CARLISLE, Pa. — Two Army colonels are accused of switching identities to try to fool a paternity test, authorities said.

Scott M. Carlson, 51, and Bruce S. Adkins, 44, accused of trying to take the paternity test in Carlson's place, were charged Thursday with tampering with public records, tampering with evidence, forgery, theft and obstruction of justice, District Attorney David Freed said.

Adkins, who is stationed in Georgia, will testify against Carlson if necessary, his attorney said.

"He's going to cooperate," attorney Gregory Abeln said. "He's going to do whatever he needs to do to rectify this situation."

Carlson is on duty in Egypt.

Both men had been members of the class of 2007 at the Army War College in Carlisle. Freed said Carlson appeared at the Cumberland County domestic relations office in March to arrange for a paternity test.

Carlson had been paying a Virginia woman child support for her 9-year-old daughter and she was seeking an increase, Senior Assistant District Attorney Derek Clepper said.

County domestic relations employees became suspicious when another man showed up in April, claimed to be Carlson and wanted to take the paternity test.

The man presented Carlson's out-of-state driver's license, signed papers as Carlson, provided a thumbprint, and provided a DNA sample for the test, Detective Sgt. Earl Bock said.

Bock said the man was identified through the thumbprint as Adkins.