Fort Wainwright occupies the eastern edge of Fairbanks, Alaska, along the Richardson Highway. It is home to the 11th Airborne Division, the Army’s only Arctic warfare unit and the northernmost combat division in the U.S. military. The 11th Airborne trains soldiers to operate in conditions that would incapacitate conventional forces: temperatures that drop to -40 degrees, winter darkness that lasts for months, and summer sun that barely sets. The division’s mission is Arctic dominance: projecting power across the Pacific theater in environments where most armies can’t even function.
Fort Wainwright serves as the Army’s primary cold-weather training and logistics hub. Units rotate through for Arctic training before deploying to Korea, Europe, or other cold-weather theaters. The base supports operations across Alaska, coordinates with Eielson Air Force Base (located 26 miles south), and works closely with Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage.
JBER is home to the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC) that prosecutes covered offenses at Fort Wainwright, which means most serious courts-martial require coordination across 350 miles of Alaskan highway and frequent flights between Fairbanks and Anchorage.
The surrounding area reflects Alaska’s frontier character. Fairbanks has been a military town since World War II. Thousands of soldiers, civilians, and family members live in town, and the local economy revolves around the base population. The city draws an odd mix: Japanese tourists flood the area in summer to hike Denali National Park and in winter to see the Northern Lights. North Pole sits 15 miles south along the Richardson Highway, a small town built around Santa Claus House, a sprawling Christmas store that attracts tour buses year-round.
But Fairbanks also has the infrastructure problems that come with isolation, extreme weather, and a transient population. The base’s off-limits list reflects the modern reality: cannabis dispensaries that opened after Alaska legalized marijuana, and massage parlors that aren’t offering therapeutic services. The real trouble, though, happens in the bars. The Mecca is the most notorious, a known hangout for drug users and a place where soldiers get into situations that end in UCMJ charges.
Bobby’s Greek Restaurant is the opposite: understated, elegant, where local politicians go when they want privacy. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is professional, and it’s one of the few places in Fairbanks that feels like it belongs somewhere other than a frontier town. Soldiers bring their families there. They take visiting parents there before driving them out to Chena Hot Springs. In summer, the fishing is excellent: kings and silvers in the Chena River, grayling in the backcountry streams. In winter, soldiers hike the trails around Birch Hill or drive out to Murphy Dome to watch the Northern Lights.
Most of what happens off-base is ordinary: grocery runs, coffee downtown before heading back to post. But when things go wrong, they go wrong in predictable places.
We entered the Air Force JAG Corps in 2001, right after the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, and served on active duty through 2005. When we opened this firm as civilian military lawyers in 2006, our docket filled with cases from all branches, but Army cases dominated: AWOL, desertion, combat-related offenses, and the fallout that followed soldiers home from Iraq and Afghanistan. We defended soldiers under Articles 120, 128, 134, and others during a period when the system was running at wartime intensity and commands were consumed by operational demands.
Fort Wainwright presents different pressures. The 11th Airborne Division operates in an environment most soldiers will never experience: extreme cold, months of darkness, isolation from the lower 48, and the psychological strain that comes with Arctic duty. Domestic violence rates in Alaska are among the highest in the nation. Substance abuse follows the same pattern. Commands at Fort Wainwright deal with these realities constantly, and the cases that reach court-martial often reflect the toll that environment takes on soldiers and their families.
Fort Wainwright has generated serious criminal cases in recent years. Soldiers have been charged with murder (execution-style shooting in Fairbanks apartment), child pornography possession and production (including cases involving thousands of images), assault and stalking of women, and injury to an infant. Multiple cases involved federal prosecution for child exploitation offenses. The pattern is clear: child sexual exploitation, violent crime, domestic violence, and murder. These cases fall under OSTC jurisdiction.
We’ve handled cases throughout Alaska, including at Fort Wainwright, JBER, and Eielson. We understand the logistical challenges that come with defending a case in a remote location: coordinating with OSTC counsel in Anchorage, managing discovery across long distances, and working in a legal environment where resources are limited and oversight is thin.
We don’t have Army backgrounds. We don’t claim to. But as civilian military attorneys we’ve defended more soldiers than most Army lawyers ever will, and we’ve done it in every kind of case and under every kind of pressure the UCMJ can produce. Our background as Air Force JAGs also gives us an external perspective that benefits soldiers facing a system designed to protect the institution, not the individual.
Why Hire Counsel From Outside Alaska
A note on price fairness: We charge the same flat legal fees at Fort Wainwright that we charge everywhere else. We don’t impose surcharges for additional travel time, logistical complications, or anything else that might make a case in Alaska more challenging than one across the street from our office.
