Newly obtained court records provide additional details in the case of a U.S. Army staff sergeant convicted after admitting to a military offense stemming from an affair with a married woman while he was also married.
Staff Sgt. Zachary Flanigan pleaded guilty at a special court-martial on April 10, 2026, to one specification of extramarital sexual conduct under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
A military judge sentenced him to 30 days of confinement, reduction to the rank of E-5, and a reprimand. The sentence was consistent with a plea agreement.
The redacted charge sheet, obtained by The Salty Soldier, alleges that on or about July 14, 2024, while assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment at Fort Polk, Louisiana, Flanigan engaged in sexual intercourse and oral sex with a woman he knew was married to another man. According to the charge sheet, Flanigan was also married at the time.
Although commonly referred to as adultery, the military offense is known as extramarital sexual conduct under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Not every affair involving a service member results in criminal charges. Before pursuing prosecution, military authorities must determine the conduct was prejudicial to good order and discipline or of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors alleged Flanigan’s conduct met that standard. The charge was preferred on April 1, 2026, and referred to a special court-martial just eight days later. The alleged affair occurred in July 2024, meaning approximately 20 months passed between the date of the alleged misconduct and the filing of formal charges. The publicly released records do not explain the reason for that timeline.
Cases prosecuted solely for a single specification of extramarital sexual conduct are relatively uncommon. The publicly released records identify no accompanying offenses, such as fraternization, false official statements, or other misconduct, and do not explain why Army prosecutors elected to pursue the allegation through a special court-martial rather than administrative or nonjudicial action.
The charge sheet was provided to The Salty Soldier by the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC), an independent prosecution organization established by Congress to handle certain military justice matters outside a service member’s chain of command.
The office is most known for prosecuting serious offenses, including sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping, and other crimes designated under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
© 2026 The Salty Soldier. All rights reserved.
