JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
On Sept. 20, an Airman drove drunk on Joint Base Andrews, crashed her car into the front gate, broke her passenger's neck and she will now spend five months in prison.
In a court-martial held Dec. 2, Airman Crysta L. Tanksley pleaded guilty to drunk driving, causing $9,000 damage to government property, driving with revoked driving privileges, and underage drinking -- all offenses punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The victim -- a senior airman who survived the crash, but now faces a potential medical discharge -- testified in court about the extent of his injuries, at one point explaining to the military judge that the 12-inch laceration on his head would require up to a year to fully heal.
The case stands as a stark reminder about the consequences of drinking and driving. Capt. Justin Kalinski and Capt. Paul Stempel, 11th Wing Judge Advocates who prosecuted the case, emphasized that Airmen who drink and drive put more than just themselves at risk and should face serious consequences for their actions. Victims face lasting consequences; so too should drunk drivers.
As far as consequences go, the victim has begun the slow and painful process of learning to live with an injury that will likely hinder him the rest of his life. Airmen Tanksley -- who was also fined $300 per month for five months and reduced to the grade of E-1 -- now sits behind bars in the Naval Brig in Norfolk, Va. She will remain in confinement until spring 2011. This federal conviction will remain on her record for the rest of her life.