Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Military Defense

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Military Defense Lawyers

Short answer: Sailors, soldiers and other service members at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, can hire a civilian military defense lawyer in addition to free military defense counsel (Article 38(b), UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 838). If NCIS or Army CID 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). The United States exercises jurisdiction and control over Naval Station Guantanamo Bay under its 1903 lease agreement with Cuba, so offenses on the base are handled by U.S. authorities. Gonzalez & Waddington travels to Guantanamo Bay for interviews, hearings and trials. Call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019.

Service members connected to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay who need civilian military defense counsel can contact Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC. Michael Waddington and Alexandra González-Waddington represent service members worldwide in UCMJ investigations, court-martial defense, and related administrative representation, including adverse personnel matters. For those assigned to or supporting Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, early legal guidance can matter when allegations, command concerns, or mission-sensitive facts begin shaping a case.

Why Naval Station Guantanamo Bay deserves location-specific defense attention

This page is about the installation itself, not Cuba generally. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, often called GTMO, is a U.S. Navy installation on the southeastern coast of Cuba. Official Navy material describes it as roughly 430 miles southeast of Miami and as the United States’ oldest overseas military installation. The naval station covers about 45 square miles under a long-standing lease framework in which the United States retains jurisdiction over the installation while Cuba maintains sovereignty.

Those facts matter in a military defense context because the assignment is not a routine stateside post. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is geographically isolated, and official history material notes that it has been self-sufficient in power and water since 1964. For a service member facing military justice issues, that kind of setting can affect how quickly commands act, how witnesses move on and off the installation, and how records are gathered from more than one organization.

Mission context can shape the facts around an allegation

Official Navy sources describe Naval Station Guantanamo Bay as a key operational and logistics hub and the forward, ready U.S. sea power platform in the Caribbean. Its missions include maritime security, humanitarian assistance, fleet sustainment, migrant operations, and support to joint operations. That broad mission footprint means allegations tied to duty performance, support functions, or off-duty conduct may arise in an environment where command concerns are closely tied to readiness and operational continuity.

That does not mean every matter becomes a court-martial. It does mean that a service member associated with Naval Station Guantanamo Bay may need counsel who understands how military criminal allegations and administrative actions can unfold in a remote, mission-driven installation environment.

Understanding the installation and the separate joint command

One important local detail is that Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and Joint Task Force Guantanamo are not the same organization. Official sources state that Joint Task Force Guantanamo is a separate joint command under U.S. Southern Command. Its published mission includes detainee care and custody, intelligence collection and dissemination, and support to Military Commissions, Periodic Review Boards, and habeas review. Navy history materials, by contrast, describe the naval station as supporting joint operations rather than serving as the command responsible for detention operations.

That distinction is useful for service members because the organization involved in an incident may affect where witnesses, documents, and command channels are located. In some matters, the relevant facts may involve the naval station’s base-support role. In others, they may involve a separate joint mission environment. A careful defense approach starts with correctly identifying the installation, the command relationship, and the mission setting before broader assumptions take over.

Military defense help for service members at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

If you are assigned to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, attached there temporarily, or supporting missions connected to the installation, a civilian military defense lawyer may assist alongside detailed military defense counsel when a case involves criminal allegations, adverse paperwork, or other administrative exposure. Depending on the situation, that may include responding to a UCMJ investigation, preparing for potential court-martial litigation, or addressing career-affecting administrative proceedings.

A useful starting point is not to guess how the command will characterize the matter. At an installation known for strategic Caribbean support, joint activity, and a highly distinctive operating environment, even a limited allegation can carry consequences beyond the immediate accusation. The practical goal is to get informed legal advice early, preserve facts that support the defense, and assess the issue in light of the actual mission setting at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay rather than generic assumptions about overseas service.

If you need civilian military defense representation related to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, contact Gonzalez & Waddington, LLC to discuss your circumstances with Michael Waddington or Alexandra González-Waddington. To request a consultation, call 1-800-921-8607.

