What Happens to Air Force Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4) Facing Sexual Assault Charges?

Trends › By Offense › Article 120 › Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4)

Based on 147 cases · 2016–2025 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026

Most of These Cases Were Contested

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. 91 records list a plea. 72 of those were contested and 19 were guilty pleas, a contested share of 79%. Across all Air Force Article 120 cases, the share was 82%.

Only 19 cases were guilty pleas. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, so records without a plea are not counted on either side. The contested share for the full period therefore cannot be measured more precisely than these figures.

Enlisted Panels Heard Many Contested Cases

The forum is listed for 146 cases. A military judge alone decided guilt in 65 (45%). Members heard 81: 57 enlisted panels and 24 officer panels. An enlisted accused can ask for enlisted members on the panel.

Members heard 52 of the 72 contested cases (72%). Most guilty pleas are heard by a military judge alone, so the split between judge and members follows the number of contested cases.

How Long Were the Sentences?

122 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 111 of those sentences included confinement (91%). The median confinement was 2 years, shorter than the 2.5 years for all Air Force Article 120 cases. A quarter of terms were 4.9 years or longer, and 1 was a life sentence.

76 of 122 convictions (62%) were sentenced to more than one year, about the same as the 64% for the offense overall. 49 convictions (40%) were sentenced to more than 1 year and under 5 years. 27 (22%) were sentenced to 5 years or more, compared with 26%. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.

Most Punitive Discharges Were Dishonorable

107 of the 122 convicted junior enlisted members (88%) received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge, about the same as the 89% for all Air Force Article 120 cases. 93 of those were dishonorable discharges, the most severe type, which only a general court-martial can impose.

A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out an administrative separation later.

Almost All Cases Were General Courts-Martial

General courts-martial heard 139 of the 147 cases (95%), and special courts-martial heard the rest. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

Only 11 convictions (9%) had no confinement, compared with 12% for the offense overall. 16 convictions (13%) were sentenced to under 6 months.

Many Cases Charged Only Article 120

Article 120 was the only charge in 80 of the 147 cases. Across all Air Force Article 120 cases, 125 of 244 charged it alone.

When other articles were charged, assault under Article 128 was the most common, in 29 cases. The general article, Article 134, was charged in 18, Article 120c, indecent recording and exposure, in 11, drug offenses under Article 112a in 10, and orders violations under Article 92 in 8.

More Cases in Recent Years

The cases were tried from April 2016 to December 2025. There were 10 cases in 2016, 11 in 2017, 15 in 2018, 13 in 2019, 8 in 2020, and 13 in 2021. There were 18 in 2022, 16 in 2023, 22 in 2024, and 21 in 2025.

Junior enlisted members were 60% of the accused in all Air Force Article 120 cases. The records do not show why the count was higher in later years. With yearly totals this small, a few cases can change a single year noticeably.

Where the Trials Took Place

The USAF Academy, Colorado, tried 7 of these cases. JBSA - Lackland, Texas, and Scott AFB, Illinois, each tried 6. Nellis AFB, Nevada, and Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota, each tried 5. Together these 5 locations had 20% of the 147 cases. Larger installations try more cases of every type.

Rule Changes and What the Records Do Not Show

Article 120 was rewritten in 2012 and amended for offenses on or after January 1, 2019, the same day the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect. Since December 28, 2023, sexual assault has been a covered offense handled by special trial counsel. Each change depends on offense dates, which the records do not give.

Air Force records rarely list the charges in full acquittals, so this page gives no acquittal rate. The records also do not show the evidence, plea terms, or nonjudicial punishment.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025

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.