FORT SILL, OKLA. — On August 1, 2025, Sergeant First Class Lindsey S. DeStefano was convicted at a special court-martial for absence without leave in violation of Article 86, UCMJ. A panel of officers and enlisted members found her guilty of one specification of AWOL and acquitted her of another.
The court sentenced DeStefano to reduction in rank from Sergeant First Class to Staff Sergeant, forfeiture of $1,000 of pay per month for six months, confinement for 45 days, and 30 days of hard labor without confinement. Though the punishment was severe, it did not include a punitive discharge, leaving her technically still in the Army pending administrative action.
The conviction capped a drawn-out legal battle. Court records show Article 39a hearings dating back to August 2024, with the final trial held July 26, 2025. The proceedings were overseen first by Judge COL Kenton Spiegler and later by Judge LTC Mitchell Herniak. Trial counsel was led by CPT Daniel Nelson, with CPT Lindy Carpenter assisting. MAJ Peter Ellis represented the defense.
But this was not just another AWOL case. DeStefano had worn the uniform for over two decades. Earlier in her career, under the name Lindsey Rose, she served with the Army Reserve’s 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Florida. In 2016, she was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for exceptional work as a human resources NCO, processing complex personnel actions and supporting soldiers across the command.
By 2018, she appeared in photos wearing the patch of a Regional Training Institute, indicating time with the Army National Guard.
She also performed highly visible duties in uniform. Photos show her in dress blues visiting veterans in hospice care, as well as serving as the NCOIC for a military funeral detail — roles reserved for trusted and respected NCOs.
Somewhere after those highlights, things began to unravel. Civilian records show that on September 25, 2023, she was arrested in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, on a fugitive warrant. Listed as being held for “Other Agency” with no bond, she was booked under the name Lindsey Sue DeStefano. She remained in jail until October 3, 2023, when she was released — likely into Army custody for transport back to Fort Sill.
From there, her case wound through nearly two years of motions and hearings before reaching a verdict in August 2025.
DeStefano’s story hits hard because of what it represents: a soldier who had done more than 20 years, earned one of the Army’s top peacetime awards, served her community and fellow veterans, and wore the stripes of a senior NCO — only to see her career collapse under the weight of an AWOL conviction.
The Army may not have issued her a discharge in the courtroom, but with her rank reduced and her record scarred, her future in uniform is uncertain. What is certain is that the Army never stops tracking its absent soldiers. Even for senior NCOs, a civilian life built outside the gates doesn’t erase military obligations.
For those who’ve served, the lesson is clear: no matter the rank, no matter the years in, the Army still takes AWOL seriously.
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