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Military Defense Lawyers | UCMJ & Court-Martial Defense

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is one of the most unique U.S. military installations in the world. It is located at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and supports Navy operations, joint missions, regional security, logistics, port operations, detention-related missions, and other sensitive military functions.

Guantanamo Bay is not a normal overseas duty station. It is isolated, mission-sensitive, and heavily command-driven.

Service members at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay may face UCMJ investigations that begin on base, in housing, in operational workspaces, during security duties, during port activity, during deployment, during joint command assignments, or after allegations connected to off-duty conduct.

Cases may involve:

Sailors assigned to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay
Joint Task Force personnel
Security forces and detention-support personnel
Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force personnel
Transient personnel, deployed units, and rotational witnesses
Operational logs, duty rosters, access records, and command records
NCIS, CID, OSI, CGIS, military police, or command investigations
Article 120 allegations, assault allegations, fraud allegations, orders violations, and false official statement allegations
Digital evidence, phone extractions, messages, emails, photos, logs, and witness timelines

Civilian Court-Martial Attorneys for Guantanamo Bay Service Members

Gonzalez & Waddington defends service members stationed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in serious UCMJ matters. The firm handles courts-martial, Article 15/NJP actions, GOMOR rebuttals, letters of reprimand, administrative separation boards, and Boards of Inquiry.

An allegation at Guantanamo Bay can threaten a career quickly. This is especially true for personnel in security, detention-support, medical, logistics, legal, command, intelligence, transportation, port, or clearance-sensitive roles.

Guantanamo Bay cases are different from ordinary stateside cases. They may involve an isolated overseas environment, rotational witnesses, operational records, joint command oversight, limited access to evidence, restricted movement, classified or sensitive mission concerns, and fast command decisions.

If you are accused of a UCMJ offense at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, 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, child exploitation, online misconduct, security violations, and operational misconduct.

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 Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

Service members stationed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay remain subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. That authority follows the service member regardless of location.

A Guantanamo Bay case may involve the military justice system, the command, military investigators, joint command records, operational witnesses, security personnel, medical personnel, and digital evidence.

The mission environment is high stakes. Guantanamo Bay supports naval operations, regional logistics, joint task force missions, security operations, and detention-related functions.

That environment affects how cases are handled. Commands may act quickly when allegations involve violence, sexual misconduct, operational integrity, detainee-related duties, security rules, command climate, or public visibility.

Early defense action can help preserve favorable evidence. It can also protect the service member before statements are made to investigators, command representatives, security personnel, or legal advisors.

Why Guantanamo Bay UCMJ Cases Are Different

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is isolated. It is also mission-sensitive. That changes the way investigations unfold.

Evidence may be controlled by different commands. Witnesses may rotate out. Access may be limited. Command decisions may move fast.

A Guantanamo Bay UCMJ case may involve:

Article 31 rights advisements
NCIS, CID, OSI, CGIS, or command investigations
Operational logs and duty rosters
Security records and access logs
Detention-support records
Medical or mental health records
Command emails and official messages
Phone extractions and app messages
Text messages, photos, videos, and social media
Housing records and barracks witnesses
Rotational witnesses who leave the island
Witnesses from different branches and commands
Restricted movement, logistics, and travel issues

The defense must move fast. Overseas evidence can disappear. Witnesses can rotate. Phone data may be lost. Command assumptions can harden before the defense has access to the full record.

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Mission and Legal Environment

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is a U.S. Navy installation in Cuba. It supports naval operations, logistics, port functions, regional security, joint missions, and other specialized military activities.

The installation is physically separated from most normal stateside resources. That isolation matters in a defense case.

Witnesses may be assigned temporarily. Records may be held by different commands. Investigators may move quickly because the command wants to resolve the matter before personnel rotate.

Guantanamo Bay cases may involve Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, Guardians, civilian employees, contractors, medical personnel, security personnel, and joint task force personnel.

