Berlin: The former commander of the US Army`s 173rd Airborne Brigade is going on trial on suspicion of fraud, bigamy, conduct unbefitting an officer and other charges related to an alleged long-term extra-marital affair he had with a woman he met in Iraq, while they both lived in Europe.
Col. James Johnson III will be court martialed beginning in Kaiserslautern today. He was relieved of his command of the Vicenza, Italy-based 173rd in March 2011, and could face decades in prison and a dishonorable discharge if convicted.
Johnson has not yet entered a plea and his attorney, Lt. Col. Charles Kuhfahl, would not comment on the case.
The court martial of Johnson, son of the former commander of the North Carolina-based 82nd Airborne Division, is scheduled through June 16.
PTI
