SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. — The former top enlisted airman of the Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, facing trial on sexual misconduct and other allegations, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of dereliction of duty, adultery, indecent conduct and misuse of government communications equipment.

Chief Master Sgt. William C. Gurney, a 27-year Air Force veteran, pleaded guilty to 13 of the service’s 18 counts against him, on the first day of his court-martial at Scott Air Force Base, which was assigned to handle his case. He is challenging the five other charges.

An Air Force jury of six male officers — ranging in rank from colonel to captain — was selected Monday to hear testimony, which is to begin this morning in the courtroom of the 375th Air Mobility Wing headquarters building at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., about 20 miles east of St. Louis.

In entering his guilty pleas Monday, Gurney, said he had “no legal justification or excuse for them.”

“I failed not only as an airman, but as a husband,” Gurney told the judge.

Queried by the judge, Col. Thomas Cumbie, Gurney took responsibility for his offenses, alleged to have occurred from 2007 through most of 2009, and admitted they were willful.

“There were a lot of things happening in my life at the time,” Gurney said, responding to questions from the judge about the guilty pleas. “I was caught up in a cycle of sin. I was making a lot of bad decisions. My actions were wrong.”

Cumbie accepted Gurney’s guilty pleas, but noted that Gurney has the right to withdraw them at any time prior to sentencing.

Gurney told the judge he understood that he could be sentenced on his guilty pleas to 14 1/2 years in military prison, dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all military pay, benefits and retirement income, and reduction to the lowest rank, airman basic.

The judge on Monday dismissed the government’s original 19th charge against Gurney, an obstruction of justice allegation alleging that he asked an airman with whom he admitted an improper relationship not to tell investigators about it. Cumbie upheld the defense’s argument that the government failed to state a claim as a basis for the charge.

Trial of the government’s five remaining charges against Gurney was to proceed later Monday, with the seating of a military jury to hear the case. Gurney requested a trial by officers. All would outrank Gurney, because he is an enlisted man.

The charges to which Gurney pleaded not guilty and faces trial for are:

• Maltreating two Air Force women by pursuing sexual relationships with them.

• Had sexual contact with another airman without her permission.

• Misused his position by attempting to influence the Air Force duty assignments of two airmen with whom he was pursuing personal relationships.

Gurney entered the guilty pleas before Monday’s jury selection began.

Among the offenses Gurney pled guilty to is having sex with his wife, Tracie, in the presence of a married airman whose civilian husband was unaware of the incident; having sex with another airman in Gurney’s office at Wright-Patterson, and using government equipment including a computer, cell phone and e-mail account to send, solicit and receive improper e-mails, among them nude or semi-nude photos of Gurney and the women with whom he corresponded.

In all, Gurney admitted to having sexual intercourse with four Air Force women, knowing that all were married. Under military law, adultery is a crime because it undermines order and discipline within the ranks and can bring discredit to the military.

The Air Force had expected 10 airmen to testify against Gurney on the original charges. In light of Gurney’s guilty pleas Monday, at least four Air Force women will still likely be called to testify on the remaining charges, said Karen Petitt, a spokeswoman for Scott Air Force Base.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.