For service members, the consequences can be severe. A UCMJ case may affect liberty, rank, clearance, assignment, deployment status, reenlistment, promotion, retirement, and future civilian employment.

Video: What to Look For When Hiring a Court-Martial Lawyer (7:29) — watch on YouTube

Key Guantanamo Bay Mission Areas and Why They Matter in a Defense Case

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay supports multiple mission areas. The mission area often shapes the evidence in a UCMJ case.

Naval station operations: Cases may involve base security, port operations, transportation, logistics, command records, housing, and garrison support.
Joint Task Force missions: Cases may involve joint-service witnesses, detention-related operations, operational logs, duty rosters, and command oversight.
Security forces: Cases may involve use-of-force allegations, searches, access records, weapons issues, orders violations, and statements from other security personnel.
Medical and support roles: Cases may involve patient care issues, professional conduct, documentation, workplace allegations, or administrative records.
Rotational personnel: Cases may involve witnesses who leave the installation before the defense has interviewed them.
Clearance-sensitive assignments: Cases may involve access issues, sensitive information, security reporting, and long-term clearance consequences.

The mission area matters. A security case is different from an Article 120 case. A detention-support allegation is different from a fraud case. A false statement allegation may turn on the exact wording of an interview, report, email, or official form.

How Local Guantanamo Bay Incidents Become Military Legal Problems

The following examples are hypothetical. They are not claims about any actual case, command, unit, person, employee, contractor, witness, or detainee. They show how location-specific facts can matter when a service member at Guantanamo Bay is accused of misconduct.

Housing or barracks allegation: A dispute in housing, barracks, or shared living areas leads to statements, command action, no-contact orders, or a criminal investigation.
Article 120 allegation: An allegation involving alcohol, social contact, a dating relationship, a room, housing, or digital messages becomes a sexual assault or abusive sexual contact investigation.
Security force allegation: A case involves use of force, searches, guard duties, access procedures, weapons handling, orders, or alleged false statements.
Operational misconduct allegation: A case involves duty logs, detention-related procedures, operational records, or alleged failure to follow a lawful order.
Domestic violence allegation: A family or relationship dispute leads to a report, no-contact order, Family Advocacy involvement, and possible Article 128b action.
Digital evidence case: Investigators rely on texts, WhatsApp, Signal, Instagram, Snapchat, screenshots, deleted messages, location data, or phone extractions.
Drug or urinalysis case: A service member faces a positive urinalysis, prescription issue, alleged distribution, or a search involving personal property.
Fraud or travel case: A case involves travel claims, housing records, TDY, official orders, government cards, receipts, or alleged false statements.

Common UCMJ Charges at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

Service members at Guantanamo Bay may face UCMJ allegations tied to housing, operational duties, security roles, detention-support missions, digital communications, command investigations, or off-duty conduct.

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 operational misconduct
Harassment, stalking, threats, or workplace-related allegations
Use-of-force, security, access, or weapons-related 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, retirement, clearance, future assignments, civilian employment, and reputation.

If You're Investigated at Guantanamo: What to Know First

Your rights in an military investigators 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 military investigators (CID, OSI, NCIS or CGIS). Declining to answer is not an admission. At Guantanamo, as anywhere, the safest first step is to say you want to speak with counsel and then stop talking.

Titling can follow you. military investigators can title you as the subject of an investigation, which indexes your name in the Defense Central Index of Investigations, on a low "credible information" standard. Titling is not a finding of guilt, but the record can surface in later background and security clearance checks even if no charges are ever brought.

Who decides whether you are charged. For covered offenses, including sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, kidnapping, murder, child pornography and, since 2025, sexual harassment, the decision to prefer and refer charges belongs to an independent special trial counsel rather than your commander at Guantanamo. 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 Cuba 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 Guantanamo, 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 Guantanamo Bay

Many Guantanamo Bay military justice cases begin with a complaint, command notification, rights advisement, command-directed inquiry, security report, or request for an interview.

