An 18-year master sergeant was sentenced to a bad conduct discharge, demotion to airman basic and two months confinement by a military judge during a special court-martial here March 20 after pleading guilty to cheating on a promotion test in 2004.

Master Sgt. Ulysses S. Dotson of the 733rd Air Mobility Squadron at Kadena, who is currently confined at the brig on Camp Hansen on Okinawa, admitted to possessing controlled test materials before an examination under the Weighted Airman Promotion System in March 2004 while assigned to Rhein-Main AB, Germany.

Air Force prosecutors charged that Sergeant Dotson used an advance copy of the test to cheat on exams designed to assess job-related and general military knowledge in 2004 and was wrongfully promoted in April 2005 to master sergeant based on his high scores.

Sergeant Dotson received the tests in early February 2004 from his former supervisor, another master sergeant, at Rhein-Main. That supervisor received a dishonorable discharge, demotion to airman basic and a three and a half-year prison sentence for his involvement in the cheating scam.

“Our enlisted force depends on the integrity and security of our promotion testing system, a system that dictates not only their careers but the quality of their lives,” said Capt. Andrew Griffin, 18th Wing lead prosecutor for the case.

In 2004, Air Force officials selected 6,217 of 23,956 eligible technical sergeants for promotion to master sergeant, with a 25.95-percent selection rate for promotion. The average master sergeant selectee had 3.64 years time in grade and 17.22 years in service.

“His cheating cost another Airman a promotion and he took from her the one thing that can never be recovered, recognition for her accomplishments,” Captain Griffin said. “His actions were an affront to every one of our Airmen who serve with integrity, and they cost him his career and his freedom.”