An officer at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, was sentenced April 22 to 42 months confinement and dismissal from the Air Force after he was found guilty of sexual assault of an unidentified woman and other charges.
Maj. Clarence Anderson III was found guilty following a three-day general court-martial of committing six offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice: sexual assault and abusive sexual contact; aggravated assault and assault; and communicating a threat and kidnapping. The offenses were committed in Florida, Alabama and New Mexico against one victim as Anderson changed stations, according to a Holloman news release.
Anderson was found not guilty of two other assault charges and one other kidnapping charge, the release said.
"Major Anderson has been held accountable for his action in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice," Col. Robert Kiebler, 49th Wing commander, said in the release. "Holloman Air Force Base holds our Airmen to the highest standards and will continue adhere to our Core Values and standards of behavior in order to eliminate sexual assault and other inappropriate behavior."
According to Capt. Ewa Dawson, 49th Wing chief of military justice, Anderson elected to have the trial heard by military judge alone instead of a panel of officers. Anderson has the option to appeal the conviction.
Anderson was a special project officer with the 49th Materiel Maintenance Support Squadron, according to the Air Force Personnel Center.
On his Linkedin page, Anderson writes that he has been a logistics officer at Holloman since June 2013. He lists only one prior assignment: four years and eight months as a logistics officer at Special Operations Command Central at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Anderson was accused of hitting the alleged victim in the face with his fists in January 2012, according to his charge sheet. In November 2012, he allegedly assaulted her by covering her mouth with his hands and hitting her on the buttocks with a door.
Also in November 2012, he was accused of holding her against her will and threatening her by saying, "I know how to kill you and blame it on PTSD," the charge sheet said.
Anderson was accused of sexually assaulting and abusively touching the woman in September 2013, the charge sheet said. Later that month, he allegedly wrongfully confined her.
Other charges against Anderson were dismissed in October, the charge sheet said.
In a Nov. 14, 2013, commentary on Holloman's website, Anderson wrote that professional and personal situations had shaped him as a leader.
"I have experienced fatherhood, divorce, numerous deployments and even death, all of which consciously or unconsciously postured me into leadership," he wrote.
"Sometimes we learn from the school of hard knocks, and sometimes we are fortunate to learn from friends and mentors," he wrote.
