> ## 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 November 2021 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-november-2021/ - Published: 2026-10-30T08:08:28.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:08:28.000Z - Description: The records show 16 Air Force trials in November 2021. Of the 9 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in a full acquittal. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Year](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-year/) › November 2021 **Short answer:** The records show 16 Air Force trials in November 2021\. Of the 9 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in a full acquittal. The median confinement was 36 days, compared with 4 months across the Air Force in 2021, and 1 of 10 convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge. Based on 16 cases · November 2021 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Full Acquittals in 6 of 9 Contested Cases 9 accused contested at least one charge, and 7 pleaded guilty. The contested share was 56%, compared with 51% for the Air Force in all of 2021\. A contested case is one with a not-guilty or mixed plea. Of the 9 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in a full acquittal, meaning not guilty of all charges. The other 10 cases in the month ended with a conviction on at least one charge. ## Short Confinement Terms 8 of the 10 convictions included confinement (80%). The median confinement was 36 days, shorter than the 4-month median for the Air Force in 2021\. A quarter of the confinement terms were 3 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial for every charge of conviction, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. ## 1 Punitive Discharge Among 10 convicted enlisted members, 1 received a punitive discharge (10%). That discharge was a bad-conduct discharge, not a dishonorable discharge. The Air Force rate for 2021 was 56%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Assault Charges Were More Common The charge lists cover 10 of 16 cases. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 6 of them (60%), compared with 27% for the Air Force in 2021\. Article 92 (failure to obey order or regulation) appeared in 3 (30%). Article 112a (drug offenses) and Article 113 (drunken or reckless operation of vehicle) appeared in 2 cases each. Article 119b (child endangerment), Article 87a (resistance, flight, breach of arrest), and Article 130 (stalking) appeared in 1 each. Air Force records rarely list charges in a full acquittal. With 6 full acquittals in the month, the charge shares mostly describe the cases that ended in a conviction. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force for all of 2021 | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------------------------ | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 6 | 60% | 27% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 30% | 18% | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 2 | 20% | 35% | | [Art. 113](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-113/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle | 2 | 20% | 6% | | Art. 119b Child endangerment | 1 | 10% | 1% | | Art. 87a Resistance, flight, breach of arrest | 1 | 10% | 2% | | Art. 130 Stalking | 1 | 10% | 1% | ## November 2020 Compared With November 2021 November 2020 had 25 cases, and November 2021 had 16\. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 7 of 15 to 6 of 9\. The median confinement went from 4 months to 36 days. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 44% to 10%. The general court-martial share went from 64% to 31%, the contested share from 64% to 56%, and convictions with confinement from 88% to 80%. Small groups like these can change with a few cases. | | November 2020 | November 2021 | | ----------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------- | | Cases | 25 | 16 | | Contested (of pleas recorded) | 64% | 56% | | Full acquittals (decided contested) | 7 of 15 | 6 of 9 | | Convictions with confinement | 88% | 80% | | Median confinement | 4 months | 36 days | | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 44% | 10% | | General courts-martial | 64% | 31% | ## Rank, Court Level, and Forum By rank, the accused were 9 junior enlisted members, 7 NCOs, and 0 officers. That group is more senior than the Air Force as a whole in 2021. 5 of the 16 cases were general courts-martial (31%), compared with 53% for the year. A special court-martial is limited to one year of confinement and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A military judge alone decided guilt in 10 of 16 cases (62%). Members heard 6: 4 with enlisted panels and 2 with officer panels. ## Limits of the Records The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They cover courts-martial only, not nonjudicial punishment or administrative separations, and they do not describe the evidence or plea terms. 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 November 2021 (16 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, October 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-october-2021/) (previous / next) - [December 2021 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 13 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-december-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, October 2021: The Month in Review](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-october-2021/)Next: [December 2021 at Air Force Courts-Martial: 13 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial-december-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.