If you’re a mixed martial arts fan, you may have noticed that Will Chope, a former airman, was pulled from last night’s UFC Fight Night 38 in Natal, Brazil. His UFC contract was also terminated. Chope (19-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) was scheduled to fight Diego Brandao (18-9 MMA, 4-2 UFC) televised on Fox Sports 1 until allegations surfaced on Saturday that Chope was kicked out of the Air Force after assaulting his wife on more than one occasion, according to Bleacher Report. The Air Force court of appeals documents, obtained by Bleacher Report, detail the assault: “The appellant [Airman Basic…
Browsing: UCMJ
A former Air Force Academy cadet who claims he was ordered to break cadet policy while working as a confidential informant and then expelled for doing what he was told has exposed the scope of the Office of Special Investigations’ use of informants to spy on their fellow airmen. In this week’s Air Force Times, you can read how this cadet was recruited to work for OSI and what happens to airmen after they become confidential informants. Also this week: It’s been two years since Air Force wife Kelli Abad disappeared from Kadena Air Base, Japan, but her mother refused…
A former Air Force Academy cadet who claims he was ordered to break cadet policy while working as a confidential informant and then expelled for doing what he was told has exposed the scope of the Office of Special Investigations’ use of informants to spy on their fellow airmen. In this week’s Air Force Times, you can read how this cadet was recruited to work for OSI and what happens to airmen after they become confidential informants. Also this week: It’s been two years since Air Force wife Kelli Abad disappeared from Kadena Air Base, Japan, but her mother refused…
The Air Force has announced steep cuts to re-enlistment bonuses and retraining opportunities as budget cuts force the service to get smaller. In this week’s Air Force Times, we explain who is getting a re-enlistment bonus and who isn’t as well as which career fields are no longer on the retraining list. In the next few weeks, even more bad news may be coming. Also this week: the Air Force recently selected about 1,000 staff sergeants for special duties out of an eligibility pool of roughly 7,500 nominees. You can read the five things you need to know about special…
The Air Force has announced steep cuts to re-enlistment bonuses and retraining opportunities as budget cuts force the service to get smaller. In this week’s Air Force Times, we explain who is getting a re-enlistment bonus and who isn’t as well as which career fields are no longer on the retraining list. In the next few weeks, even more bad news may be coming. Also this week: the Air Force recently selected about 1,000 staff sergeants for special duties out of an eligibility pool of roughly 7,500 nominees. You can read the five things you need to know about special…
The latest episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, “Military Justice,” takes on corruption within the chain of command and sexual assault in the military. Not to mention, toward the end of the episode, viewers see the prosecution reference a pamphlet asking the “victim to submit” rather than fight back. Sound familiar? In late June, a sexual assault prevention brochure at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., was yanked after a lawmaker objected to advice that victims submit to an attack rather than resist. “If you are attacked, it may be advisable to submit than to resist,” the brochure said.…
Many victims of sexual assault are afraid of retaliation if they come forward. While retaliation can be hard to prove, it is a very real risk. Air Force Times talked to three airmen who reported sexual assault and harassment and suffered the consequences. Also in this week’s edition: The partial shutdown of the federal government has hit the Air Force’s training and education programs. You can read which programs have been delayed and which have been stood down. The shutdown has promoted the Air Force to ground fighter squadrons for a second time in a year. The back-to-back stand downs…
Many victims of sexual assault are afraid of retaliation if they come forward. While retaliation can be hard to prove, it is a very real risk. Air Force Times talked to three airmen who reported sexual assault and harassment and suffered the consequences. Also in this week’s edition: The partial shutdown of the federal government has hit the Air Force’s training and education programs. You can read which programs have been delayed and which have been stood down. The shutdown has promoted the Air Force to ground fighter squadrons for a second time in a year. The back-to-back stand downs…
Earlier this week, I wrote about a computer glitch that was keeping the public in the dark when it came to upcoming courts-martial. I’m happy to report the problem has been solved. The courts-martial docket, found on the Judge Advocate General website, is up and running. The first names of the accused have also been restored; earlier this year, first names were replaced with first initials. The docket is an important tool. The public — reporters such as myself included — can use it to stay up to date on Air Force prosecutions. When a case appears on the docket,…
If you want to check out the court-martial docket — and you’re not privy to a military network — well, good luck with that. As the so-called crime and slime reporter here at Air Force Times, I have long relied on the Judge Advocate General website to stay in the know about airmen accused of acting up. You don’t see too many Air Force press releases about an airman charged with a crime — often unless the alleged misdeed occurred off base and civilian authorities were involved. (Then it’s a matter of public record and will show up in police…