Capt. Lucas McConnell, the man who was in command of Kilo Company but who was not present when 24 civilians were killed in Haditha, Iraq, was charged Thursday with dereliction of duty for allegedly failing to see that the incident was accurately reported and investigated.

The maximum punishment he faces if convicted would be six months' confinement, dismissal from the Marine Corps and forfeiture of all pay and allowances.

The 31-year-old captain currently serves as an operations officer at Camp Pendleton.

Even as a high school student, McConnell showed the kind of strong leadership skills that would eventually lead to him being accepted as a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., his former high school football coach said earlier this week.

In the early 1990s, McConnell attended Vintage High School in Napa, where he not only was athlete of the year, but student body president and lead singer in the school choir, former coach Dave Shipp said in a telephone interview.

"What I remember is how mature he was," said Shipp, who later wrote a letter of recommendation for McConnell to get into the Naval Academy. "He had tremendous leadership skills."

McConnell went on to graduate from the academy in 1997 and received his Marine Corps commission.

Shipp said he was dumbfounded when he learned that McConnell was facing the possibility of a court-martial.

"I just can't believe it -- I truly believe he will acquit himself, " Shipp said. "You just hate to see young men who really are the future of this country charged with things like this. This is a guy who could have a true impact on society, a true leader."

Freelance photographer Lucian Read was embedded for more than four months in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 with Kilo Company and McConnell. Read said he got to know him well.

"I liked him; I thought he was a fine officer," Read said. "He took his responsibility seriously and seemed to really care for the guys and be well-liked."

Read said that of all the people he came in contact with in Iraq, McConnell was in the top 10 percent. When the captain was relieved of command, "I thought, what a waste of a good officer -- it's going to end his career."

Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426, or wbennett@nctimes.com.