A typical case may involve:

An initial complaint, allegation, or command report
An NCIS, CID, OSI, CGIS, military police, or command investigation
Witness interviews
Collection of official, documentary, and digital evidence
Review of texts, app messages, social media, phone data, duty rosters, logs, or access records
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 Guantanamo Bay UCMJ Cases

Guantanamo Bay cases can move quickly. Many involve operational records, restricted access, rotational witnesses, digital evidence, security concerns, and command pressure.

Evidence can disappear or become difficult to obtain. Logs, access records, video, phone data, emails, photos, housing records, and witness memories may not remain available for long.

Witness movement is also a major issue. Service members may PCS, rotate, deploy, redeploy, or leave the island 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, operational records, false statements, digital evidence, drug allegations, security issues, contradictory witness accounts, or clearance concerns.

Military Law Issues for Service Members at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

Article 120 Sexual Assault & Abusive Sexual Contact

Article 120 cases may involve housing, barracks rooms, social events, alcohol, dating apps, delayed reports, text messages, app messages, social media, phone extractions, and witnesses who may later rotate off island.

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, emergency calls, medical records, photographs, protective orders, Family Advocacy records, text messages, and command no-contact orders.

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

Security, Detention-Support & Operational Misconduct

Guantanamo Bay cases may involve security duties, guard procedures, access rules, operational logs, official reports, use-of-force allegations, detention-support duties, or allegations about judgment and professionalism.

The defense must determine whether the allegation is criminal, administrative, operational, security-related, or based on incomplete information.

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, or property search can lead to adverse paperwork, Article 15, separation processing, or clearance concerns.

For service members in security, detention-support, medical, intelligence, command, or clearance-sensitive roles, administrative consequences may move faster than the criminal process.

Why Service Members at Guantanamo Bay Hire Civilian Court-Martial Lawyers

Military criminal cases in isolated overseas locations 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 NCIS, CID, OSI, 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
Operational evidence review involving duty rosters, logs, access records, security records, and command records
Witness movement strategy when witnesses may PCS, rotate, deploy, redeploy, or leave the island
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 Guantanamo Bay cases, civilian defense counsel may need to review evidence from many sources. These may include NCIS reports, CID reports, OSI reports, CGIS reports, military police records, command emails, operational logs, duty rosters, access records, medical records, phone extractions, text messages, social media, app messages, housing 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, GOMOR rebuttals, fraud cases, violent offenses, digital evidence cases, and other serious UCMJ matters.

Quick Answer: Military Defense Lawyers for Naval Station Guantanamo Bay

U.S. service members stationed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay can face military consequences from allegations tied to operational duties, housing, security roles, detention-support missions, off-duty conduct, digital evidence, 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, GOMOR rebuttals, administrative separations, Boards of Inquiry, and command investigations.

Because Guantanamo Bay is an isolated, overseas, Navy, joint-service, operational, and mission-sensitive environment, defense strategy should account for restricted access, operational logs, rotational witnesses, digital evidence, command pressure, and long-term military career consequences.

Video transcript

Transcript of the video “How to Choose a Court-Martial Lawyer | What Trial Experience Actually Matters?,” with Michael Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington.

Read the full transcript of this video

What trial experience actually matters in a court-martial lawyer? The experience that counts is personally trying contested cases to a verdict. Standing up, cross-examining government witnesses, arguing motions, making objections, and giving the closing. Recent contested trials in military courts matter most. Years in practice, the number of cases handled and plea deals don’t tell you whether a lawyer can win a trial.

And here’s the part people miss. Trial experience matters even if your case never goes to trial. I’m Michael Waddington, civilian military defense lawyer and co-founder of Gonzalez & Waddington. And I’ve tried cases in military and civilian courts around the world for 26 years. I teach trial skills to other defense lawyers and I wrote kick-ass closings and the art of trial warfare.

