Soldiers charged in Afghan killings

By JBLM Public AffairsJune 18, 2010

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD. Wash. - Charges were preferred Tuesday evening against three additional Soldiers who are accused in the deaths of three Afghan civilians between January and May 2010.

A fourth Soldier, Spc. Jeremy Morlock, was charged on June 4 with three specifications of premeditated murder and one specification of assault and is currently in pretrial confinement at JBLM.

A fifth Soldier, Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, was charged in Kuwait on June 8 and is expected to arrive at JBLM within days.

All five Soldiers are assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. The Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in July 2009 with their unit in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Charges against Pvt. 1st Class Andrew Holmes, Specialist Michael Wagnon and Specialist Adam Winfield, include one specification of murder under Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 118 - Premeditated Murder. Each Soldier is suspected in separate incidents.

Holmes, Wagnon and Winfield returned to JBLM on June 14, and were placed in pretrial confinement.

Gibbs was charged in Kuwait with three specifications of murder under Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 118 - Premeditated Murder, and one specification of assault under Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 128, Assault.

Jurisdiction of their cases passed to JBLM upon their redeployment.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord officials emphasize that the charges constitute an accusation and that the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Gibbs, 25, from Billings, Mont., is an Infantryman. He entered the military in May 2002. After initial entry training and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Ga., his first assignment was Hawaii followed by an assignment to Fort Drum, N.Y., before being stationed at JBLM in January 2008. This was his third deployment. Gibbs previously deployed to Iraq from January 2004 to January 2005 and to Afghanistan from January 2006 to May 2007.

Holmes, 19, from Boise, Idaho, is an Infantryman. He entered the military in September 2008. After initial entry training, advanced individual training and Airborne School at Fort Benning, he reported to JBLM in April 2009. This was his first deployment.

Wagnon, 29, from Las Vegas, Nev., is an Infantryman. He entered the military in February 2003. After initial entry training and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, his first assignment was in Germany. He reported to JBLM in April 2008. This was his third deployment.

Wagnon previously deployed to Iraq from February 2004 to February 2005 and from August 2006 to November 2007.

Winfield, 21, from Cape Coral, Fla., is an Infantryman. He entered the military in July 2006. After initial entry training and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, he reported to JBLM in April 2007. This was his only deployment.

U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command officials are continuing their investigation into the allegations.