False Official Statement at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2019: The Year in Numbers
In 2019, 21 Air Force courts-martial charged Article 107 (false official statement). None of the 21 convictions carried more than one year of confinement, compared with 20% for all Air Force cases that year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 107 › Air Force, 2019
Short answer: In 2019, 21 Air Force courts-martial charged Article 107 (false official statement). None of the 21 convictions carried more than one year of confinement, compared with 20% for all Air Force cases that year. 68% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 57% Air Force-wide.
No Sentence Over One Year
0 of the 21 convictions were sentenced to more than one year of confinement. Across all Air Force cases in 2019, 20% were. 12 convictions (57%) were sentenced to under 6 months, compared with 50%, and 5 (24%) to 6 months to 1 year, compared with 15%.
Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than one year of confinement. 5 of these 21 cases were general courts-martial (24%), compared with 50% for all Air Force cases in 2019.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Air Force cases in 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 4 | 19% | 15% |
| Under 6 months | 12 | 57% | 50% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 24% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 0 | 0% | 12% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 8% |
Confinement and the Median Term
17 of the 21 sentences included confinement (81%). The median was 4 months, the same as for all Air Force cases in 2019. A quarter of the terms were 6 months or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
Bad-Conduct Discharges and Dismissals
13 of 19 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, and all 13 were bad-conduct discharges. The share for all Air Force cases in 2019 was 57%.
2 convicted officers or warrant officers appear, and both were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge or dismissal does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Compared With 2018
The count went from 20 cases in 2018 to 21 in 2019. The median confinement went from 3 months to 4 months, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 58% to 68%. The general court-martial share went from 30% to 24%. Groups this small can move with a few cases, so these changes show direction rather than precise size.
| 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 20 | 21 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | — |
| Convictions with confinement | 85% | 81% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 58% | 68% |
| General courts-martial | 30% | 24% |
Drug Charges Alongside False Statements
2 of the 21 cases charged Article 107 by itself. Article 112a (drug) appeared in 12 cases. Article 134 (general article) appeared in 5, Article 121 (larceny) and Article 92 (orders violation) in 4 each, and Article 86 (AWOL) in 3.
Forum, Rank, and Installations
A military judge alone decided 15 cases. Members heard the rest: 5 officer panels and 1 enlisted panel, or 29% of cases, compared with 42% Air Force-wide.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 62% of the accused, NCOs 29%, and officers 10%. Across all Air Force cases in 2019, junior enlisted members were 68%.
Nellis AFB, Nevada, tried 5 cases and Beale AFB, California, tried 3. JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia, tried 2, and Peterson SFB, Colorado, and Malmstrom AFB, Montana, 1 each. Together they account for 57% of the cases.
The First Year Under the 2019 Rules
The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019, but cases with offenses from before 2019 kept the old rules, and the records give trial dates, not offense dates. Air Force records from 2019 also rarely list a guilty plea or the charges in a full acquittal, so this page gives no contested share or acquittal rate.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 107 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Air Force courts-martial with a trial date in 2019 that charged Article 107 (21 cases), compared with all Air Force cases that year and with 2018.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Article 107 (False Official Statements): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Air Force Article 107 Cases in 2018 (previous / next)
- Fewer or More? False Official Statement Charges at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025 (the full trend)
- How Air Force False Official Statement Cases Ended in 2016
- False Official Statement at Army Courts-Martial, 2021: The Year in Numbers
- False Official Statement at Army Courts-Martial, 2023: The Year in Numbers
- False Official Statement at Army Courts-Martial, 2024: The Year in Numbers
- What Sentence Follows an Air Force False Official Statement Conviction?
- Article 107 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.