In the U.S. Army's first COVID court-martial, 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw has been convicted of violating pandemic restrictions at his unit. He served in the Army's Public Health Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
At the court-martial, 1st Lt. Bashaw was found guilty of coming into the office to work when he was supposed to work remotely and also declined to wear a mask while at work, both of which violated lawful orders.
However, the judge adjudicating the case declined to hand down a sentence to Bashaw post-conviction. While Bashaw will not face punishment, the court-martial conviction will remain in his official record and almost certainly impact his military career and post-service life.
"After a careful consideration of the evidence, a military judge exercised lawful authority not to adjudge punishment for 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw,” an Army spokesperson said. “Receiving no punishment at a court-martial is not without precedent.”
The Army has separated nearly 500 soldiers for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, but Bashaw is the first soldier who was actually court-martialed for refusing to comply with pandemic restrictions.
Reach Jack Murphy: jack@connectingvets.com or @JackMurphyRGR. Want to get more connected to the stories and resources Connecting Vets has to offer? Click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
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