A court-martial in Alaska requires the same preparation, the same legal analysis, and the same courtroom work as a court-martial in Texas or North Carolina. The fact that you’re stationed in a remote location does not increase the complexity of the legal work, and we will not penalize you for your duty station. Travel expenses are separate, disclosed in advance, and kept as low as possible.
The question is whether the additional travel cost is worth the difference in experience.
We’ve been trying cases in Alaska since 2006. We’ve done courts-martial at Fort Wainwright, JBER, and Eielson. We’ve worked with the OSTC office in Anchorage, the convening authorities at Fort Wainwright, and the trial judiciary across the state. We also know Fairbanks. We have the cell numbers for the owners at Bobby’s Greek Restaurant saved in our phones. We know which rooms at the Springhill Suites are the quietest. We know the Mass times at the church across the bridge from the hotel. We’ve been up and down the creaky staircase in the TDS office more times than we can count. There is no acclimation period when we arrive. This is not our first time in Fairbanks, and it will not be our last.
Our firm provides two senior defense attorneys for the price most firms charge for one. Both of us are former Air Force JAGs who have been practicing military and federal criminal defense full-time since 2006. We do not handle civilian criminal cases, family law, or other legal matters. We aren’t generalists.
Local counsel may save you money on airfare and hotels. The tradeoff is experience, depth, and the advantage of having two attorneys working your case instead of one. Whether that tradeoff makes sense depends on your case and your priorities.
Questions to Ask Any Attorney You’re Considering Hiring
There’s a lot of marketing sleaze in this industry. Before you hire any lawyer, ask them these questions:
What is your policy for interacting with CID and OSTC during an investigation? Most defense attorneys tell clients never to speak to investigators under any circumstances. The attorneys themselves stay out of sight too. Sometimes trying to hide in plain sight is the right move but we prefer to be more proactive. We immediately establish communications with CID, base legal, the command, and OSTC, and we check in often. We are always looking for an opportunity to prevent charges from being preferred in the first place, or from being referred if the case goes to an Article 32 hearing. Ask what their default approach is and ask them to explain it.
What is your strategy at the preliminary hearing? Too many attorneys look at the Article 32 hearing like it’s merely a formality. They think the probable cause standard is so easy for the prosecution to satisfy, that the whole event is a waste of time. That’s very short-sighted. The preliminary hearing offers many angles to the defense that can set the case up better for trial, get the case deferred for a lower disposition, or have the charges dropped. Ask how they prepare for preliminary hearings and whether they treat them as disposable formalities or critical litigation opportunities.
What is your strategy for cross-examining a witness with fragmented memory? Memory reconstruction is the central issue in most Article 120 cases. If the attorney cannot explain their approach to this issue in detail, they are not prepared to defend you.
Do you handle other types of cases, or do you practice military defense exclusively? Generalists who list UCMJ defense alongside personal injury, DUI, and divorce work are not specialists. Military justice is a distinct practice area that requires full-time focus.
What is your fee structure, and what does it include? If the attorney will not give you a clear number without a consultation, that is a red flag. Transparency is not negotiable. Make sure you lock them in on what’s included in their trial fee, since some firms quote a trial fee that only includes a certain number of days or a limited number of hours per trial day, and then add charges if the case goes beyond those thresholds, which it always will. Ask if travel days are included in the trial fee.
How OSTC Operates at Wainwright
The OSTC prosecutes serious cases at Fort Wainwright from its office at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. OSTC attorneys travel to Fairbanks periodically to meet with CID, command, and witnesses before deciding whether to take a case. This structure can slow the investigative process, but it also creates opportunities for early resolution.
Key points about OSTC at Fort Wainwright:
- Independent authority: OSTC reports to the Secretary of the Army, not the local chain of command. Political pressure and optics do not drive their charging decisions.
- Covered offenses: Articles 117a, 118, 119, 119a, 120, 120a, 120b, 120c, 125, 128b, 130, 132, and 134 (murder, manslaughter, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and related crimes).
- Distance creates delay: OSTC counsel based in Anchorage must coordinate with Fort Wainwright investigators and command across 350 miles. Cases often move more slowly during the investigation phase than they would at bases with on-site OSTC offices.
- Early engagement works: OSTC attorneys are focused on winning the cases they take to trial, not on taking every case to trial. When we bring favorable evidence to their attention early (during the investigation or at the Article 32 hearing) they’re a good audience. They are not swayed by command politics or pressure to prosecute weak cases.
Our job is to make sure OSTC applies its stated principles to every case: “wise, informed judgment,” “superior advocacy,” and “justice in accordance with Constitutional due process.” We hold them to that standard, and we use the structure to our clients’ advantage whenever possible.
