March 2023 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 29 Cases
The Air Force tried 29 courts-martial in March 2023. Absence offenses under Article 86 (AWOL) appeared in 25% of cases with a charge list, compared with 9% for the Air Force across 2023. The median confinement after conviction was 9 months, compared with 5 months for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Short answer: The Air Force tried 29 courts-martial in March 2023. Absence offenses under Article 86 (AWOL) appeared in 25% of cases with a charge list, compared with 9% for the Air Force across 2023. The median confinement after conviction was 9 months, compared with 5 months for the year.
AWOL and Orders Charges Were More Common
Charges are listed for 20 cases. Article 92, failure to obey an order or regulation, appeared in 6 of them (30%), compared with 18% for the year. Article 86, AWOL, appeared in 5 (25%), compared with 9%.
Article 134, the general article, also appeared in 5 cases (25%), higher than the annual 19%. Article 115, which since 2019 covers communicating threats, appeared in 3 cases (15%), compared with 8% across the Air Force. Article 112, drunkenness and other incapacitation, appeared in 2 cases (10%), compared with 2% for the year.
Some common charges appeared less often. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 4 cases (20%, compared with 28%). Assault under Article 128 appeared in 3 cases. Domestic violence under Article 128b appeared in 2 cases (10%, compared with 14%). Each article counts once per case, and Air Force records rarely list charges for a full acquittal.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 6 | 30% | 18% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 5 | 25% | 9% |
| Art. 134 General article | 5 | 25% | 19% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 4 | 20% | 28% |
| Art. 115 Communicating threats | 3 | 15% | 8% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 15% | 12% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 2 | 10% | 14% |
| Art. 112 Drunkenness and other incapacitation | 2 | 10% | 2% |
Confinement in Nearly Every Sentence
Of 20 convictions, 95% included confinement. The median confinement was 9 months, higher than the 5 months for the Air Force in 2023. A quarter of the terms were 2 years or longer.
Only 1 conviction (5%) included no confinement, compared with 9% for the year. Terms longer than one year came in 6 of 20 convictions (30%), compared with 23%. Terms under 6 months were 40% of convictions here and 49% across the Air Force.
These are sentences as adjudged at trial for all charges together, before clemency, appeal, or any plea-agreement cap.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 1 | 5% | 9% |
| Under 6 months | 8 | 40% | 49% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 25% | 18% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 5 | 25% | 21% |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 5% | 3% |
Sentences by Court Level
There were 19 general courts-martial and 10 special courts-martial. The general share was 66%, compared with 59% for the year. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge.
At general courts-martial, the median confinement was 1.5 years, and 68% of cases were contested. At special courts-martial, the median was 56 days, and 30% were contested.
Pleas and Verdicts
In a contested case, the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. There were 16 contested cases and 13 guilty pleas. The contested share was 55%, about the same as the 53% across the Air Force that year.
Of the 16 contested cases with a verdict, 9 ended in a full acquittal (56%), the same as the annual rate. Another 4 (25%) ended in a partial acquittal, with the accused found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. Air Force results give one verdict per case, so a partial acquittal appears only in an appeals opinion.
Members Heard Most Contested Cases
The accused usually decides whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A military judge alone decided 15 of 29 cases (52%). Members decided 14: 10 with enlisted panels and 4 with officer panels.
Members heard 14 of the 16 contested cases (88%). Most guilty pleas go before a military judge alone, so the overall split follows the number of contested cases.
Fewer Punitive Discharges Than the Year
Of 19 convicted enlisted members, 10 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (53%). That is less often than the 58% across the Air Force in 2023. Of those 10, 4 were dishonorable. 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.
Rank and Bases
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 72% of the accused, compared with 62% for the Air Force in 2023. NCOs made up 21%, and officers 7%.
Nellis AFB, Nevada, JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Osan AB, South Korea, tried 3 cases each. Minot AFB, North Dakota, and JB Lewis-McChord, Washington, tried 2 each. Together these installations account for 45% of the month's cases. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
Compared With March 2022
March 2022 had 32 cases, and March 2023 had 29. The contested share went from 41% to 55%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 3 of 13 to 9 of 16. The median confinement was 9 months in both months. Punitive discharges for enlisted members went from 71% to 53%. Convictions with confinement went from 90% to 95%. With so few cases, these comparisons show direction rather than precise change.
| March 2022 | March 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 32 | 29 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 41% | 55% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 3 of 13 | 9 of 16 |
| Convictions with confinement | 90% | 95% |
| Median confinement | 9 months | 9 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 71% | 53% |
| General courts-martial | 66% | 66% |
What the Records Do Not Show
Cases handled through nonjudicial punishment, administrative separation, or no action are not in these records. The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. They show when a case was tried, not when the alleged offense happened. 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 March 2023 (29 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)
- Air Force Courts-Martial, February 2023: The Month in Review (previous / next)
- April 2023 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 22 Cases (previous / next)
- How 2023 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.