What the Air Force Tried in February 2025
Air Force records show 11 courts-martial tried in February 2025. General courts-martial made up 82% of them, and the contested share was 60%, compared with 41% for the Air Force across 2025. Article 128b (domestic violence) and Article 134 (general article) each appeared in 36% of cases.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 4 min read
Trends › By Year › February 2025
Short answer: Air Force records show 11 courts-martial tried in February 2025. General courts-martial made up 82% of them, and the contested share was 60%, compared with 41% for the Air Force across 2025. Article 128b (domestic violence) and Article 134 (general article) each appeared in 36% of cases.
Mostly General Courts-Martial
9 of the 11 cases were general courts-martial (82%), and special courts-martial made up the rest. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge or dismissal. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
The accused were 5 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 5 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 officer or warrant officer. Across the Air Force in 2025, 60% of the accused were junior enlisted, so this month had a more senior group.
Which Articles Were Charged?
All 11 records list the charges, and a case charged under several articles counts under each of them. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 4 cases (36%), compared with 16% across the Air Force in 2025. Article 134 (general article) also appeared in 4 cases (36%), compared with 23%.
Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 3 cases, or 27% of the month, compared with 14% for the year. Article 118 (murder) appeared in 1 case. The yearly share for murder was 0%.
Article 107 (false official statements), Article 124 (frauds against the United States), Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation), and Article 131b (obstructing justice) appeared in 1 case each. Air Force records rarely list the charges in a full acquittal, so these shares mostly describe cases with at least one conviction.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 4 | 36% | 16% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 36% | 23% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 3 | 27% | 14% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 1 | 9% | 8% |
| Art. 124 Frauds against the United States | 1 | 9% | 1% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 1 | 9% | 17% |
| Art. 118 Murder | 1 | 9% | 0% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 1 | 9% | 1% |
More Contested Cases Than the Year
10 of the 11 records list the plea. 4 accused pleaded guilty and 6 contested at least one charge. A contested case is one with a not-guilty or mixed plea.
The contested share was 60%. For the Air Force in all of 2025 it was 41%, so contested cases were more common in this month than in the year.
Who Decided Guilt
A military judge alone decided guilt in 6 of 11 cases (55%). Members heard 5, all with enlisted panels and none with an officer panel. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or members decide guilt.
Rules for Trials After 2023
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel rather than commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters.
Both rules turn on the offense date, which the records do not give. February 2025 trials can include cases under the old rules and the new rules.
What the Records Leave Out
This page has no verdict or sentence figures for the month. The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences in general, but not the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records never 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 February 2025 (11 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)
- January 2025 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 17 Cases (previous / next)
- March 2025 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 19 Cases (previous / next)
- How 2025 Went at Air Force Courts-Martial (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 2018: The Month in Review
- Air Force Courts-Martial, August 2020: 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.