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Senior Airman Bonnie Shepard, Area Defense Council paralegal, is part of Ramstein’s ADC, which is here to inform and defend the rights of every Airman. Separate from the base legal office, the ADC exists only to support Airmen when they are faced with adverse administration actions.
When the weight of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice is bearing down, who can someone turn to? Who provides someone with legal representation? Who knows an Airman’s rights when that Airman is under questioning or administrative actions?
Ramstein’s Area Defense Council is here to provide consultation for just such quandaries.
“We are here to defend Airmen,” said Capt. Andrew Halldin, ADC. “Every Airmen is entitled to know their rights and have them defended. We help Airmen make the best chain of decisions when faced with adverse administrative actions.”
Influence from leadership may also impact a defense’s overall efficiency, which is why the ADC is structured to be excluded from any and all chains of command in the KMC.
Clemency from local chain of command aside, ADC attorneys and paralegals hold all information provided in a state of confidentiality.
“Forming an attorney-client relationship is always something we aim to achieve,” said Tech. Sgt. Frank Masella, ADC paralegal. “All information provided to us to form a defense is entirely confidential.”
The ADC might appear critically familiar to the legal office, however there are key differences in why they are here and who each office serves.
“Our only concern is the Airmen,” said Senior Airman Bonnie Shepard, ADC paralegal. “While the legal office supports commanders, when there are adverse actions being taken, our role is to support the Airmen.”
Supporting Airmen, providing legal counseling, defending the rights of the accused and justice for all, is what the ADC is here for. That is their call.
For more information on the ADC, call 480-2182.
