TWO MILITARY POLICE OFFICERS FACE COURTS-MARTIAL

Two Fort Bragg military police officers will face courts-martial on charges
they used and distributed drugs, Fort Bragg officials said Thursday.

Nine other MPs -- all from the 16th Military Police Brigade -- will receive
lesser punishments for use of Ecstasy, LSD or marijuana, officials said.

No names have been released. Most of the alleged misconduct took place off
post in Fayetteville nightclubs and residences.

The action comes two months after the Army began its investigation.

One specialist faces a general court-martial on three counts of
distribution of Ecstasy, one count of using Ecstasy and one count of
communicating a threat.

If convicted, the MP could be sentenced to 53 years in prison.

A general court-martial is the military's highest-level trial court, trying
soldiers for the most serious crimes. The MP will have an Article 32
pre-trial investigation hearing in mid-July, Fort Bragg officials said. The
hearing is similar to a civilian grand jury.

The second MP, also the rank of specialist, is charged with one count of
using LSD, one count of distributing Ecstasy and one count of using Ecstasy.

This MP's case has been referred to a different type of court-martial,
called a bad conduct discharge special court-martial.

If convicted in this type of court-martial, a soldier can be confined for
no more than six months and can forfeit two-thirds of his pay for no more
than six months.

No Article 32 is required in this type of court-martial.

The MP will be arraigned next week, officials said.

Punishments Three MPs were issued field grade Article 15s. A sergeant and
specialist were reduced in rank. The third, a private first class, was not
reduced in rank, officials said.

An Article 15 is a procedure for investigating and punishing minor
misconduct. At the field grade level, battalion and brigade commanders can
limit freedom, such as confinement to barracks, for up to 60 days or give
up to 45 days of extra duty and reduction in rank.

A soldier with a field grade Article 15 can also receive a reduction in pay
up to half of his monthly salary for up to two months.

One MP, a sergeant, turned down the Article 15 and could be referred to a
court-martial, the Army said.

Four MPs will receive written letters of reprimand.

Two of the four had initially received field grade Article 15s.

Those were downgraded to letters of written reprimand.

A decision on whether those letters of reprimand will appear permanently in
the MPs' files has not been made. That decision will be made by Lt. Gen.
Dan McNeill, commander of Fort Bragg and the 18th Airborne Corps, said Dawn
Dearden, a Fort Bragg spokeswoman.

Another MP sergeant, who had planned to leave the Army prior to the
investigation, will be allowed to do so with no punishment, officials said.

Charges were dropped against a 12th soldier, who had been referred for a
field grade Article 15 on a drug possession charge. Testing determined that
the substance in his possession was diet pills, Dearden said.