Marijuana nets Airman bad conduct discharge Published June 17, 2007 By 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- An Airman here was recently sentenced to a bad conduct discharge, four months confinement and reduction to Airman Basic for using marijuana. In a special court martial June 12 Senior Airman Dale D. Hayes Jr., 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, pleaded guilty to one specification of using marijuana and one specification of possessing it - a violation of Article 112a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The charges alleged that he used marijuana on multiple occasions between July 11 and Sept. 6, 2006. The charge also alleged he possessed marijuana at his off-base residence Sept. 19, 2006 "Airmen need to understand that use and/or possession of any illegal drug are crimes that the Air Force takes seriously," said Capt. Robert E. Vorhees II, 18th Wing trial counsel. "In this case, Senior Airman Hayes had an outstanding service record and yet he still received a bad conduct discharge and four months in confinement for possessing and using marijuana. The bottom line is that drug abuse in the Air Force is a career killer and will have a lasting impact on the Airman's life after service." The maximum punishment Airman Hayes could have received was a reduction in rank to E-1, confinement for one year, forfeiture of two-thirds of his pay per month for one year, and a bad-conduct discharge. He is currently being detained at the brigade on Camp Hansen, Okinawa.