Air Force Courts-Martial, January 2018: The Month in Review
The Air Force tried 30 courts-martial in January 2018. Members heard 57% of cases with a forum listed, and 16 of those cases had officer panels. The median confinement was 6 months, higher than the 4 months across the Air Force for all of 2018.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Year › January 2018
Short answer: The Air Force tried 30 courts-martial in January 2018. Members heard 57% of cases with a forum listed, and 16 of those cases had officer panels. The median confinement was 6 months, higher than the 4 months across the Air Force for all of 2018.
Members Decided Most Cases
Members decided 57% of the cases with the forum recorded in January 2018. A military judge alone decided the other 13.
Officer panels decided 16 cases, and an enlisted panel decided 1. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or members decide guilt. These records do not give the reason for each choice. Pleas were rarely recorded in this period, so the records cannot show how many of the panel cases were contested.
A Higher Share of Officers
Officers made up 10% of the accused, NCOs 37%, and junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) 53%. Across the Air Force in 2018, junior enlisted members were 63% of those tried, so this month's group was more senior.
Both convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge, because officers do not receive bad-conduct or dishonorable discharges. Officers convicted at a court-martial can also be sentenced to confinement, and the records count their sentences with all others.
Assault Was Charged More Often Than in the Year
Charges are listed for 25 of the 30 cases, and each article counts once per case. Article 112a, wrongful use or possession of controlled substances, was the most common charge, in 48% of cases. That is about the same as the 47% across the Air Force.
Article 128, assault, appeared in 20% of cases, compared with 10% for the Air Force in 2018. Article 134, the general article, appeared in 20%, lower than the 27% for the year. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 16%, compared with 12%. Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) appeared in 8%, compared with 12%.
Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) appeared in 12% of cases. Article 121 (larceny) and Article 107 (false official statements) appeared in 8% each.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 12 | 48% | 47% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 5 | 20% | 10% |
| Art. 134 General article | 5 | 20% | 27% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 4 | 16% | 12% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 12% | 15% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 2 | 8% | 5% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 2 | 8% | 7% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 8% | 12% |
Length of Confinement
Of 25 convictions, 21 included confinement. The median confinement was 6 months, higher than the 4-month Air Force median for 2018. A quarter of the terms were 10 months or longer.
Terms from 6 months to 1 year came in 5 convictions (20%, compared with 13% for the year). Terms longer than one year came in 5 of 25 convictions (20%), the same as the 20% for the Air Force. No confinement was imposed in 4 convictions (16%).
These are sentences as adjudged at trial. Each covers every charge of conviction and comes before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 4 | 16% | 18% |
| Under 6 months | 11 | 44% | 48% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 20% | 13% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 3 | 12% | 12% |
| 5 years or more | 2 | 8% | 8% |
General and Special Courts-Martial
Of the 30 cases, 13 were general courts-martial (43%, compared with 50% for the Air Force in 2018), and 17 were special courts-martial.
The median confinement was 1.4 years at general courts-martial and 3 months at special courts-martial. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.
Full Acquittals and Punitive Discharges
Of the 30 cases, 5 ended in a full acquittal (17%), compared with 22% for the year. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely note guilty pleas, so this rate counts all cases, not only contested ones.
Of 23 convicted enlisted members, 10 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (43%). That is less often than the 58% for the Air Force in 2018. Of those 10, 5 were dishonorable. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Compared With January 2017
January 2017 had 37 cases, and January 2018 had 30. The median confinement went from 3 months to 6 months. The general court-martial share went from 32% to 43%. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 53% to 43%. The share of convictions with confinement was 84% in both months.
Monthly groups are small, so a few cases can change any figure in the comparison. The records cannot show what caused these changes. They show direction, not a measured trend.
| January 2017 | January 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 37 | 30 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | — |
| Convictions with confinement | 84% | 84% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 6 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 53% | 43% |
| General courts-martial | 32% | 43% |
Installations and Limits of the Records
Holloman AFB, New Mexico, tried 3 cases. McConnell AFB, Kansas, the USAF Academy, Colorado, and Vandenberg SFB, California, tried 2 each, and Misawa AB, Japan, tried 1. These 5 installations account for 33% of the month's cases.
The trials took place before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019. The records show trial dates, not offense dates. They do not include nonjudicial punishment, the evidence, or plea terms. 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 January 2018 (30 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)
- What the Air Force Tried in December 2017 (previous / next)
- Air Force Courts-Martial, February 2018: The Month in Review (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 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.