Twenty one airmen receive nonjudicial punishment in first quarter of 2011 Published April 13, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Mahafuz Uddin Air Force Flight Test Center Judge Advocate Office EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Commanders imposed nonjudicial punishment on 21 Airmen under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice during the first quarter of 2011. Nonjudicial punishment is a tool that provides commanders with an essential and swift means of maintaining good order and discipline. It also promotes behavior changes in service members without the stigma of a court-martial conviction. Article 15 punishment is ordinarily offered for less serious violations of the UCMJ. If a commander believes an Airman has committed a specific offense or offenses under the UCMJ, he or she will administer appropriate punishment. The following Article 15s were processed at Edwards during the first quarter of 2011. - An airman first class operated a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in violation of Article 111, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman and a reprimand. - An airman wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic and a reprimand. - An airman first class operated a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in violation of Article 111, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman and suspended forfeitures of $822 pay per month for two months. - A staff sergeant misused the government travel card in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Suspended reduction to the grade of senior airman, 45 days extra duty and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic, suspended forfeitures of $733 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - A staff sergeant signed false official statements in violation of Article 107, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Suspended reduction to the grade of senior airman, 45 days extra duty and a reprimand. - A staff sergeant committed simple assault against his or her spouse in violation of Article 128, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of senior airman, suspended forfeitures of $1,146 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic, suspended forfeitures of $733 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - A staff sergeant conspired to falsify an official document in violation of Article 81, UCMJ; willfully failed to provide accurate information in violation of Article 92, UCMJ; and wrongfully solicited another AF member to make a false official document in violation of Article 134, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of senior airman, suspended forfeitures of $1,162 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - A senior airman was derelict in the performance of his or her duties in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman first class, suspended reduction to airman, suspended forfeitures of $822 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - An airman first class disobeyed a lawful written order given by a superior officer in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman, suspended forfeitures of $822 pay per month for two months, 15 days extra duty, restriction to the limits of Edwards AFB for 15 days and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully drove a vehicle in willful disregard for the safety of persons or property going 99 mph in violation of Article 134, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Suspended reduction to the grade of airman, forfeiture of $822 pay per month for one month, 30 days extra duty, restriction to the limits of Edwards AFB and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic, suspended forfeitures of $733 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic, suspended forfeitures of $733 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - A staff sergeant misused the government travel card in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of senior airman, 15 days extra duty, suspended forfeitures of $1,115 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman, suspended forfeitures of $822 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - An airman wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic, suspended forfeitures of $733 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman, suspended forfeitures of $822 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - An airman first class wrongfully used Spice in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman and suspended reduction to airman basic. - An airman misused the government travel card in violation of Article 92, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic, suspended forfeitures of $733 pay per month for two months and a reprimand. - A senior airman wrongfully used marijuana, in violation of Article 112a, UCMJ. The commander imposed the following punishment: Reduction to the grade of airman basic and a reprimand. In the case of persuasive extenuating or mitigating circumstances or first-time offenders, occasionally a suspension will be granted to the offender. A suspension is the postponement of the application of all or part of the punishment for a specific probationary period. The punishment will be automatically remitted at the end of that period, if the member does not violate the conditions of his or her suspension or any other article of the UCMJ. As of March 1, 2011, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration exercised its emergency scheduling authority to outlaw some of the chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana - commonly known as Spice - for one year, with the possibility of a six-month extension. These chemicals have been placed into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I is the most restrictive and is typically reserved for "unsafe, highly abused substances with no medical usage." The Air Force has added the chemicals to the list of substances they test for during urinalysis tests. In addition, the use of Spice will now be charged under Article 112a, UCMJ.