High-Flying Fiasco: Lt General Michael G. Koscheski’s Legal Tailspin

In a shocking turn of events, Lt General Michael G. Koscheski's controversial decisions have thrust him into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. During the first two years of Captain Juan Gale's legal battles, then-Major General Koscheski, acting as Convening Authority for the 15th Air Force, aggressively pursued not one, but two court-martials against Captain Gale within a span of four years. The burning question is: Why?

The saga began with a convoluted series of events involving multiple investigations and legal maneuvers. After ten months, two commander-directed investigations, and two OSI investigations, Colonel Coyle revealed that he had offered Captain Gale two Article 15s within a mere 14 days on behalf of then-Major General Koscheski. When Captain Gale refused both offers, Colonel Coyle, under oath, brazenly declared that General Koscheski stated “We are going to court,” despite the Preliminary Hearing Officer’s recommendation to the contrary.

Lets momentarily give Lt General Koscheski the benefit of the doubt, assuming he was perhaps uninformed or misled the first time around. After all, he’s not a lawyer and might have been relying on Lt Colonel Eberle’s, Tinkers “apparent legal expert” Staff Judge Advocate, for guidance. However, the plot thickens as, despite confidently moving forward with a court-martial against advisory recommendations, Koscheski abruptly dismissed all charges two weeks before the trial, only to recharge Captain Gale with the exact same allegations 30 days later.

“Like many of you now cast doubt and disbelief, I too was there once, until the day I was there in court for the majority of the motions hearings in the audience and was a real-time witness to it all,” admitted Santiago Sanchez who heard all of this laid out in court first-hand.

Sanchez went on to narrate, “When Colonel Coyle was getting grilled by Aaron Meyer (Captain Gale’s civilian attorney), Colonel Coyle basically shit his pants and didn't skip a beat as he quickly threw the General under the bus to save himself. On the verge of Captain Gale’s court martial, all charges were unexpectedly dismissed by the General himself. Nonetheless, leadership refiled the same charges in 30 days under colonel Voight, the new 552 ACW/CC, who when questioned 9 months later by Captain Gale’s lawyer, Voight admitted on the stand he didn't even know about what just happed 30 days prior let alone the previous 2 years, he just took JAGs advice that the General wanted it to go back to Court Martial."

Sanchez recounts everyone in the audience gasping as Colonel Voigt looked “not only incompetent but also a fool.”

The situation escalated when, under intense questioning by Captain Gale’s civilian military attorney, Lt General Koscheski revealed his true motives. He admitted that it had always been the plan to recharge Captain Gale, even after two years of relentless pursuit, accusations of Unlawful Command Influence, the dismissal of lead prosecutor Captain Lopes for potential prosecutorial misconduct and witness intimidation, and the withdrawal of all charges. Koscheski’s arrogant admission, “It was always the plan to recharge Captain Gale,” underscores a troubling disregard for military justice protocols.

The implications of this case are profound. When military justice doesn’t align with the expectations of high-ranking officials like those at Tinker Air Force Base, they appear willing to manipulate the system to their advantage. Koscheski’s blatant admission of unlawful influence flies in the face of 10 U.S. Code 837 - Article 37, which strictly prohibits any attempt to coerce or improperly influence court-martial proceedings.

The fallout from Koscheski’s actions is staggering: three Lt Colonel Squadron Commanders from the 552d ACW, four Tinker AFB Colonels, two OSI investigations, two Commander Directed Investigations, two Article 15 offers, and allegations of perjury against a judge attempting to cover up the scandal. Now, nearly four years later, a third judge is presiding over this convoluted case.

As taxpayers, we are left to question the competence and motives of Lt General Michael G. Koscheski. How many more resources will be wasted, and how much more will Captain Gale endure? The only clear plan seems to be an incessant, and perhaps personal, vendetta against Captain Gale, no matter the cost. We await with bated breath to hear Koscheski's explanation as this legal debacle unfolds once more.