There is a high probability of that, but when you think you know exactly what is going to happen things have a way of going a different way.
which means that he will be ineligible for retirement benefits.
He might lose his retirement benefits, but that is uncertain even if he is found guilty. In my line of work I know of persons who were found guilty of crimes and fired who kept their retirement benefits. Even if he does lose his retirement... he is a capable man with valuable professional knowledge that can be used in civilian life. I doubt whether he will end up destitute in his old age.
His lawyer will be on to his next adventure.
That is how our legal system works. It is possible that Col. Lakin’s lawyer is an honorable man. I personally have met a few lawyers who I thought were great men, but in the end they all turned out to be in it for their own selfish purposes. Everyone one of them has eventually been a huge disappointment. I have personally known some true heros and I don't take the word lightly. Col. Lakin is a hero in my book
Doesn't work that way in the military. If you are released from active duty without 18 and 1/2 years of active federal service, you get zero, nada, zip. The rules are slightly more complicated in the reserve components, but if you don't make the gate, you are out of Schlitz.