Command investigation defense
AR 15-6 Investigation Lawyer
An AR 15-6 investigation can become the factual foundation for a GOMOR, Article 15, adverse evaluation, separation board, or officer elimination action.
Command investigation defense
AR 15-6 defense priorities
The investigation may not be criminal, but it can still damage a career.
Understand the appointment
Identify the IO, appointing authority, allegations, scope, and deadlines.
Control statements
Do not assume a command investigator is neutral enough to make an unprepared statement safe.
Develop favorable evidence
Witnesses, documents, messages, timelines, and context may need to be organized before findings are finalized.
Prepare rebuttal strategy
If adverse findings are issued, the rebuttal should target errors, unsupported conclusions, and proportionality.
What a lawyer actually does
The work is evidence, judgment, organization, and timing.
Civilian counsel should help identify the immediate deadline, analyze the evidence, decide what should not be said, gather favorable documents and witnesses, and present the strongest available response in the correct military format.
Stop avoidable damage
Avoid unprepared statements, unnecessary admissions, consent searches, or rushed submissions.
Build the record
Organize documents, witnesses, timelines, text messages, evaluations, awards, and context.
Target the decision-maker
Write for the commander, filing authority, board, or reviewing authority who will decide the next step.
Questions servicemembers ask
Frequently asked questions
Is an AR 15-6 criminal?
Usually it is an administrative fact-finding process, but it can overlap with criminal allegations or produce evidence for later action.
Can I refuse to write a statement?
You should get legal advice immediately, especially if the statement could be self-incriminating or used in later action.
Can AR 15-6 findings lead to a GOMOR?
Yes. Command may use AR 15-6 findings to support a GOMOR, Article 15, adverse evaluation, separation, or elimination action.
Related resources
Keep building the record strategically
Fight permanent filing before the record hardens.
Article 15 / NJP lawyerEvaluate the evidence, election decision, and response strategy.
Military investigation lawyerInvoke rights, avoid unnecessary statements, and control the early record.
Flat-fee pricingUnderstand typical flat fees and scope limits.
Talk through the risk before you respond.
Include your rank, duty station, deadline, the type of action you received, and whether investigators or command have asked you for a statement.
Before you respond
Short deadlines matter. Get advice before submitting a statement, rebuttal, or election.
In a military administrative matter, the first written response can become part of the record that follows the Soldier, NCO, or Officer later. Before responding to a AR 15-6 investigation, consider whether the statement could be used in a filing decision, punishment decision, separation packet, officer elimination action, or later investigation.
If you already have paperwork, preserve the entire packet and identify the suspense date before you start drafting.
What to send before the consultation
- the appointment memorandum, investigation notice, questions from the investigating officer, witness requests, deadline, and any proposed written statement
- Your rank, branch, duty station, unit, and current role.
- The suspense date and whether you already submitted a statement.
- Any CID, MP, OSI, NCIS, command-investigation, or legal-office contact information.
AR 15-6 investigation strategy
An AR 15-6 investigation can become the factual foundation for later adverse action.
Command-directed investigations often feel informal, but their findings can become the basis for GOMORs, Article 15s, relief, evaluations, separation actions, officer elimination, and other career consequences. The response strategy should account for how the findings may be used later.
Clarify the allegation and authority
Understand what the investigating officer is examining, what documents exist, and what the command may do with the findings.
Protect statement rights
Do not submit a written or oral statement without understanding whether it could be self-incriminating or later used in adverse action.
Build favorable evidence early
Preserve documents, identify witnesses, correct misleading timelines, and prepare for a possible rebuttal opportunity.
Experience before the record hardens
Court-martial, board, and investigation experience can matter even when the current problem is administrative.
Early-stage administrative defense is not just writing a letter. The work often requires evaluating evidence, identifying weaknesses in the government narrative, protecting against harmful admissions, developing witnesses and documents, and anticipating how the same facts could later appear in a GOMOR filing decision, Article 15, separation board, officer elimination action, or court-martial theory.
Practical FAQ
Questions clients often ask before responding
Do I have to talk to an AR 15-6 investigating officer?
That depends on your status, the nature of the questions, and whether the answers may be self-incriminating. Get legal advice before answering allegation-related questions.
Can an AR 15-6 investigation lead to a GOMOR?
Yes. Command investigation findings are frequently used to support GOMORs, Article 15s, relief, evaluation consequences, separation, or officer elimination.
Should I submit documents to the investigating officer?
Possibly, but it should be done strategically. The wrong submission can help the command prove an adverse narrative.
What should I preserve?
The appointment memo, witness requests, command emails, text messages, timelines, counseling records, relevant photos, and names of favorable witnesses.
Review before you respond
Need focused legal judgment before deciding what to do next?
An Urgent Military Case Assessment is a paid limited-scope review for Soldiers, NCOs, and Officers who already have paperwork, evidence, or a short suspense and need a practical assessment of risks, options, and recommended next steps.
More than a consultation. Less than full representation.
The assessment does not include drafting, command contact, law-enforcement contact, negotiation, appearance, submission of materials, or follow-on representation unless separately agreed in writing.
Learn About Urgent Case AssessmentFree Consultation
Do not treat a GOMOR or Article 15 like routine paperwork.
A weak response can follow you for years. The earlier you get focused help, the more time there is to analyze the evidence, develop the facts, and present the strongest possible rebuttal or response.