Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
Andersen AFB, Guam had 13 courts-martial in 2016–2018 and 13 in 2019–2023. In the later period, 4 of the 13 cases ended in a full acquittal (31%), compared with 24% in the rest of the Air Force. The median confinement was 1 year in 2016–2018 and 2 months in 2019–2023.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Andersen AFB, Guam › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Andersen AFB, Guam had 13 courts-martial in 2016–2018 and 13 in 2019–2023. In the later period, 4 of the 13 cases ended in a full acquittal (31%), compared with 24% in the rest of the Air Force. The median confinement was 1 year in 2016–2018 and 2 months in 2019–2023.
Full Acquittals in 4 of 13 Cases
Of the 13 cases tried at Andersen from 2019 to 2023, 4 ended in a full acquittal, meaning the accused was found not guilty of every charge. That is 31%, higher than the 24% in the rest of the Air Force.
Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list the plea when the accused pleaded guilty. For that reason, this rate is measured against all cases, not only contested cases. Among the contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 of 5 ended in a full acquittal.
The Earlier and Later Periods
The case count did not change: 13 cases in 2016–2018 and 13 in 2019–2023. Counting full years only, that is about 4 a year before 2019 and about 3 a year since. In 2019 alone there were 7 cases. Each later year had 1 or 2.
Sentences were shorter in the later period. The median confinement was 1 year in 2016–2018 and 2 months in 2019–2023. Of the 9 convictions in the later period, 6 included confinement. In the earlier period, 55% of convictions included confinement.
Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 60% to 3 of 9. A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. With groups this small, a change of a few cases moves the percentages a long way, so these figures show direction only.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 13 | 13 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 5 of 6 |
| Convictions with confinement | 55% | 6 of 9 |
| Median confinement | 1 year | 2 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 60% | 3 of 9 |
| General courts-martial | 54% | 31% |
Fewer General Courts-Martial
General courts-martial heard 4 of the 13 later cases (31%), compared with 54% at Andersen in 2016–2018 and 53% across the Air Force. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Who Decided Guilt and Who Was Charged
A military judge alone decided guilt in 8 of 13 cases (62%). Members heard 5: 2 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. The accused usually chooses whether a judge alone or a panel decides guilt.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 54% of the accused, and NCOs were 46%. No officers were tried. Across the Air Force in those years, junior enlisted members were 64% of the accused. Of the 6 records that list a plea, 5 were contested.
Compared With Similar Bases
RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and USAF Academy, Colorado each tried 20 cases in the same years. The median confinement was 8 months at RAF Mildenhall and 4 months at the Academy, both longer than the 2 months at Andersen. The punitive discharge rate for convicted enlisted members was 73% at RAF Mildenhall and 7% at the Academy.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andersen AFB, Guam | 13 | 5 of 6 | 3 of 5 | 2 months | 3 of 9 |
| RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom | 20 | 50% | 1 of 7 | 8 months | 73% |
| USAF Academy, Colorado | 20 | 75% | 3 of 9 | 4 months | 7% |
What the Records Do Not Show
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or misconduct handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Andersen AFB, Guam in 2016–2018 (13) and 2019–2023 (13).
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
- Andersen AFB, Guam: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Andersen AFB, Guam Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 13 Cases Show
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- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Andersen AFB, Guam, 2019–2023
- Thomas J. Alford
- James R. Dorman
- Steven J. Grocki
- Joseph S. Imburgia
- Christopher D. James
- Jennifer E. Powell
- Matthew P. Stoffel
- Matthew D. Talcott
Names and links only. Each judge's record of pleas, findings, and sentences is on their Know Your Judge page, part of the Court-Martial Characters membership.
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.