An Air Force staff sergeant trusted to keep aircraft safe at Ramstein Air Base repeatedly tested positive for cocaine and stopped using the drug only after commanders restricted him to the installation, according to a sharply worded reprimand issued after his court-martial.
Staff Sgt. (E-5) Jacob R. Van Pelt pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and ketamine and using cocaine on multiple occasions. A military judge sentenced him July 2 to nine months in confinement, reduction to E-1, a bad-conduct discharge and a reprimand.
Van Pelt’s specific unit is blacked out in records released to The Salty Soldier, but other details place him in an aircraft-maintenance role at Ramstein. His reprimand says he was responsible for maintaining multimillion-dollar aircraft, protecting aircrews and supporting the readiness of “this Wing.”
It also accuses him of jeopardizing “the mission of the Global Gateway,” the name used by Ramstein and its host organization, the 86th Airlift Wing.
“You were entrusted with maintaining multi-million dollar aircraft, ensuring the safety of our aircrews, and enabling the readiness capabilities of this Wing,” the reprimand states. “You absolutely broke that trust.”
The 86th Airlift Wing operates C-130J Super Hercules, C-21A and C-37A aircraft while supporting airlift and aeromedical missions across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Van Pelt’s exact maintenance squadron remains redacted.
Prosecutors initially accused Van Pelt of possessing approximately 4.5 grams of cocaine and 14.7 grams of ketamine with the intent to distribute the drugs. Under a negotiated plea, he admitted possessing both substances but excluded the distribution language.
The quantities were enough for prosecutors to initially pursue distribution-related charges, but the released records do not explain why they accepted the narrower possession convictions. The decision could reflect difficulty proving what Van Pelt intended to do with the drugs, a concession made to secure his guilty pleas or a combination of factors.
The distinction is blurred on the Air Force’s public court-martial docket, which continues to place the case under an offense category covering possession with intent to distribute Schedule I, II or III drugs. The final judgment shows Van Pelt was convicted of possession and repeated cocaine use, not distribution.
His cocaine use was not described as an isolated incident. Van Pelt admitted using the drug on multiple occasions between approximately Aug. 1, 2025, and April 22, 2026. The reprimand says he tested positive for illegal substances on multiple urinalysis tests and that his conduct ended only after he was restricted to Ramstein.
“This sustained pattern of illegal activity only ceased once you were restricted to the base, proving a complete lack of self-discipline, judgment, and respect for authority,” the reprimand states.
Prosecutors also accused Van Pelt of controlling a passenger vehicle while impaired by cocaine on or about Aug. 1, 2025. That charge was withdrawn before arraignment and did not result in a conviction.
Van Pelt’s plea agreement required a bad-conduct discharge and permitted between four and 12 months of confinement for each drug offense, with the terms running concurrently. The judge imposed nine months for each possession offense and seven months for the repeated cocaine use, leaving him with a total confinement period of nine months.
Public imagery reviewed by The Salty Soldier suggests Van Pelt served with the 12th Space Warning Squadron at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland before his assignment to Ramstein. The squadron operates a radar used to detect ballistic-missile launches and track objects in orbit.
The reprimand described Van Pelt’s conduct as fundamentally incompatible with military service and directed him to use his time in confinement to reflect on his decisions.
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