In Plain English: The Court-Martial Process in 150 Words
Courts-martial enforce the UCMJ against service members. Three types exist: Summary (minor infractions), Special (career-ending offenses), and General (crimes punishable by life imprisonment or death).
The timeline begins with an investigation by CID, based on a complaint or tip. An Article 32 preliminary hearing follows in serious cases. Commanders or OSTC decide whether to refer charges to trial, depending on the kind of case. If charges are served, the accused receives an appointed military defense counsel but can hire civilian representation at any time.
Trials operate under the Military Rules of Evidence. A military judge presides. The guilt/innocence phase is by judge or panel. Sentencing is handled by the judge.
Convictions can be appealed through the military appellate system and, in limited cases, to federal courts including the Supreme Court.
Outcomes depend on early decisions: when to hire counsel, how to handle investigators, and whether to fight or negotiate.
When CID Wants Your Phone: What You Need to Know
Army CID investigators use digital evidence to build cases. Here’s what happens when they want access to your phone:
They can probably take it. If CID is asking for your phone, they likely already have digital evidence from another source: a witness statement, service provider records, or data from the complainant’s device.
You don’t have to consent. If they ask for permission, the answer is no. Never hand over your phone voluntarily. Wait for your lawyer.
Make them get authorization. If they threaten to obtain a warrant or authorization order, tell them to go ahead. Then stop talking.
Comply with written orders. If CID shows you a signed search authorization or warrant, you must surrender the device. But you still don’t unlock it.
Verbal authorization counts too. If CID says they have verbal authorization to seize your phone, that’s enforceable. Comply with the order, but note the exact time and contact your attorney immediately so it can be verified and challenged if necessary.
Never provide your passcode. Passcodes are protected speech under the Fifth Amendment and Article 31(b). CID cannot lawfully order you to unlock your phone or provide the code. If they ask, refuse.
Biometrics are not protected. Face ID and fingerprints are physical characteristics, not speech. Once CID has proper authorization, they can compel biometric access. Disable those features in advance if you’re concerned.
Deleted data can be recovered. CID digital forensics teams can extract deleted texts, GPS logs, photos, app history, and metadata. Assume nothing on your phone is ever truly gone.
Preserve evidence that helps you. If your phone contains screenshots, messages, pics, or timestamps that support your version of events, back them up and store copies where your attorney can access them.
Know their tactics. In sexual assault investigations, CID often avoids copying the complainant’s phone. Instead, they record the complainant scrolling through selected messages on camera. This allows the complainant to hide or delete material that could undermine the allegations before CID ever sees the phone.
Our Approach to Consultations and Client Communications
Q: Why do most military law firms use call centers and chatbots instead of letting you talk directly to a lawyer?
A: Most military law firms charge flat fees. All time spent on a case is (or should be) included in the fee, so in a sense flat fees create the temptation to protect time instead of clients.
When a firm charges a flat fee, every minute on the phone feels like a potential loss. To “solve” that, many firms hide behind intake screeners and call centers. The idea is that only the most qualified leads will make it through to an attorney.
We understand why they do it. Every lawyer gets calls from people who clearly didn’t read the page, aren’t dealing with a military case, or just want free advice. They’re just cranking through phone numbers. That’s the cost of being visible. But we don’t see it as a nuisance. We see it as a cost of doing business. You don’t get to choose when the alarm bell rings. Some calls will be false alarms. Some will be a kitten in a tree.
That’s why when you call our firm, you speak directly to an attorney, not a call screener or chatbot. The same person who takes your call is the one who will read your charge sheet, plan your defense, and walk into court with you.
Q: Why do some firms charge for consultations?
Some firms charge a consultation fee as a filter, similar to using chat robots and answering services. They’ll often credit that amount toward the total fee if they’re hired, but the purpose of the fee is to funnel only the serious shoppers to the attorney. Most people who call civilian law firms can’t afford to hire them, aren’t looking for help with a UCMJ or disciplinary case, or just want free legal advice. Charging for the meeting weeds out callers who aren’t likely to hire the firm.
We consider consultation fees ethical, but we don’t use them. The goal is to help people understand their situation, not test whether they can pay for a conversation. We get these off-target calls every day, but we’ve never had a problem efficiently triaging who really needs our help.
It’s also worth noting that firms charging for consultations rarely publish their fees and often use the same sales tactics once they have a “qualified” prospect on the phone.
If you are stationed at Fort Wainwright and facing investigation, court-martial, or administrative action under the UCMJ, call us at 800-319-3134 for a confidential case review.