Fewer or More? False Official Statement Charges at Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
The Air Force records include 135 courts-martial charging Article 107, false official statement, from 2016–2025. Article 107 was part of about the same share of convictions in 2023–2025 (6%) as in 2016–2018 (7%), and the yearly count increased to 16 in 2025.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 107 › Air Force
Short answer: The Air Force records include 135 courts-martial charging Article 107, false official statement, from 2016–2025. Article 107 was part of about the same share of convictions in 2023–2025 (6%) as in 2016–2018 (7%), and the yearly count increased to 16 in 2025. Only 26% of cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 48% Air Force-wide. 52% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 56%.
More Cases in 2025
There were 20 cases in 2016, 13 in 2017, 20 in 2018, and 21 in 2019, the highest yearly count. There were 14 cases in 2020 and between 7 and 8 each year from 2021 through 2024. In 2025 there were 16.
The total number of Air Force cases changed over the decade, so the share of convictions is a more consistent measure than the count. Article 107 was part of 10% of Air Force convictions with offenses listed in 2016. The lowest share was 3%, in 2022. In 2025 the share was 9%, the highest since 2016. Across 2016–2018 the share was 7% (52 of 786), and across 2023–2025 it was 6% (31 of 494), about the same.
| Year | Convictions incl. Art. 107 | All convictions with offenses listed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 20 | 205 | 10% |
| 2017 | 13 | 294 | 4% |
| 2018 | 19 | 287 | 7% |
| 2019 | 21 | 271 | 8% |
| 2020 | 14 | 186 | 8% |
| 2021 | 8 | 202 | 4% |
| 2022 | 7 | 208 | 3% |
| 2023 | 7 | 152 | 5% |
| 2024 | 8 | 173 | 5% |
| 2025 | 16 | 169 | 9% |
Which Other Offenses Were Charged?
Article 107 was the only charge in just 17 of the 135 cases. Article 112a (drug) was the most common other charge, in 48 cases, followed by Article 92 (orders violation) in 38. Article 121 (larceny) was charged in 30 cases, Article 134 (general article) in 29, and Article 86 (AWOL) in 24.
Each sentence below covers every charge in the case. The sentences therefore include the drug, larceny, or other offenses as well as the false statement.
Sentences Were Shorter Than the Air Force Average
All 135 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge. 102 of those sentences included confinement (76%). The median confinement was 4 months, the same as Air Force-wide, and a quarter of sentences were 7 months or longer.
Only 8 of 135 convictions (6%) were sentenced to more than one year, compared with 23% across the Air Force. Sentences of more than 1 year but under 5 years were 4% of convictions here, compared with 16% in the rest of the Air Force. Sentences of 5 years or more were 2%, compared with 7%. 24% of convictions had no confinement, compared with 15%. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the rest of the Air Force |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 33 | 24% | 15% |
| Under 6 months | 69 | 51% | 48% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 25 | 19% | 15% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 5 | 4% | 16% |
| 5 years or more | 3 | 2% | 7% |
Most Cases Were Special Courts-Martial
A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. 41 of the 135 cases (30%) were general courts-martial, and 94 were special courts-martial.
In the general courts-martial, 78% of convictions included confinement, and the median confinement was 8 months. In the special courts-martial, 74% included confinement, and the median was 3 months.
Discharges and Dismissals
A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge for an enlisted member, or a dismissal for an officer. 67 of 128 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge: 60 bad-conduct and 7 dishonorable. In all Air Force cases in those years, the share was 56%. 4 of the 7 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.
Pleas and Who Decided Guilt
Only 54 of the 135 records list a plea. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea. Among those 54 cases, 14 were not-guilty or mixed pleas and 40 were guilty pleas. 26% were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. Air Force-wide, 48% were contested.
A partial acquittal is a finding of not guilty on at least one charge or specification and guilty on another. 4 of the 14 contested cases ended in a partial acquittal (29%).
The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone decided 98 of the 135 cases (73%). Members heard 37: 15 enlisted panels and 22 officer panels. Members heard 10 of 14 contested cases (71%).
Rank of the Accused and Locations
The accused were 75 junior enlisted members, 53 NCOs, and 7 officers. This group is more senior than the rest of the Air Force.
Nellis AFB, Nevada, had the most cases, with 11. Osan AB, South Korea, had 7, and Dyess AFB, Texas, had 6. JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and McConnell AFB, Kansas, each had 5. Together these installations account for 25% of the cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind, so a high count alone does not mean a base has a problem with this offense.
No Acquittal Rate, and Other Limits
Air Force records rarely list the charges in a case that ends in a full acquittal. An acquittal rate for a single offense would therefore count too few acquittals, so this post does not give one. Air Force records also never report plea agreements. None of these records give offense dates, describe the evidence, or include nonjudicial punishment.
The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel have decided whether to prosecute covered offenses. Both changes took effect during these years. The records cannot show whether either one affected the number of cases.
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 tried 2016–2025 that charged Article 107 (135 cases). The trend line uses convictions whose records list the offenses found, by trial year.
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)
- Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Offense (hub)
- Army Article 107 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025 (another service)
- How Has Article 107 Changed in Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial Since 2017? (another service)
- Air Force Article 109 Cases by the Numbers, 2016–2025
- Air Force Article 113 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- Air Force Article 115 Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025
- 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.