If you are facing a Board of Inquiry or an Administrative Separation Board, you may feel that your military career is over. That is simply not true. You just need to get an experienced counsel advocating for you immediately. A Board of Inquiry is conducted when an officer is being reviewed for allegations of substandard performance or some kind of alleged misconduct. The Board of Inquiry typically consists of about 3 officers senior in grade to the one being reviewed. The Board will look at the allegations and determine if they are substantiated and the Board can also recommend that the officer be separated from the service. The Department of the Army then makes the final decision. An Administrative Separation Board is basically the same except it is held to review allegations against enlisted servicemembers and not officers. The makeup of the board members in an Administrative Separation Board is usually a mix of officers and enlisted servicemembers that outrank the servicemember facing review. While these boards are not as formal as a court-martial and are not run by a judge, they can be intense. Last week, I represented a Captain who faced some allegations regarding substandard performance during the Captain’s Career Course. The allegations were each fairly minor, but when put together they seemed daunting. It was a serious and life altering moment for my client. However, he came out on top. The Board of Inquiry recommended retaining him and only substantiated the most minor of allegations. My client was obviously relieved. The Board made the right decision. However, this doesn’t always happen. It takes a great deal of experience to face these board members and get the right result. If you are facing such a board or think you may be headed in that direction, call me immediately. You don’t want to wait, as there is always a chance I can convince the command that a board is not necessary at all. Don’t put your career in the hands of just anyone. Call today. To speak to an experienced court-martial and military defense attorney, call Bill Cassara at 706-860-5769 for a free consultation.