> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What the Air Force Tried in February 2021 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-february-2021/ - Published: 2026-10-30T08:08:19.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:08:19.000Z - Description: The Air Force tried 14 courts-martial in February 2021, and 9 of them were guilty pleas. Only 36% of cases were contested, compared with 51% for the Air Force across 2021. Of convicted enlisted members, 40% received a punitive discharge, against 56% for the year. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) › February 2021 **Short answer:** The Air Force tried 14 courts-martial in February 2021, and 9 of them were guilty pleas. Only 36% of cases were contested, compared with 51% for the Air Force across 2021\. Of convicted enlisted members, 40% received a punitive discharge, against 56% for the year. Based on 14 cases · February 2021 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Mostly Guilty Pleas In February 2021, 9 accused pleaded guilty and 5 contested the charges. A contested case is one in which the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share of 36% was lower than the 51% for the year. Of the 5 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty of all charges. ## Fewer Contested Cases Than in February 2020 February 2020 had 23 cases, and 90% of those with a plea recorded were contested. In February 2021, with 14 cases, the contested share was 36%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict were 5 of 9 in February 2020 and 3 of 5 in February 2021. Convictions with confinement went from 94% to 73%, and the median confinement went from 3 months to 4 months. The general court-martial share went from 30% to 50%. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 38% to 40%. These groups are small, so a few cases can move each figure. | | February 2020 | February 2021 | | ----------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------- | | Cases | 23 | 14 | | Contested (of pleas recorded) | 90% | 36% | | Full acquittals (decided contested) | 5 of 9 | 3 of 5 | | Convictions with confinement | 94% | 73% | | Median confinement | 3 months | 4 months | | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 38% | 40% | | General courts-martial | 30% | 50% | ## Confinement Terms Confinement was part of 73% of the 11 convictions. The median confinement was 4 months, the same as for the Air Force in 2021\. A quarter of the confinement terms were 5 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in its case. ## Punitive Discharges A punitive discharge followed 40% of enlisted convictions: 3 bad-conduct discharges and 1 dishonorable discharge. The rate for the year was 56%. The month's 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was not dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Charges Listed for 11 Cases The records list charges for 11 of the 14 cases, and a case can count under more than one article. Article 112a (wrongful use, possession of controlled substances) and Article 128 (assault) appeared in 3 cases each (27%). Article 107 (false official statements) appeared in 2 cases (18%), compared with 4% for the year. Article 134 also appeared in 2 cases. Article 118 (murder), Article 83 (malingering), Article 86, and Article 87b each appeared in 1 case. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2021 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------ | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 3 | 27% | 35% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 3 | 27% | 27% | | [Art. 107](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-107/?ref=bodiesburied.com) False official statements | 2 | 18% | 4% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 2 | 18% | 19% | | Art. 118 Murder | 1 | 9% | 0% | | Art. 83 Malingering | 1 | 9% | 1% | | [Art. 86](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-86/?ref=bodiesburied.com) AWOL | 1 | 9% | 3% | | Art. 87b Offenses against correctional custody | 1 | 9% | 0% | ## Forum, Rank, and Court Level The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone decided 10 cases, and members heard 29%: 2 enlisted panels and 2 officer panels. Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 64% of the accused, about the same as the 65% for the year. NCOs (E-5 to E-9) were 21% and officers 14%. General courts-martial were 7 of the 14 cases (50%), compared with 53% for the year. ## Limits of the Data Trial records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They leave out the evidence, the plea terms, and conduct handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Air Force courts-martial with a trial date in February 2021 (14 cases), compared with the whole year. Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial/) (hub) - [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) (hub) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, January 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-january-2021/) (previous / next) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, March 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-march-2021/) (previous / next) - [The Air Force Court-Martial Year, 2021](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-2021-year-in-review/) (the whole year) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2018: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-april-2018/) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, April 2019: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-april-2019/) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2018: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-august-2018/) - [Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2020: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-august-2020/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ← Previous: [Air Force Courts-Martial, January 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-january-2021/)Next: [Air Force Courts-Martial, March 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-march-2021/) → **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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.