AR 15-6 Investigation Lawyer

An AR 15-6 investigation can quietly end a military career before a Soldier ever sees a courtroom. These command-directed inquiries are used across the Army and Army National Guard to investigate accidents, misconduct, policy violations, financial irregularities, and a wide range of administrative concerns. The findings that come out of an AR 15-6 can trigger separation proceedings, relief from command, adverse administrative actions, and referrals for criminal prosecution. Yet many Soldiers respond to one without legal counsel, treating it like a routine administrative formality. That is a serious mistake.

If you have been named as a subject, respondent, or person of interest in one of these inquiries, or if you are a commander trying to understand your obligations when one is directed against your unit, an AR 15-6 investigation lawyer can make a meaningful difference in how the process unfolds and what happens afterward. The investigation itself may not look like legal jeopardy, but the report it produces can follow a Soldier for the rest of their career and beyond.

Citizen Soldier Law represents Soldiers, officers, and National Guard members across the country who are navigating command investigations. The firm’s attorneys have served as JAG lawyers, deployed with units, and handled military administrative matters from the inside. That background shapes how they read an investigating officer’s report, identify procedural defects, and advise clients on when and how to respond.

What an AR 15-6 Investigation Actually Involves

Army Regulation 15-6 provides the procedural framework for informal and formal investigations conducted by a commissioned or warrant officer appointed by a commander. These investigations are not criminal prosecutions, but they function with legal weight. The appointed investigating officer gathers evidence, interviews witnesses, reviews documents, and ultimately produces a report with findings of fact and recommendations.

The commander who directed the investigation is not required to accept those recommendations, but in practice the report carries substantial influence over what administrative action follows. If the investigation concludes that a Soldier committed misconduct, the door opens to a range of consequences: a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand, relief from command, removal from a promotion list, initiation of elimination proceedings, or referral to law enforcement or a court-martial convening authority.

Subjects of an investigation have the right to review certain evidence and to submit a rebuttal or response before the report is finalized, but only if they know to exercise that right and do so effectively. The investigating officer is not your advocate. They are conducting a fact-finding mission with consequences that can be severe and lasting. Getting legal advice before you respond, or before you sit down for an interview, is not an overreaction. It is the minimum protective step any Soldier in this position should take.

Citizen Soldier Law has handled AR 15-6 matters involving accidents, equal opportunity complaints, financial liability investigations, Uniform Code of Military Justice referrals, and senior leader misconduct allegations. The firm serves both Reserve Component and Active Duty Soldiers, and all branches process their administrative matters in Title 10 settings where the same fundamental frameworks apply.

Why Citizen Soldier Law Handles These Cases Differently

Most civilian lawyers have never read Army Regulation 15-6. They would not know how to spot a procedurally defective appointment memorandum, challenge the scope of an investigating officer’s authority, or advise a client on the tactical decision of whether to provide a statement or invoke rights during the interview phase. Citizen Soldier Law is built on a different foundation.

Thomas Roughneen and the attorneys at Citizen Soldier Law bring over 100 years of combined military service to their legal practice, including service as active duty and reserve JAG attorneys. The firm was founded in 2013 specifically to represent Soldiers navigating military administrative and disability matters, and that mission has remained central to how the firm operates. The team includes retired JAG lawyers, a retired Army National Guard human resources NCO, and a board-certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation. That depth matters when an AR 15-6 investigation touches on medical fitness, duty status questions, or physical injury determinations that will later feed into a Medical Evaluation Board or disability proceeding.

The firm is nationally scoped for military matters. Regardless of where a Soldier is stationed or which state a Guard member serves in, Citizen Soldier Law can advise, prepare response documents, and represent clients through the administrative process. A satisfied client’s feedback captured on the firm’s website describes preparation and dedication as defining features of attorney Thomas Roughneen’s approach, and that emphasis on thorough preparation translates directly into how the firm handles command investigations.

