How Serious Is My Military Case?

Free 2-minute assessment

Answer 8 quick questions. Get a straight answer on where you stand, and what to do next.

When you’re under investigation, the hardest part is not knowing. This takes about two minutes. We won’t ask what happened, only where things stand right now.

8 questions
About 2 minutes
No case details asked

Built by The Military Defense Firm, led by a former Air Force Senior Trial Counsel. Experience Wins.

Where does your case stand?

How Serious Is My Military Case? — Assessment (DRAFT)

Updates

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Step 10

Before we start

First, which branch are you in?

Army

Navy

Air Force

Marine Corps

Space Force

Coast Guard

This helps us speak your branch's language. Guard or Reserve? Just pick your branch.

Question 1 of 8

Has anyone told you you're under investigation?

No, but something feels off.

I've heard it secondhand.

Yes. My command or investigators told me.

Yes, and I've been read my rights.

I've been told charges are coming, or they've already been filed.

Sometimes you're told. Sometimes you just notice the signs.

Caution

Trust that instinct. Investigations usually start long before anyone tells you. This quiet stretch is when you have the most room to get ahead of it.

Caution

If word has reached you, the investigation is probably already moving. The government doesn't wait, and you shouldn't either.

Warning

Once it's official, the government is building its case every day. The question is who's building yours.

Warning

Being read your Article 31(b) rights means they see you as a suspect. That's the moment to have an experienced defense attorney, not after.

Warning

Charges change everything. From here, every decision (motions, witnesses, deals) shapes the outcome. You need trial-tested counsel now.

Question 2 of 8

Have investigators asked to talk to you?

No, not yet.

Yes. They want me to come in, or it's already scheduled.

I went in, but asked for a lawyer and didn't answer questions.

I went in and answered their questions.

I wrote or signed a statement.

This includes a phone call, a knock on the door, or an "informal chat."

Good

Good. If they ask, remember: you have the right to stay silent and to talk to a lawyer first. Use both.

Warning

Don't walk into that room alone. Investigators are trained to get statements. What you say there can follow you through the whole case.

Caution

Smart move. Asking for a lawyer protected you. Now make sure you actually have one, and the right one.

Warning

Your words are now part of their evidence. An experienced attorney needs to know what you said and how the government plans to use it, before they do.

Warning

A signed statement is often the centerpiece of the government's case. It isn't the end of the story, but it has to be dealt with by someone who knows how.

Question 3 of 8

How long have you served?

Less than 4 years

4 to 10 years

10 to 15 years

15 years or more

Count all your service: active, Guard, and Reserve.

Caution

Early in a career, one allegation can end it before it really starts, and a bad discharge follows you into civilian life.

Caution

You've built something: rank, reputation, a future in uniform. That's what's on the table.

Warning

You're on the road to retirement. A bad outcome now can take you off it.

Warning

Your retirement is on the line. After this many years of service, the stakes don't get much higher.

Question 4 of 8

Have you talked to a military defense attorney about this?

No, not yet.

Yes. My assigned military attorney.

Yes. I've hired a civilian military defense attorney.

I've talked to a lawyer, but not one who handles military cases.

I talked to the base legal office.

Be honest. This one matters most.

Warning

Right now the government has trained investigators and prosecutors working on your case. You have no one. Let's change that.

Caution

Good first step. Now a few quick questions to see whether your defense has the experience your case demands.

Good

Good. A few quick questions to make sure they're the right fit for what you're facing.

Warning

Military justice is its own world, with its own rules, courts, and investigators. A great civilian lawyer can still be lost in a court-martial.

Warning

Important: the base legal office is where the prosecutors work. They can't defend you. You need a defense attorney.

Has your attorney ever been a military prosecutor?

Yes

I don't know

Good

That's valuable. Someone who has built cases knows where they break.

Caution

The best defense attorneys know how prosecutors think, because they've been one. Josh Traeger served as an Air Force Senior Trial Counsel. He built these cases. Now he takes them apart.

Caution

It's a fair question to ask, and you deserve a straight answer. Experience on the other side of the courtroom changes how a defense is built.

