A colonel at the North American Aerospace Defense Command-Northern Command headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado will face a court-martial on sexual assault and assault charges in March.
Col. Jason Costello is accused of three specifications of sexual assault, a violation of Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and two specifications of a charge of assault in violation of article 128 of the UCMJ.
Stephen Brady, a spokesman for the 21st Space Wing at Peterson, confirmed Costello’s trial has been set for March 4. The trial was originally to be held last October, but was postponed.
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Michael Kucharek, a spokesman for NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, said Costello is still on active-duty status. Since last July has been assigned to the NORAD and NORTHCOM training and exercises directorate, where he “is currently working projects as directed by his chain of command.” He was previously assigned to the NORTHCOM operations directorate.
According to the charge sheet, Costello is accused of having sex with an unidentified woman while she was asleep in Rhode Island between late October and December 2014. He is also accused of digitally penetrating an unidentified woman at some time between September and November 2012 without her consent, and is accused of touching an unidentified woman’s breasts and genitals over her clothes, without her consent, on more than one occasion between December 2012 and August 2014.
The assault charges allege Costello struck an unidentified person’s face with his hand in November or December 2013, and allege he unlawfully grabbed an unidentified person’s arm, wrist and hand with his hands.
Costello previously served as commander of the 325th Training Support Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, and has also served as an F-22 instructor.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
