News Tribune military reporter Adam Ashton is in an Army courtroom today and filed this update:

A Joint Base Lewis-McChord platoon sergeant this morning described a frenetic environment at his base in Afghanistan earlier this year once accusations mounted about drug use and possible civilian killings in his Stryker unit.

“It was chaos,” Sgt. First Class Jason Ditmer said. He was a platoon sergeant in the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. A dozen of his soldiers now stand accused of various crimes they allegedly committed in Southern Afghanistan earlier this year. Five face charges that they murdered civilians.

Ditmer testified today at a pre-trial hearing for Staff Sgt. David Bram, who is accused of beating up a whistleblower who raised concerns about drug use in the platoon.

“The whole situation was chaos,” Ditmer said. “It went from accusations of soldiers doing drugs to murder.”

Ditmer said he first learned about the accusations in a meeting with company leaders. He shared the information with his squad leaders, including Bram. Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, who now faces murder charges, also was in the group of squad leaders.

Within days, the whistleblower was beaten in his living quarters. That soldier, Pfc. Justin Stoner, could testify later today, although he invoked his 5th Amendment right not to testify at a pre-trial hearing for another soldier last month.

Ditmer said he identified Stoner as the whistleblower to the squad leaders but did not imagine that he would beaten by his platoon mates. Ditmer was aware that Bram was among the soldiers who were suspected of smoking hashish during the deployment.

Ditmer ended his testimony with praise for Bram.

“Sgt. Bram’s performance as a squad leader was exceptional,” Ditmer said.

Bram’s pre-trial hearing is expected to end today. The investigative officer will then decide whether to recommend a full court-martial trial to brigade and joint base commanders.

Read more on this blog later today, or pick up Friday’s News Tribune.