In this video, I’ll explain which kinds of experience matter, how plea practice differs from trial work, and how to check what a lawyer has really done. First, why trial experience matters even if you plead. Most cases don’t end in a full trial. Many end in a plea agreement, a dismissal, or an administrative resolution. So, why does trial experience matter?

Leverage. Prosecutors, special trial counsel, and convening authorities know which defense lawyers try cases and which ones always plead. When the government believes your lawyer will take the case to verdict and do it well, the offers get better, weak charges get dropped, and some cases go away. A lawyer who never tries cases negotiates from weakness, whether they say so or not. If a plea agreement is the right choice for you, you want it negotiated by someone the government doesn’t want to face at trial.

We have a separate video on how plea agreements work. Second, the kinds of experience and what each one is worth. Lawyers describe their experience in ways that sound alike but aren’t. Contested trials to verdict. The lawyer led the defense through a full trial and the panel or the judge decided.

This is the experience that matters most. Motions litigation. Suppressing statements or searches, unlawful command influence, speedy trial, and illegal pre-trial punishment. Strong motions practice can win a case before trial. Article 32 hearings useful and a chance to lock in witness testimony, but a preliminary hearing isn’t a trial.

Second chair, valuable training, but the person in the second chair didn’t make the decisions. Plea negotiation, a real skill, but a different one. Prosecution experience. A former trial counsel knows how the government builds a case. That helps, but prosecuting and defending take different instincts.

And civilian criminal trials. Many trial skills carry over, but a court-martial has different rules, a different jury, and a different culture. Third, why military trial experience is its own thing. A good civilian trial lawyer can still be lost in a courtroom on base. Here’s what’s different.

The panel. Court-martial members are officers, and if you ask, enlisted members selected by the convening authority. They’re educated, used to following orders, and trained to respect the chain of command. You don’t argue to them the way you argue to a civilian jury. The rules, the military rules of evidence and the rules for courts-martial are close to the federal rules, but not the same.

The differences decide motions. Sentencing for offenses after December 27th, 2023. The military judge decides most sentences under new sentencing parameters. That changes how you present mitigation and when you choose a panel. And rank and culture.

How a witness’s rank, a unit’s reputation, or a commander’s opinion plays with members. That’s learned in the courtroom, not from a book. Fourth, what trial skill actually looks like. When you’re judging a lawyer, these are the skills behind the word experienced. Witness control on cross.

Short leading questions. The witness answers the lawyer’s questions, not the ones they wish they’d been asked. Impeachment. When a witness changes their story, the lawyer commits them to the new version, builds up the earlier statement, and then confronts them with it cleanly so the panel sees it. Objections knowing when to object, when not to, and how to preserve the issue for appeal.

Experts challenging whether an expert should testify at all and cross-examining them if they do. A theory that runs from start to finish. The same story in voadier, opening, cross, and closing. Adapting testimony goes sideways in every trial. Experienced lawyers adjust without losing the thread and the closing pulling the evidence together into reasonable doubt the members can explain to each other in deliberations.

Fifth, recency. Military justice has changed more in the last 10 years than in the 40 years before. The Military Justice Act of 2016, the Office of Special trial counsel, and new sentencing rules have changed how cases are charged, tried, and sentenced. Ask about contested trials in the last few years, not just a career total. Sixth, things that sound impressive, but don’t prove trial skill.

Years licensed. 20 years of paperwork is not 20 years of trials. Never lost a case. That often means the lawyer doesn’t try cases. Every trial lawyer who tries hard cases has lost some.

Television appearances. I’ve done a lot of media work. It doesn’t prove anything about trial skill. Mine or anyone else’s and the number of cases handled. Most of those may be please Article 15s and administrative actions.

Seventh, how to check. Ask directly. How many contested trials to verdict in the last 3 years? What were the charges? Who conducted the cross and the closing?

