A Special Forces sergeant major and former member of the Army Special Operations Command parachute team was convicted of domestic violence and endangerment at a Fort Bragg, North Carolina general court martial earlier this month.
According to court documents released by 1st Special Forces Command, Sgt. Maj. Travis Alfred was convicted of firing a gun, choking his then-wife and threatening to kill her in a Nov. 20, 2019 attack.
The senior special forces NCO was sentenced to one year of confinement and reduced in rank to sergeant first class — both the conviction and sentencing were done by a mixed panel of officers and sergeants major.
“Our command expects our soldiers to maintain the high standards demanded by service in the Army Special Operations Forces community, and we take all allegations of misconduct seriously,” said 1st Special Forces Command spokesperson Maj. Dan Lessard. “In this case, after fair and impartial court-martial proceedings, a senior non-commissioned officer was held accountable for his actions by a panel of officers and fellow senior NCOs.”
But Alfred does not face a punitive discharge, and it’s not clear if he will be eligible for retirement after he is released from confinement. His charge sheet, which Army officials provided to Army Times last year, indicated that his current term of service began in 2006.
Public records indicate that Alfred is 46 years old, and it’s unclear whether he served in another branch of the military — or had a previous Army stint — before his current term of service.
A military attorney listed for Alfred did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
The panel acquitted the senior special forces NCO of charges that he made two other threats to kill his then-wife, in addition to charges that he beat her with a broom and choked her in September 2019 and accusations that he assaulted her on Nov. 11, 2019.
It’s not clear whether questions about Alfred’s mental health played a role in the trial — a statement of trial results obtained by Army Times indicated that a formal mental capacity hearing was held on Feb. 9.
In addition to the military charges, Alfred has a pending assault charge in Moore County, North Carolina, linked to an alleged attack on a neighbor last November. Court records show that the case, which has its next hearing on April 1, is flagged by Moore County officials as domestic violence.
Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.
