"In the grand scheme of things, and in the interest of national security, General Miller felt like the charges needed to be dropped," said Lieutenant Colonel Bill Costello, a Southern Command spokesman. "It seemed to be the prudent way to proceed."
The Army charged Yee last September with mishandling classified material, failing to obey an order, making a false official statement, adultery, and conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly downloading pornography on his government laptop.
His lawyer said last week that a proposed settlement was in the works.
Yee was in the Washington, D.C., area last night, said his attorney, Eugene R. Fidell, who would not immediately answer additional questions.
Telephone messages seeking comment from Yee's wife in Olympia, Wash., were not immediately returned.
Miller said Yee, a 35-year-old Chinese-American, will be offered nonjudicial punishment for allegations of adultery and pornography.
That would come through an Article 15 proceeding, the military's method for dealing with minor infractions. The penalties would be minor, such as duty restriction or a temporary pay cut.
"We anticipate that Yee will be returned to his home duty station at Fort Lewis, Washington, at the conclusion of any Article 15 proceedings," Southern Command said in a news release.
If convicted of all the original charges, Yee could have faced dismissal and a maximum of 14 years in prison.
Yee previously was a chaplain at Fort Lewis, and his wife and child live in Olympia. At Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, he counseled suspected terrorists and dispensed religious guidance.
There were initial reports that Yee was being investigated as part of an espionage probe at the base, but he was never charged with spying.
He was arrested Sept. 10 as he arrived at a Jacksonville, Fla., naval base, from Guantanamo, carrying what authorities said were classified documents. Some of the documents were taken from his backpack, and others came from his laptop and his quarters at Guantanamo, officials said.
Before he was charged, Yee had said in a January 2003 interview that one of his goals as chaplain was to clear up misunderstandings about Islam.
"A lot of people don't know Jesus is part of Islam but Muslims believe he was a prophet," Yee said. "Surely people can be more open-minded."
He also said he was concerned about the detainees' spiritual needs.
