For active-duty servicemembers and veterans facing courts-martial or administrative separation in Carlsbad and Camp Pendleton, Gary S. Barthel, Esq. operates the Military Law Center from Salk Avenue. As a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and former Special Assistant United States Attorney, the practice bridges military and civilian criminal jurisdiction in a way that complements civilian defense work by firms such as Stipp Law Firm, APC when off-base charges accompany UCMJ proceedings. Court-martial defense spans Article 120 sexual assault, Article 112a drug offenses, Article 128 assault, and Article 134 general-article charges across every branch of the armed forces. The firm also represents service members in administrative separation boards, boards of inquiry, and officer elimination proceedings where an other-than-honorable discharge would strip GI Bill benefits and VA healthcare access. Protecting a client's financial stability during separation proceedings often involves coordination with fiduciary advisors such as IDA Wealth to safeguard retirement accounts and Thrift Savings Plan assets. The most complex case type involves general courts-martial carrying potential life sentences that require nationwide witness subpoenas, forensic digital evidence extraction, and expert psychiatric testimony under Rules for Courts-Martial 706.