ADC helps defend personnel rights Published Jan. 18, 2008 By the Spangdahlem Air Base Area Defense Counsel SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- As a member of the Armed Forces, everyone takes an oath to defend and protect the United States Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. The U.S. Constitution provides everyone with basic rights. "We the People of the United States ... establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity ..." Everyone have earned the rights and benefits found in the U.S. Constitution. Area Defense Counsels across the Air Force work to protect those rights, ensuring an independent and aggressive representation of Air Force members facing military justice and other adverse actions. They promote justice and strengthen confidence in discipline which improves quality of life and advances the Air Force mission. "The real success in the ADC program has not just been in providing an accused with independent, competent counsel; it has been in the creation of the perception of fairness and integrity that has resulted," said Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, former Air Force Chief of Staff. ADCs are assigned to Air Force installations throughout the world, with at least one ADC at virtually every major base. At Spangdahlem Air Base, the ADC team includes Capt. Mike Felsen and Tech. Sgt. Amanda Hendrix. The team is supervised by a senior regional defense counsel located at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, UK, making it completely independent from the base chain of command. The ADC represents both enlisted and officer personnel in a variety of actions. Some of the most common actions are courts-martial, non-judicial punishments, administrative discharges, administrative actions, reports of survey, accident investigations and flying evaluation boards. ADC does not work for any of the base's commanders or the base staff judge advocate. This separate chain of command ensures that they are not pressured by any commander to do anything against their client's best interests. To further ensure independence, ADCs are not rotated back to the base legal office. For more information, visit the ADC in building 151 on the second floor or call 452-6607.