By JENNIFER H. SVAN | STARS AND STRIPES Published: April 27, 2021 SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany A night of heavy drinking with fellow airmen that ended in a deadly car crash two years ago has landed a Spangdahlem airman in jail for three years and ended his military career. Senior Airman Jade A. Westmoreland was sentenced after pleading guilty to negligent homicide and related charges at a Spangdahlem court-martial Monday before military judge Col. Charles Wiedie. Westmoreland also received a bad-conduct discharge and a reduction to E-1. The senior airman admitted to being drunk behind the wheel on April 20, 2019, when he veered into the opposite lane and collided with a car carrying two local German men.
Cooley to face court-martial in historic first
By London Bishop - lbishop@aimmediamidwest.com
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE A sexual assault charge has been referred to general court-martial in the case of Air Force Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley, former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
General Court-Martial Convening Authority Gen. Arnold. W. Bunch Jr., Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) commander, referred one charge under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice, AFMC said Wednesday. The charge includes three specifications of sexual assault under Article 120.
“After a comprehensive review of all of the evidence from the investigation and the Article 32 preliminary hearing, I’ve informed Maj. Gen. Cooley of my decision to move his case to general court-martial,” Bunch said. “I can assure you this was not a decision made lightly, but I believe it was the right decision.”
A senior officer who presided over an Article 32 hearing weighing sexual assault charges against a former commander of Air Force Research Laboratory has issued his report and recommendation on how the case should proceed.
Former AFRL commander may face court-martial
By London Bishop - lbishop@aimmediamidwest.com
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE The former commander of the Air Force Research Lab faced a military judge Monday morning at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to determine whether or not allegations against him shall proceed to a formal court-martial.
Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley faces a potentially historic legal proceeding, having been charged with three counts of sexual assault under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. If preliminary hearing officer Col. Charles Wiedie who presided over the Article 32 hearing recommends that the case proceed to court-martial, Cooley would be the first Air Force general in history to face such a trial.