Editor’s Note: This article was updated on February 24, 2026, to include additional information provided by Fort Benning Public Affairs in response to questions submitted by The Salty Soldier prior to publication.
An enlisted U.S. Army staff sergeant with more than a decade of service has been convicted at a general court-martial, according to official military court records.
On Feb. 2, 2026, Staff Sgt. Kyle J. Maneke was convicted at a general court-martial convened at Fort Benning, Georgia. Maneke pleaded guilty before a military judge to one specification of possession of child sexual abuse material and one specification of distribution of child sexual abuse material, both charged under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The military judge sentenced Maneke to reduction to the grade of E-1, confinement for 42 months, and a bad-conduct discharge. The sentence was imposed pursuant to a plea agreement.
Available records indicate Maneke entered the Army no later than 2012, when he completed One Station Unit Training (OSUT) for infantry soldiers at Fort Benning — the Army’s combined basic training and advanced individual training pipeline for infantry recruits.
Following completion of infantry training, Maneke later served at Fort Riley, Kansas, with the 1st Infantry Division. Based on his training completion date and rank at the time of his court-martial, he appears to have served approximately 13 to 14 years, progressing from an initial infantry enlistment to the rank of staff sergeant.
Prior to publication, The Salty Soldier submitted a media inquiry to Fort Benning Public Affairs seeking confirmation of Maneke’s duty assignment at the time charges were preferred, his military occupational specialty, whether he had served in a drill sergeant or other training capacity, and his post-trial status.
On February 24, 2026, Fort Benning Public Affairs responded.
According to a spokesperson, Maneke was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning at the time charges were preferred and at the time of trial. The Army confirmed he was serving as an infantryman.
The 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment, under the 198th Infantry Brigade, runs Infantry OSUT — the combined basic and advanced individual training pipeline where new recruits complete their initial entry training to become 11B infantrymen.
While assigned to an OSUT battalion at the time of trial, the Army did not confirm whether Maneke was serving in a direct trainee-facing leadership role when the misconduct occurred.
Public Affairs further confirmed that Maneke served as a drill sergeant at Fort Benning from November 2022 through November 2024.
The Army also confirmed that Maneke is currently confined pending post-trial appellate review.
The Army has not released additional public details regarding the investigative timeline, the scope of the misconduct, or whether any administrative actions preceded the court-martial.
This article has been updated to reflect the Army’s February 24, 2026 response.
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