What the Air Force Tried in March 2024
Air Force records show 18 courts-martial tried in March 2024. Among 13 convicted enlisted members, 9 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (69%), compared with 62% across the Air Force in 2024. The median confinement was 4 months, compared with 5 months for the year.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Short answer: Air Force records show 18 courts-martial tried in March 2024. Among 13 convicted enlisted members, 9 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (69%), compared with 62% across the Air Force in 2024. The median confinement was 4 months, compared with 5 months for the year.
Discharges Were More Common Than the Year
9 of 13 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge (69%), higher than the 62% for the Air Force in all of 2024. 3 of those 9 were dishonorable discharges, and the rest were bad-conduct discharges.
The month had 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, and 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Length of Confinement
Confinement was part of 86% of the 14 convictions. The median confinement was 4 months, compared with 5 months across the Air Force in 2024. A quarter of the confinement terms were 2.5 years or longer.
Sentences here are as adjudged at trial for all charges of conviction. Any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal would come later.
March 2023 Compared With March 2024
March 2023 had 29 cases, and March 2024 had 18. The median confinement went from 9 months to 4 months. Convictions with confinement went from 95% to 86%.
Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 53% to 69%. The general court-martial share went from 66% to 44%, and the contested share went from 55% to 41%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 9 of 16 to 4 of 7.
Each month has few cases, so a few cases can move any of these figures.
| March 2023 | March 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 29 | 18 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 55% | 41% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 9 of 16 | 4 of 7 |
| Convictions with confinement | 95% | 86% |
| Median confinement | 9 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 53% | 69% |
| General courts-martial | 66% | 44% |
Pleas and Verdicts
17 of the 18 records list the plea. 10 accused pleaded guilty and 7 entered a not-guilty or mixed plea, a contested share of 41%. The Air Force figure for 2024 was 45%.
Of the 7 contested cases that reached a verdict, 4 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty of all charges.
Charges Spread Across Many Articles
15 of the 18 records list the charges. No single article appeared in more than 3 cases. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault), Article 112a (drug offenses), and Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) each appeared in 3 cases (20%).
Article 134 (general article), Article 128b (domestic violence), Article 86 (AWOL), Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child), and Article 128 (assault) each appeared in 2 cases (13%). Article 86 appeared more often than its 3% for the year, and Article 120b more often than its 7%. Air Force records rarely list charges in a full acquittal.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 3 | 20% | 16% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 3 | 20% | 22% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 20% | 13% |
| Art. 134 General article | 2 | 13% | 22% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 2 | 13% | 13% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 2 | 13% | 3% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 13% | 7% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 2 | 13% | 15% |
Forum, Rank, and Court Level
A military judge alone decided guilt in 14 cases. Members heard 22% of cases with the forum listed: 2 enlisted panels and 2 officer panels.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 56% of the accused, NCOs 39%, and officers 6%. Across the Air Force in 2024, junior enlisted members were 54%.
General courts-martial made up 44% of the cases (8 of 18). A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
What These Records Do Not Include
The records give trial dates, not offense dates, and they do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. They cover courts-martial only, not nonjudicial punishment or administrative separations. 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 March 2024 (18 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 January 2024 (previous / next)
- What the Air Force Tried in April 2024 (previous / next)
- The Air Force Court-Martial Year, 2024 (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.