidence, Turkish civilian witnesses, translated statements, local police records, operational records, security concerns, restricted areas, command pressure, and overseas witness movement.

Can commanders act before Turkish authorities finish their review?

Yes. The military does not always wait for host-nation authorities. A command may issue adverse paperwork, impose restrictions, initiate Article 15 proceedings, or begin separation action while the local matter is still pending.

OSI wants to interview me at Incirlik Air Base. 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 Incirlik AB 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 Incirlik Air Base, that background matters. Cases at this installation may involve overseas evidence, host-nation witnesses, command pressure, digital messages, translated statements, security issues, Article 120 allegations, operational records, force-protection concerns, leadership integrity concerns, and serious UCMJ consequences.

Talk to a Civilian Military Defense Lawyer for Incirlik AB UCMJ Cases

If you are stationed at Incirlik Air 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 overseas Turkey 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.

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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.