Air Force Article 134 Cases in 2018

Trends › By Offense › Article 134 › Air Force, 2018

Based on 77 cases · 2018 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026

More Cases, Including a Life Sentence

There were 77 general article courts-martial in 2018, compared with 62 the year before. Of the 77 convictions, 65 included confinement, and 1 of those sentences was life.

The median term was 10 months, compared with 4 months for the Air Force overall. All figures here are adjudged at trial, before clemency or appeal, and each sentence covers every charge in the case.

Child Sexual Abuse Was the Most Common Additional Charge

Article 134 was the only charge in 15 of 77 cases. The other cases included other articles. Article 120b (child sexual abuse) was the most common, in 16 cases. Article 92 (orders violation) appeared in 15, Article 112a (drug) in 14, Article 128 (assault) in 12, and Article 111 (drunken or reckless driving) in 6.

A sentence covers the whole case, so serious charges such as Article 120b are included in the same sentence figures as minor ones. The records do not divide a sentence by charge. They cannot show how much of a term was for the general article itself.

Sentences by Band

More than one year of confinement was imposed in 27 of 77 convictions (35%), compared with 20% across the Air Force. Of those, 16 were between 1 and 5 years and 11 were 5 years or more. The 5 years or more share was 14%, compared with 8% service-wide.

Terms under 6 months were imposed in 27 convictions (35%), compared with 48% across the service. 12 convictions (16%) included no confinement. Terms of 6 months to 1 year made up 11 convictions, about the same as the Air Force share.

Which Court Level Heard the Case?

A general court-martial can adjudge any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is limited to one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. These cases included 49 general and 28 special courts-martial. The general share was 64%, compared with 50% for all Air Force cases in 2018.

At general courts-martial, 86% of convictions included confinement, with a median of 1.6 years. At special courts-martial, 82% did, with a median of 3 months.

Confinement was almost as common at special courts-martial as at general courts-martial. The difference was length. General courts-martial imposed the terms measured in years, and special courts-martial imposed terms measured in months.

Discharges and Dismissals

Of 70 convicted enlisted members, 51 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (73%), compared with 58% across the Air Force. Of those 51, 24 were dishonorable. Of 7 convicted officers or warrant officers, 5 were dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge.

Members who do not receive a punitive discharge at trial can still be separated administratively. These records do not include administrative separations.

From 2017 to 2018

The median confinement went from 1 year to 10 months. The enlisted punitive discharge rate went from 64% to 73%. Convictions with confinement went from 87% to 84%. The general court-martial share was about the same: 65% and then 64%. Changes in groups of this size can come from only a few cases.

Panels Were Mostly Officers

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. Of 75 cases with the forum listed, a military judge alone decided 52 (69%). Members heard 23: 17 officer panels and 6 enlisted panels. An enlisted accused can ask for enlisted members on the panel. The records show the panel type but not the reasons for the choice.

Rank and Installations

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 61% of the accused, NCOs 30%, and officers 9%. That is about the same as the 63% junior enlisted share across all Air Force cases in 2018.

Vandenberg SFB, California; Dover AFB, Delaware; and Kadena AB, Japan tried 4 cases each. RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana tried 3 each. Together the five account for 23% of the 77 cases. Larger bases try more cases of every kind.

Rules at the Time and Gaps in the Data

The Military Justice Act of 2016 did not take effect until January 1, 2019. Its fixed panel sizes, judge-alone special courts-martial capped at six months, and written plea agreements did not apply here.

Air Force records for 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, and they rarely list charges in full acquittals. This page therefore gives no contested share and no Article 134 acquittal rate. The records also lack offense dates, evidence, and cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 134 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

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.