An infantry drill sergeant assigned to Delta Company, 2-58 Infantry Battalion at Fort Benning was convicted at a special court-martial on November 10, 2025, for misconduct involving recruits during an integrated cycle of Infantry One Station Unit Training (OSUT). The case, U.S. v. SSG Maxwell A. Tubbs, highlights continuing challenges as the Army enforces standards in mixed-gender training environments.
According to public images, SSG Maxwell A. Tubbs was married in 2021 and graduated from the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy in 2023. He was serving as a drill sergeant during a training cycle that included multiple female recruits over the summer, as seen in publicly posted photos from Delta Company, 2-58 Infantry Battalion.
According to the court-martial results, Tubbs pled guilty to violating Article 93a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which criminalizes abuse of authority toward trainees.
Although Tubbs was ultimately convicted only of the Article 93a charge, he originally faced three separate UCMJ violations:
Article 93a — Abuse of Training Leadership Position
This relatively new article, created in the wake of trainee abuse scandals across the services, specifically targets wrongdoing by drill sergeants and instructors. It criminalizes:
- Using one’s position to exploit, threaten, coerce, harass, or engage in prohibited relationships with trainees or subordinates in a training environment.
- Conduct that erodes the trust required for safe, professional training.
This is the article Tubbs pled guilty to.
Article 92 — Failure to Obey an Order or Regulation
This article covers:
- Violating lawful general orders (including policies outlining prohibited relationships),
- Failing to obey direct orders,
- And dereliction of duty—failing to perform duties with the required level of professionalism.
For drill sergeants, Article 92 commonly applies to boundary violations, fraternization, or failing to enforce or follow required training standards.
Article 134 — General Article (Conduct Prejudicial to Good Order and Discipline)
Article 134 is a “catch-all” charge used for misconduct that:
- Damages the reputation of the Army,
- Undermines discipline,
- Or brings discredit upon the service.
It is often used for inappropriate relationships, indecent conduct, or actions that do not fit cleanly into other articles.
While the Article 92 and 134 charges were not part of the final conviction, their presence indicates the scope of alleged misconduct during the investigation.
The arraignment and trial took place on November 10, 2025, in Fort Benning Courtroom under the 3rd Judicial Circuit, with COL John R. Longley III presiding. Tubbs entered a guilty plea as part of a pretrial agreement. The judge sentenced him to:
- Reduction to E-1
- A bad-conduct discharge
This sentence matched the terms negotiated in the plea agreement.
The Army began integrating women into Infantry OSUT in 2017, following the Department of Defense’s 2016 decision to open all combat arms roles to women. The first female infantry recruits arrived at Fort Benning in early 2017, marking a significant cultural and operational shift. Since then, OSUT companies—including 2-58 Infantry—have regularly conducted mixed-gender training cycles.
Integrated training places added responsibility on drill sergeants to maintain strict professional boundaries and ensure a safe, disciplined environment for trainees of all genders. Misconduct in that environment carries greater scrutiny, both within the chain of command and across the Army training enterprise.
As of the court-martial’s conclusion, Tubbs is pending administrative processing associated with his discharge and reduction in rank.
© 2025 TheSaltySoldier.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or redistribution of this article is strictly prohibited without written permission.