Common Situations That Trigger AR 15-6 Investigations

• Training Accidents and Safety Failures: When a Soldier is injured or killed during training, a command investigation is typically required. The findings can determine financial liability for destroyed equipment or assign responsibility in ways that affect both officers and enlisted personnel involved in planning or supervising the event.
• Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss: Formerly called AR 15-6 property investigations, these inquiries determine whether Soldiers will be held financially responsible for lost, damaged, or destroyed government property. The dollar amounts at stake can be substantial, and the procedures for contesting liability are specific and unforgiving.
• Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment Complaints: Commanders direct AR 15-6 investigations in response to formal EO and SHARP complaints. The subjects of these investigations face career-altering findings if the process is not approached carefully, including findings that can support subsequent administrative separation.
• Senior Officer and NCO Misconduct Allegations: Allegations of fraternization, conduct unbecoming, abuse of authority, or improper relationships are often investigated through this framework before a decision is made about whether to refer the matter criminally or handle it administratively.
• Line of Duty Investigations: These inquiries determine whether an injury, illness, or death occurred in the line of duty, which controls whether a Soldier or their family receives certain benefits. A finding of “not in line of duty” can affect disability compensation, TRICARE eligibility, and Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance outcomes.
• Misconduct Underlying IDES or MEB Proceedings: Sometimes a command investigation runs parallel to or precedes a Medical Evaluation Board process. The findings from one proceeding can bleed into the other, particularly when the Army is deciding whether misconduct rather than disability is the appropriate basis for separation.
• Unit-Level Administrative Investigations: Commanders use AR 15-6 as a flexible tool for investigating everything from allegations of command climate failures to improper use of government vehicles. These lower-profile investigations can still produce findings that damage careers if a Soldier does not respond effectively.

How to Respond When You Are Named in a Command Investigation

If you receive notice that you are a subject or that an investigating officer wants to interview you, the first thing to understand is that you are not required to answer questions that could incriminate you. Your rights under Article 31 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice apply here, and any statement you provide voluntarily will be part of the evidentiary record the investigating officer uses. Before you say anything beyond confirming your identity and duty status, speak with an AR 15-6 investigation attorney who understands how military administrative proceedings work.

Gather and preserve any documentation that touches on the events or conduct at issue: emails, text messages, memoranda, training records, maintenance logs, duty rosters, or any other written records you have legitimate access to. Do not destroy, alter, or delete anything even if you believe it is irrelevant. Document preservation is a baseline obligation, and failure to preserve records can itself become a separate issue in the investigation.

If the investigation produces a report, you typically have the right to review it and submit a response before the appointing authority acts on it. That response window is not infinite and the deadlines can be tight. A well-crafted response that identifies factual inaccuracies, challenges the investigating officer’s reasoning, or presents mitigating context can influence whether the findings are accepted, modified, or rejected by the commander. Submitting nothing, or submitting a response that inadvertently concedes key facts, is among the most common and damaging mistakes Soldiers make in this process.

If the findings are used to support a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand, a Soldier can request that the document be filed locally rather than in the official record, or challenge it through the Army Board for Correction of Military Records. These post-investigation avenues have their own procedural requirements and timelines, and the window for filing is not always well-publicized. Citizen Soldier Law handles records correction matters as part of its national military law practice.

Questions Soldiers Ask About AR 15-6 Investigations

Can I bring a lawyer to an AR 15-6 investigation interview?

Yes. You have the right to consult with counsel before providing a statement and, depending on the circumstances, to have counsel present during an interview. This right is especially important if the investigation involves conduct that could lead to criminal charges under the UCMJ. You should never provide a statement in a potential criminal matter without speaking to an attorney first.

Am I required to cooperate with the investigating officer?

You are generally required to provide information relevant to official duties, but Article 31 of the UCMJ protects you against compelled self-incrimination. The line between what you must provide and what you can decline to answer depends on what the investigation is looking at and whether the matter could lead to criminal prosecution. This is a judgment call that benefits from legal advice specific to your situation.

How long does an AR 15-6 investigation typically take?

Informal investigations are supposed to be completed within 30 days, but extensions are common, particularly in complex cases involving multiple witnesses, technical analysis, or senior officers. Formal investigations may take considerably longer. The timeline can affect your career trajectory, especially if you are in a selection cycle or facing pending administrative action.

Can the findings from an AR 15-6 investigation be used in a court-martial?

Investigation reports and statements collected during an AR 15-6 process can in some circumstances be used in subsequent criminal proceedings. If there is any realistic possibility that a command investigation will lead to criminal charges, you need legal counsel before you make any statement. The rules governing admissibility are fact-specific, but the safest approach is to treat any investigation touching on potential UCMJ violations as something that could feed a criminal case.

