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By SUE PALUMBO Naples bureauNAPLES, Italy — A dozen sailors from Gaeta, Italy, will soon be out of the Navy after nonjudicial punishment proceedings found them guilty of drug use, Navy officials said Friday.Twenty people were originally suspected of possession, use, distribution and purchase of hashish after a recent investigation by Naval Criminal Investigation Service agents.Most of the suspects are assigned to the 6th Fleet flagship La Salle, two are on the 6th Fleet staff, two arc assigned to Naval Support Activity Gaeta and two are dependent wives whosehusbands are assigned to the base.- The administrative proceedings took place over the past two weeks. All 12 of those found guilty were given the maximum sentence, which includes processing for an administrative separation from the Navy. Officials recommended they be given other than honorable discharges.12 from Gaeta outNavyIn addition to the 12 convicted at captain’s mast* at least one was referred to an Article 32 investigation, similar to a grand jury, to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant a court-martial.Charges were dropped against three individuals. One of those assigned to NSA Gaeta was also found guilty at mast and actions against the other are still pending, officials said. Thetwo wives are expected to go before a civilian misconductreview board.The investigation was prompted when at least one witness said they saw the suspects smoking hashish, according to sources close to the investigation. Much of the buying and smoking took place at several local social establishments. Navy officials said.Results of the mass drug testing of all of the Gaeta command’s 700 activc-duty personnel are not yet known, officials said. The urinalysis testing was done in response to the recent investigation.“We did do a unit sweep* md Crndr. Brian Cull in, 6th Fleet public affairs officer, “'That is a normal procedure if you feel them is any evidence of drug ute”Cullin said the Navy doe* not try to run it* drug prevention program based solely on random urinalysis, It also depend* on investigation* such as the one run by NCI S.In addition to the mass testing, the *hip also held a specialcaptain’s call to addre** the huje of drug,* in the Navy, and publicized the results of the nonjudicial punishment proceed-ings held over the last two weeks, fie taid. Navy regulation* do not allow command* to re leave I he name* and detail* of what happens m administrative proceeding*, official* said.Since no formal charge* have been filed agamtt the individual awaiting tic Article 32 irrv estimation, hi* name was released. He is suspected of being the wpphef of the hashish for other tailor*.'I he i roe*? s gat ion s* ot, going and offktah ta. d they arc **j]l probing whether foreign narionah were involved
Newspaper Details
European Stars and Stripes
Darmstadt, Hesse, DE
Sun, Jun 15, 1997
Page 42
Full Page
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Tyson M.
IL, USA 24 Dec 2021
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Allgemeine Kirchen Zeitung
European Stars and Stripes
