Airman receives 48 months confinement Published April 6, 2004 By 2nd Lt. Kristen Duncan Air Armament Center Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- A 33rd Maintenance Squadron Airman here pleaded guilty and was convicted recently of illegal drug use and distribution involving Ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana. Airman Basic Brian M. Baird also pleaded guilty to four additional charges: disobeying his commander’s orders, using Ecstasy and marijuana after his initial charge, dereliction of duty and obstructing justice. Officials said Airman Baird was derelict based on his failure to obtain emergency care for Cheryl Skinnider, a civilian, after her self-imposed drug overdose, and he obstructed justice by impeding the investigation in the case of U.S. v. Cheryl Skinnider.Presiding military judge, Lt. Col. Daryl Trawick, sentenced Airman Baird to 48 months confinement. Airman Baird faced a maximum punishment of 74 years, six months confinement. He entered into a pretrial agreement to plead guilty to all charges, waived his right to an Article 32 pretrial hearing regarding the additional charges, and waived his right to trial by jury. His pretrial agreement capped his confinement time to 48 months. It was the court's sentence that Airman Baird be dishonorably discharged, but his pretrial agreement lessoned the sentence to a bad conduct discharge. The court adjudged a total forfeiture of all pay and allowances. Airman Baird confessed to purchasing about 150 Ecstasy pills while here and distributing 28 of those. He said he used cocaine on multiple occasions at parties in the nearby Fort Walton Beach area. Airman Baird admitted to first trying marijuana while under the influence of alcohol. He was said to have distributed about 25 bags of marijuana to Airmen in his squadron. The Airman was the fifth member of the squadron to be court-martialed for drug-related charges in recent months. Airman Baird’s father was the only witness called by the defense counsel. Capt. Linell Letendre, the area defense counsel from Scott Air Force Base, Ill., asked Roland Baird to describe what he felt about the possible punishment facing his son. “I hope he’s as scared to hell as I am, and I hope that’ll make him a better person,” Mr. Baird said. “Prosecution by court-martial is the commander’s ultimate tool of discipline. Drug use is a multiple betrayal: of our families, of our fellow Airmen and of the mission itself,” said Col. Robert A. Federico, commander of the Air Armament Center’s staff judge advocate office here. Airman Baird gave a statement to the judge stating, “I apologize to the Air Force, to my shop, my flight and my squadron. I apologize to my friends and family. I have remorse for what happened to Cheryl, who almost lost her life. Doing drugs is not worth ruining your life for … I know I will be in confinement; I broke the rules, and now I have to pay.”