Court-Martial for Sgt. Jeffrey Hurst to Begin Nov. 5

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – The court-martial for Sgt. Jeffrey Hurst, an infantryman assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, is scheduled for Nov. 5-9 at 9 a.m., at the Fort Bragg courthouse.

Two other Soldiers from 1^st Brigade, 25^th Infantry Division, 1^st Lt. Daniel Schwartz and Staff Sgt. Andrew Vanbockel, face charges relating to Pvt. Danny Chen’s death and are scheduled to be tried by courts martial in the coming weeks

Sgt. Adam Holcomb was found guilty July 30 by a court-martial panel of two specifications of maltreatment and one specification of assault. He was sentenced to reduction in rank to E-4, forfeiture of pay equaling $1,181.55 and 30 days confinement.

Spc. Ryan Offutt was sentenced Aug. 13, to reduction in rank to E-1, confinement for 6 months and a bad conduct discharge for hazing and maltreatment, following a guilty plea.

Staff Sgt. Blaine Dugas plead guilty to charge one, specification one, which is a violation of a lawful general order number one, by wrongfully possessing and consuming alcohol. He was found guilty by a military judge of one count of dereliction of duty during a court-martial here Aug. 17. Dugas was sentenced to reduction in grade from E-6 to E-5 and three months confinement with 90 days credit for pretrial confinement.

A Summary Court Martial for Sgt. Travis Carden took place Aug. 22. He was charged and convicted of the Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 92, hazing Chen, and Article 93, maltreatment by calling him racially disparaging names, and ordering him to perform pushups with his mouth full of water.  He was sentenced in rank to E-4 and forfeiture of 2/3 pay for one month.

Spc. Thomas Curtis pled guilty to five charges (hazing and maltreatment) during a court-martial and was sentenced to reduction to E-1 and three months confinement, with seven days credit for time served.

On Oct. 11, a Special Court Martial was held for Carden relating to an altercation (not connected to Chen’s death) with other members of his unit and attempting to impede an investigation at Fort Bragg in August 2012.  Carden plead guilty to striking and pushing another Soldier; threatening to do harm to another Soldier; negligently discharging a firearm and damaging Government property; negligently discharging a pistol in a government van; and attempting to impede an investigation.  The government dismissed two violations – attempting to impede his trial and drunk and disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to reduction to E1; $1,001.87 fine; 10 months confinement; and a bad conduct discharge.