Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2018: The Month in Review
The Air Force tried 25 courts-martial in August 2018. The median confinement after conviction was 9 months, compared with 4 months for the Air Force across 2018. The general article, Article 134, appeared in 50% of cases with a charge list, compared with 27% for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › August 2018
Short answer: The Air Force tried 25 courts-martial in August 2018. The median confinement after conviction was 9 months, compared with 4 months for the Air Force across 2018. The general article, Article 134, appeared in 50% of cases with a charge list, compared with 27% for the year.
Article 134 in Half the Charged Cases
Charges are listed for 22 of the 25 cases, and each article counts once per case. Article 134, the general article, appeared in 11 of them. It covers conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, service-discrediting conduct, and a list of specific offenses. The 50% share compares with 27% for the year.
Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 9 cases (41%), lower than the annual 47%. Article 120b, rape and sexual assault of a child, appeared in 4 cases (18%), compared with 12%. Article 111, drunken or reckless driving, appeared in 3 cases (14%), compared with 5%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 134 General article | 11 | 50% | 27% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 9 | 41% | 47% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 4 | 18% | 15% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 4 | 18% | 12% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 14% | 10% |
| Art. 111 Drunken or reckless driving | 3 | 14% | 5% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 2 | 9% | 3% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 9% | 12% |
Sentences for the Most Common Charges
Air Force records list charges mainly when there is a conviction. This table therefore shows counts and sentence lengths, not conviction rates. All 11 cases charging Article 134 ended in a conviction on that article, with a median confinement of 2.8 years. The 9 drug cases had a median confinement of 3 months.
| Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it | Median confinement when convicted of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 134 General article | 11 | 11 | 2.8 years |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 9 | 9 | 3 months |
Longer Confinement Than the Year
Of 22 convictions, 82% included confinement. The median confinement was 9 months, higher than the annual 4 months. A quarter of the terms were 2.8 years or longer, and 1 case ended in a life sentence.
Terms longer than one year came in 7 of 22 convictions (32%), compared with 20% for the year. Terms of 5 years or more came in 3 convictions (14%), compared with 8%. Terms from 1 year to under 5 years came in 4 convictions (18%), compared with 12%.
Terms under 6 months were 41% of convictions, compared with 48% for the year. Terms from 6 months to 1 year were 9%, compared with 13%. Convictions with no confinement were 18%, the same as the year. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover all charges in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 4 | 18% | 18% |
| Under 6 months | 9 | 41% | 48% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 2 | 9% | 13% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 4 | 18% | 12% |
| 5 years or more | 3 | 14% | 8% |
Sentences by Court Level
A special court-martial cannot adjudge more than one year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. Of the 25 cases, 13 were general courts-martial (52%) and 12 were special courts-martial.
At both levels, 82% of convictions included confinement. The median confinement was 2.8 years at general courts-martial and 3 months at special courts-martial.
Most Convicted Enlisted Members Received a Punitive Discharge
Of 21 convicted enlisted members, 15 received a punitive discharge: 11 bad-conduct and 4 dishonorable. For the Air Force in 2018, the share was 58%.
The month's 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Few Full Acquittals
Of the 25 cases, 3 ended in a full acquittal (12%). The rate for the year was 22%. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely note guilty pleas. This rate therefore uses all cases as its base, not only contested cases.
Members Decided Most Cases
The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. In August 2018, a military judge alone decided 10 cases, officer panels 10, and enlisted panels 4. Members heard 58% of the cases, higher than the 48% for the year.
Pleas from this period are rarely recorded. The forum figures therefore cannot be compared with the number of contested cases.
Compared With August 2017
August 2017 had 26 cases, and August 2018 had 25. The median confinement went from 2 months to 9 months. Convictions with confinement went from 65% to 82%. The general court-martial share went from 31% to 52%. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 58% to 71%.
Monthly groups this small can change by a large amount with a few cases. The comparison shows direction rather than precise change.
| August 2017 | August 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 26 | 25 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | — |
| Convictions with confinement | 65% | 82% |
| Median confinement | 2 months | 9 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 58% | 71% |
| General courts-martial | 31% | 52% |
Who Was Tried, and Where
The accused were 14 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 9 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 2 officers or warrant officers. Across 2018, junior enlisted members were 63% of the accused, so this month had a more senior group.
Holloman AFB, New Mexico, tried 3 cases. Nellis AFB, Nevada, and Peterson SFB, Colorado, tried 2 each. Kadena AB, Japan, and Dyess AFB, Texas, tried 1 each. Together they account for 36% of the month's cases.
Rules of the Period and Record Limits
These trials took place before January 1, 2019, when the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect. That law brought fixed panel sizes, judge-alone special courts-martial, and written plea agreements. The records do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records do not report plea agreements.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Air Force courts-martial with a trial date in August 2018 (25 cases), compared with the whole 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
- Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- July 2018 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 21 Cases (previous / next)
- What the Air Force Tried in September 2018 (previous / next)
- Air Force Courts-Martial in 2018: Year in Review (the whole year)
- Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2018: The Month in Review
- Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2019: The Month in Review
- Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2020: The Month in Review
- Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2022: The Month in Review
- 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.