How many courts-martial has your attorney taken to trial?

I don't know

Just a few

Dozens or more

Caution

Ask. Trial experience is the difference between an attorney who negotiates from strength and one who can't credibly threaten to fight.

Caution

Everyone starts somewhere, but your case shouldn't be where your attorney learns. Experience Wins.

Good

That's the kind of experience a serious case calls for.

Has your attorney given you a clear plan for what happens next?

Yes, I know the plan.

Sort of.

No.

Good

Good. You should always know where your case is headed and why.

Caution

"Sort of" isn't good enough when your career is on the line. You deserve a plan you can explain to your family.

Warning

That's a warning sign. A strong defense starts on day one with a strategy, not a wait-and-see.

If your attorney PCSs or rotates out, do you know who takes over your case?

Yes

I didn't know that could happen

Good

Good. Continuity matters in a long investigation.

Caution

Military defense attorneys rotate like everyone else. A civilian attorney stays with you start to finish and works alongside your military attorney. You don't have to choose.

Caution

It happens. Investigations can outlast assignments. A civilian attorney gives you one steady advocate from start to finish, alongside your military attorney.

Question 5 of 8

What's the investigation about?

Sexual assault or sexual misconduct (including intimate images)

Domestic violence

Stalking, harassment, or retaliation

Drugs or alcohol (positive urinalysis, DUI)

Money (travel claims, BAH, fraud, theft)

Relationships, fraternization, or not following orders

Something else, or I'd rather not say

Just pick the closest match. No details needed.

Warning

This is a "covered offense." Your case now belongs to the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC): specially selected, specially trained military prosecutors who work outside your chain of command and decide whether you go to court-martial. Your defense needs to be at their level or above.

Warning

Domestic violence is a covered offense. Specially trained OSTC prosecutors, not your command, control whether it goes to court-martial. A conviction can also carry lifelong firearm restrictions.

Warning

These are now covered offenses handled by the Office of Special Trial Counsel, a dedicated team of trained prosecutors. The military treats these cases very differently than it did even a few years ago.

Caution

A positive test or a DUI can feel open-and-shut. It often isn't. Testing, collection, and procedure all matter.

Caution

Financial cases are built on paper. How those records are read and challenged can make or break the case.

Caution

"Minor" allegations still end careers, especially when they pile up or come with an administrative separation.

Caution

Whatever it is, you deserve to know where you stand, and a defense that's ready for it.

Question 6 of 8

What has your command done so far?

Nothing yet

No-contact order or military protective order

Pulled me from duties, my weapon, or my clearance

Flagged me (promotion, PCS, or school on hold)

Offered me NJP / Article 15

Gave me a letter of reprimand or separation paperwork

Restricted me to base, or put me in pretrial confinement

Select all that apply.

Question 7 of 8

Have investigators gone through, or asked for, your phone or other devices?

They asked, and I said no.

They asked, and I said yes.

They took it with a search authorization.

I'm not sure.

Phones, laptops, tablets, social media accounts.

Good

Don't delete anything (that can create a brand-new problem), and don't hand anything over without talking to a lawyer first.

Caution

You protected your rights. Expect them to look for another way in, like a search authorization.

Warning

Consent can open up far more than people expect: messages, photos, location history, even deleted data. Your attorney needs to know what's on there too.

Warning

They'll be going through everything. Whether that search was done right is a question an experienced attorney should be asking now.

Caution

If you're not sure, assume they may have it or want it. That's worth clearing up with an attorney.

Question 8 of 8

Who have you talked to about this?

No one

My spouse or family

Friends or people in my unit

My chain of command

I've texted, messaged, or posted about it

The person who made the allegation

Select all that apply. Texts and posts count.

Your result is ready.

Tell us where to send it. We'll show your result on the next screen and email you a copy.

First name

Phone

So we can reach you if your case is urgent.

I understand this assessment is general information, not legal advice, and that completing it does not create an attorney-client relationship. I won't include details about my case here.

Your information stays with The Military Defense Firm.

This assessment is general information, not legal advice. Completing it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Attorney advertising.