What happens if the investigating officer’s findings are factually wrong?

You can challenge factual errors through your written response before the appointing authority acts on the report. If the report is already finalized and adverse action has been taken, you may be able to seek correction through the Army Board for Correction of Military Records. The strength of a challenge depends on the quality of the documentation and argumentation you provide, which is where legal representation adds the most value.

Does an AR 15-6 investigation automatically go into my official military personnel file?

Not automatically. The investigation report itself may or may not be filed in your record depending on what action, if any, follows from it. However, documents generated as a result of the investigation, such as a memorandum of reprimand, a relief from command memorandum, or an administrative separation packet, can be filed in your Official Military Personnel File and will affect promotion, retention, and transition decisions.

Can a National Guard Soldier face an AR 15-6 investigation during a state active duty period?

Yes. State active duty creates some jurisdictional complexity, but Guard commanders retain authority to direct investigations during state activations. The applicable regulation and procedural framework may vary somewhat depending on whether the Soldier is on state orders or federal Title 10 orders. A Guard-specific AR 15-6 attorney can advise on which rules govern based on the orders in effect at the time of the alleged conduct.

What is the difference between a subject and a witness in an AR 15-6 investigation?

A subject is a person whose conduct is within the scope of the investigation. A witness provides information about events but is not personally accused of anything. The distinction matters because subjects have specific rights, including the right against self-incrimination under Article 31, that witnesses do not automatically invoke. Investigators sometimes blur this line during interviews, which is another reason to have counsel advise you before you sit down with an investigating officer regardless of how your role is initially characterized.

Can an AR 15-6 investigation affect my VA disability claim or IDES process?

It can, depending on the findings and how they are used. If an investigation concludes that a Soldier’s injury resulted from misconduct, that finding can affect line of duty determinations, which in turn affect eligibility for certain disability benefits. Citizen Soldier Law specifically handles both command investigations and Medical Evaluation Board proceedings, which means the firm can advise on how the two processes interact and how to protect a client’s position across both tracks simultaneously.

If I am an officer facing an AR 15-6 investigation, is the risk different than for an enlisted Soldier?

Yes, in practical terms. Officers serve at the pleasure of the President and can be reduced in grade or denied promotion based on administrative findings without a court-martial. An adverse AR 15-6 report can trigger a show cause board or elimination proceedings for officers, and the standard of proof in those boards is lower than in a criminal proceeding. Officers facing command investigations face career consequences that can be irreversible if the process is not handled carefully from the start.

Representing Soldiers Across the Country in Military Administrative Matters

Citizen Soldier Law handles AR 15-6 representation nationally. The firm serves Active Duty and Reserve Component Soldiers stationed at installations throughout New Jersey, including Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, as well as Guard members and Soldiers in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, and across the broader northeastern region. The firm’s military law practice extends well beyond that footprint. Soldiers and officers in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Washington, California, and every other state have called on Citizen Soldier Law for help with military administrative matters, including command investigations and their aftermath.

Because all IDES decisions are processed in Title 10 active duty settings regardless of branch or component, and because AR 15-6 investigations follow Army-wide procedural standards rather than state-specific rules, the firm’s attorneys can represent clients wherever they are located. The firm has also served Soldiers from every branch of service, as the administrative investigation framework used across the services shares common procedural foundations with the Army regulation. If you are a Guard member in the midwest, an Active Duty officer at a post in the south, or a Reserve Soldier navigating an investigation while trying to preserve a civilian career, Citizen Soldier Law has the background to help.

Talk to an AR 15-6 Investigation Attorney Before You Respond

A command investigation is not something to address alone or treat as routine paperwork. The report that comes out of one can define how your military career ends, whether you keep your rank, and whether you receive the benefits you earned. Citizen Soldier Law’s team of veteran attorneys and retired JAG lawyers understands what is at stake and knows how to navigate the AR 15-6 process from a position of real military experience. If you are facing a command investigation, a line of duty determination, or the administrative consequences that follow an investigation’s findings, call Citizen Soldier Law to speak with an AR 15-6 investigation attorney who has been on both sides of the military administrative system.

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