Ask about a loss. What happened? And what did you learn? A real trial lawyer answers that without flinching. Look at appellet opinions.

Opinions from the court of appeals for the armed forces and from the service courts of criminal appeals often name defense counsel. They’re public. Look at what they teach and write. If other lawyers ask someone to teach trial skills, that’s a signal you can check and watch them. Many lawyers have videos of themselves teaching or explaining cases.

Watch how they think. At Gonzalez & Waddington, Alexandra and I personally try contested courts. Marshall, I’ve defended cases in Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Bahrain, Iraq, England, and across the United States. I’ve taught cross-examination and trial strategy for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers Summit, and Gideon’s Promise. And I teach as an adjunct professor at Florida International University College of Law.

I’m Michael Waddington with Gonzalez & Waddington. So, what trial experience actually matters? Recent contested trials to verdict in military courts where the lawyer you’re hiring did the cross and the closing. That experience wins trials and it gets better results in the cases that never go to trial. I’m Michael Waddington with Gonzalez & Waddington.

We defend service members worldwide. Call us at 1800-921-8607 or visit ucmjdefense.com. When the command knows you’ve got real defense, the game changes.

I was wrongly accused under articles 120, 128b, and 130, and the legal battle was an incredibly draining experience. Throughout the two-and-a-half-year ordeal, Michael and Alexandra displayed unmatched professionalism, deep legal expertise, and genuine care for my case.

— Chad E. ★★★★★ 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.

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Military Defense FAQ

Can a U.S. service member hire a civilian lawyer for a Guantanamo Bay 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 Guantanamo Bay?

Serious UCMJ cases may include Article 120 sexual assault allegations, assault, domestic violence, drug offenses, fraud, false official statements, orders violations, operational misconduct, digital evidence cases, and other felony-level military charges.

Do NCIS, CID, OSI, 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.

Are Guantanamo Bay cases different from stateside military cases?

Yes. Guantanamo Bay cases may involve isolation, restricted access, operational records, rotational witnesses, security issues, sensitive missions, command visibility, and logistical limits on evidence collection.

Can commanders act before a full investigation is complete?

Yes. A command may issue restrictions, no-contact orders, adverse paperwork, Article 15 proceedings, separation action, clearance review, or court-martial processing while the investigation is still developing.

What should I do if investigators want to question me at Guantanamo Bay?

Do not make a statement before speaking with a defense lawyer. Early statements can shape the entire case and may be difficult to fix later.

Military investigators want to interview me at Guantanamo. Do I have to talk to them?

No. Article 31(b) of the UCMJ requires investigators to tell you what you are suspected of and that you have the right to remain silent, and you can ask for a lawyer before answering anything. An interview is evidence collection, and military investigators can title you as a subject on a low "credible information" standard that can follow you into background and clearance checks even if the case is dropped. Politely decline, ask for counsel, and call a military defense lawyer before you say anything.

Why Gonzalez & Waddington for Guantanamo Bay 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, GOMOR and letter 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 Guantanamo Bay, that background matters. Cases at this installation may involve operational records, restricted access, security issues, overseas witnesses, command pressure, digital evidence, Article 120 allegations, and serious UCMJ consequences.

Talk to a Civilian Military Defense Lawyer for Guantanamo Bay UCMJ Cases

If you are stationed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay 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 Guantanamo Bay 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.

Helpful Guantanamo Bay and Military Justice Resources

Naval Station Mayport Court-Martial Lawyers
Naval Station Norfolk Court-Martial Lawyers
MacDill Air Force Base Court-Martial Lawyers
Fort Buchanan Court-Martial Lawyers

Aggressive Criminal Defense Lawyers

This video explains what your rights are and how experienced criminal defense lawyers can make a difference.

Facing a military investigation, UCMJ allegation, or serious criminal charge? Gonzalez & Waddington provides trial-focused defense for high-stakes cases. Call 1-800-921-8607 or text 954-799-4019 for a confidential, no-cost consultation.