Court Martial Lawyer – AWOL soldier faces court-martial
By Krisy Gashler
The AWOL Fort Drum soldier who asked Ithaca’s Common Council for support last December is facing a July 1 court martial and the prospect of dishonorable discharge and a year in prison.
U.S. Army Specialist Stephen Trevor Loope served a 15-month tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2006-07, where he said he was subjected to mental abuse and intimidation by his peers and superiors and physical problems that went undiagnosed for six months while he was on the front lines.
Upon his return to Fort Drum, Loope said he sought out mental health treatment but was told there was nothing wrong with him.
In November 2007, after surgery for the physical problems, Loope said the threats from his unit drove him “over the edge.” He went absent without leave and returned home to Texas, where he sought help from a clinical psychologist in Houston. Loope was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.
In December 2008, Loope appeared before Ithaca’s Common Council, asking for letters of support as he returned to Fort Drum. He was led to Ithaca by a Common Council resolution passed in October 2008 designating the city a “Community of Sanctuary” for veterans opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Loope and his attorney, Tod Ensign of the New York City-based advocacy organization Citizen Soldier, reported in late December that Loope looked to be headed toward an administrative discharge. A medical administrative discharge would mean Loope would serve no jail time and he could keep his veterans’ medical benefits, Ensign said.
Ensign said he has represented five other soldiers with similar circumstances, none of whom were prosecuted or served jail time. Another AWOL soldier who returned around the same time as Loope and with similar circumstances was given 30 days in jail then administratively discharged, Ensign said.
Loope, whose case has generated publicity throughout central New York, is facing a July 1 court-martial, he said.
“What this is really all about is making an example out of him,” Ensign said. “They want to send the message to young soldiers, ‘Don’t think you can just leave here, come back and be discharged. We’re going to make people who do that pay.’ And that’s what they’re doing here, because he’s got a very strong psychological evaluation,” suggesting he should be medically discharged, Ensign said.
Loope underwent an Army- mandated Sanity Board hearing Friday, during which two Army psychologists interviewed Loope for two hours, Ensign said. Out of that hearing, the psychologists will give a joint diagnosis, which will be used in the court-martial hearing, he said.
Calls to Fort Drum spokespeople were not returned Friday.
Michael Waddington is a court martial lawyer – court martial attorney that defends military personnel worldwide as well as deployed civilian contractors subject to the UCMJ. He defends Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard, and civilian contractor court martial cases. He has successfully defended military personnel as a court martial lawyer Army Navy Marine & Air Force court martials in Germany, England, San Diego, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fort Bragg, Fort Jackson, Fort Stewart, Fort Gordon, Italy, Iraq, Kuwait, Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Yokota, and throughout the United States. military-defense-lawyer-recentcases.htm.
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