FORT BENNING, GA — On September 25, 2025, 1st Lieutenant Joshua C. Riddick, a West Point graduate and U.S. Army Infantry Officer, was convicted at a general court-martial held at Fort Benning. The court found Riddick guilty, pursuant to his own plea, of multiple violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), including disobeying lawful orders, wrongful use of a controlled substance, and fraternization.
Riddick entered a guilty plea under a judge-alone forum. The sentence—30 days of confinement and dismissal from the U.S. Army—was handed down in accordance with a pre-trial agreement.
The court found Riddick guilty of:
- Two specifications of violating Article 92 (Failure to obey lawful orders)
- One specification of violating Article 112a (Wrongful use of a controlled substance)
- One specification under Article 134 (Fraternization)
The charges and punishment were finalized during a General Court-Martial (GCM) convened under the 3rd Judicial Circuit at Fort Benning. The trial team included lead prosecutor CPT Allyson N. Krebs and assistant counsel MAJ Morghan E. Beaudoin. Riddick’s defense was led by CPT Adedotun R. Adetutu.
Riddick’s dismissal—the officer equivalent of a dishonorable discharge—effectively ends his military career less than four years after commissioning.
Riddick was commissioned as an Infantry Officer after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2022 with a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. His service record listed three years of leadership and organizational development with the Army.
While at West Point, Riddick wasn’t just known for his military aptitude. He was also a decorated student of the arts. In 2022, he took 1st place in the West Point Cadet Talent Show for his vocal and instrumental performance—reportedly bringing mariachi music to Eisenhower Hall Theatre. Social media posts and public records reveal that Riddick was a gifted musician, classically trained in stringed instruments, with a background in professional performance during his Texas upbringing.
His Instagram once proudly declared: “Bringing mariachi to West Point! Big thanks to @eisenhowerhalltheatre and everyone that came.”
The fall from grace is particularly notable considering Riddick’s family legacy in the military. His uncle, Major (Ret.) Daniel Tyrone Riddick, served 30 years in the Army, including a Bronze Star-awarded deployment to Iraq in 2005 as a Battery Commander.
In his post-military life, Daniel Riddick has become a photographer and entrepreneur in Houston, and public posts indicate a close relationship between the two.
Uncle Daniel visited Joshua at West Point at least one and celebrated his achievements in posts to his social media. In interviews and biographical posts, the elder Riddick often emphasizes the values of discipline, leadership, and creative excellence—values that now stand in stark contrast to his nephew’s abrupt departure from military service.
The military justice system rarely hands down dismissals lightly. For a West Point graduate—especially one with a high-profile family connection and artistic accolades—to be expelled from the Army marks a significant personal and institutional failure. The specifics of the substance use and fraternization incidents have not been released publicly, but the court’s acceptance of a guilty plea and subsequent sentencing signals the gravity of the misconduct.
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