There may come a time in Airmen’s careers when they face
discipline for suspected offenses ranging from minor to serious.
However, they need not deal with these situations by
themselves: They have advocates they can turn to wherever they are stationed.
Area defense counsels, certified judge advocates assigned to
Air Force installations, provide active-duty enlisted Airmen and officers with
the counseling and legal representation they need in adverse circumstances.
At Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Airmen can turn to Capt.
Steven Vallarelli, who serves as area defense counsel, and Staff Sgt. Cierra
Gutierrez, defense paralegal. Their office is in the basement of Pitsenbarger
Hall.
“We’re like the public defenders for JBSA-
Randolph,” Vallarelli said. “Our services are offered to any Airman facing any
form of military justice, from letters of counseling on up to courts-martial.”
Vallarelli, who has been assigned as ADC at JBSA-Randolph for
two years, said his office sees the whole spectrum of the “progression of
discipline” – letters of counseling, admonishment and reprimand, Article 15
actions, administrative discharges and courts-martial.
Gutierrez, who has served as paralegal at the JBSA-Randolph
ADC office for three years, said the mildest form of discipline is verbal
counseling, followed by a letter of counseling.
“We see clients for letters of counseling,” she said. “A
letter of counseling is usually written for something minor, like coming to
work late a few times.”
Vallarelli said the JBSA-Randolph ADC office sees a lot of
Airmen who have received letters of reprimand and face Article 15, or
nonjudicial actions, and administrative discharges.
“Courts-martial are less common at JBSA-
Randolph than they are at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Lackland because those
locations have more active-duty members, especially young
Airmen,” he said.
The JBSA-Randolph ADC office’s clientele is a mixture of
officers and enlisted members,
Gutierrez said.
“The JBSA-Lackland and JBSA-Fort Sam Houston offices see a
lot more enlisted members,” she said. “We don’t have that because there are
fewer young Airmen here.”
Vallarelli said the JBSA-Randolph office handles cases from
all JBSA locations as well as Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, many on referral
from ADC offices at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Lackland.
“We’re a close community,” he said.
Counseling plays an important role at the ADC office,
Vallarelli said.
“Most of what we see are people unsure of what’s happening
to them,” he said. “They’re looking for someone to help them. The majority of
what we do is talking to them and helping them the best we can.”
Airmen who commit an offense – or are suspected of an
offense – are apprised of their rights by their leadership, Vallarelli said.
“Airmen are told they are entitled to representation,” he
said. “Commanders and first sergeants are good about letting them know.”
Airmen can also be assured that the ADC’s representation of
them is independent, Vallarelli said. The ADC’s chain of command reaches to the
Air Force Legal Operations Agency at Joint Base Andrews, Md.
“We fight for these Airmen,” he said. “Our job is not to
help the commander, but to help the individual Airman. No commander has
influence on us.”
The JBSA-Randolph ADC office handles a range of major
offenses specified in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. These are felonies
that include sexual assaults and other forms of assault, drug cases and
financial crimes.
Vallarelli said many Airmen are not aware that Article 15
actions also have serious consequences, especially for officers. Examples of
Article 15 infractions are disobeying military orders and showing disrespect to
a military superior.
“Article 15 actions can affect promotions and result in
negative performance reports and discharge,” he said.
Gutierrez said enlisted Airmen can recover from Article 15
actions.
“But for an officer, even a letter of reprimand is
considered very serious,” she said. “Officers are held to a higher standard.”
Many Airmen just visit the ADC office for advice, Vallarelli
said.
“They usually come in after they’re already in trouble,” he
said. “We’re very honest and upfront with our clients, but we fight for them no
matter what they did or didn’t do. That’s what the whole system is built on –
everybody gets a fair shake.”
Gutierrez said she enjoys helping clients.
“These aren’t bad people,” she said. “They’re good people
who make bad decisions.”
Vallarelli said his office has an “underdog
mentality.”
“The victories are sometimes small ones, such as getting a
letter of admonishment reduced to a letter of counseling,” he said. “We look
for things like that. We can help them in ways that are meaningful to their
careers.”
The JBSA-Randolph ADC office is in Room B40 of Pitsenbarger
Hall, building 399, 550 D St. East. Call 652-2274 for more information.