A military police sergeant assigned to the Combined Arms Support Command Law Enforcement Activity (CASCOM LEA) at Fort Gregg-Adams was convicted earlier this spring of assaulting his wife and making false statements during a general court-martial.
Sergeant Joseph B. Vitela, an E-5, was found guilty of one count of domestic violence under Article 128b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) for unlawfully striking his wife on the buttocks during a September 13, 2024, incident. He was acquitted of a second, more serious allegation—striking her in the face.
Vitela was also convicted under Article 107 for lying to Army officials during the investigation. He falsely claimed his wife was intoxicated and denied ever striking her—statements the military judge found to be knowingly false and intended to mislead.
The sentence, adjudged on March 24, 2025, by a military judge sitting alone, included a reduction in rank from E-5 to E-4. Vitela received no confinement, fines, punitive separation, or other restrictions. The leniency appears to be the result of a pretrial agreement that capped potential punishment and preserved his eligibility to remain in uniform.
According to images and videos posted to his personal Facebook account, Vitela had been promoted to sergeant just months before the offense. His promotion ceremony took place in January 2024 while he was stationed in Italy as part of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), headquartered at Caserma Ederle. The command oversees Army operations and security cooperation activities across the African continent.
Following his time in Italy, Vitela was reassigned to Fort Gregg-Adams, where he joined the newly established CASCOM Law Enforcement Activity—a garrison-level military police unit stood up in 2024 amid the Army’s restructuring of its law enforcement elements.
Now, just over a year after earning his stripes, Vitela’s career is clouded by a criminal conviction, a demotion, and a permanent federal record. He remains on active duty, but his future in the Army is in doubt.
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