Airman accused insider attack in Syria acquitted

Tech. Sergeant. Dezwaan was accused of staging an insider attack on a U.S. military base in Syria in 2022 that injured four service members. The alleged attack occurred on April 7, 2022, when explosions hit two buildings inside the base walls at Green Village, North of the Euphrates River.

US airman David D. Dezwaan Jr. charged in insider attack on Syria base that hurt 4 https://t.co/VSs5AOz6qY pic.twitter.com/wkbjdrAqZm

— New York Post (@nypost) August 4, 2022

The charges against him included dereliction of duty, destroying military property, reckless endangerment, and aggravated assault. After approximately six hours of deliberation, a panel of three enlisted persons and five officers found Tech. Sergeant. Dezwaan not guilty of all charges.

The military judge presiding over the trial had found that the prosecution had not presented enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dezwaan had committed the crimes.

Original Article: Airman arrested for alleged role in attack on US base in Syria

Tech. Sergeant. Dezwaan’s legal team, consisting of attorneys Philip Cave and Nathan Freeburg, as well as Area Defense Counsels Maj. Luke Gilhooly and Capt. Nathan Wiebenga stated that their client had been in pre-trial confinement for nearly nine months. After the verdict was announced, Mr. Cave told Military.com that “He was held in a cell 23 hours a day. He is happy and relieved to be back with his family, friends, and many supporters.”

Initially, investigators believed that the attack was the result of indirect fire, but a week later, U.S. Central Command issued a statement clarifying that it was an insider attack caused by “the deliberate placement of explosive charges by an unidentified individual(s) at an ammunition holding area and shower facility.”

Tech. Sergeant. Dezwaan was identified as a suspect during the investigation, and prosecutors argued that he had created explosive devices that caused the attack. However, the defense team argued that there were gaps in the prosecution’s timeline and presented evidence that Tech. Sergeant. Dezwaan had an alibi at the time of the attack.

In a statement, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of the 9th Air Force, expressed his appreciation for the collaboration between the leadership teams at Air Force Materiel Command and Hill Air Force Base during the court-martial proceedings. He stated that he trusts the Air Force’s judicial process and is grateful for the efforts of everyone involved.

Following the announcement of the verdict, Dezwaan expressed his relief and gratitude to his legal team, family, and friends for their support throughout the ordeal.