Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4) Charged Under Article 119 in the Army
Army records hold 11 courts-martial from 2021–2025 that charged junior enlisted soldiers (E-1 to E-4) under Article 119 (manslaughter).
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 4 min read
Trends › By Offense › Article 119 › Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4)
Short answer: Army records hold 11 courts-martial from 2021–2025 that charged junior enlisted soldiers (E-1 to E-4) under Article 119 (manslaughter). The median confinement was 8.2 years, longer than the 5.8 years in all Army Article 119 cases, and every convicted soldier in this group received a punitive discharge (100%, against 92%).
Confinement After a Conviction
10 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge. All 10 of those sentences included confinement (100%).
The median confinement was 8.2 years. In all Army Article 119 cases it was 5.8 years, so junior enlisted soldiers in these records were sentenced to longer terms. Among the sentences with confinement, a quarter were 10 years or longer.
These are adjudged sentences. They are the sentence announced at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each one covers every charge in the case, not only Article 119.
Bad-Conduct and Dishonorable Discharges
A punitive discharge followed 100% of the convictions: 4 bad-conduct discharges and 6 dishonorable discharges. The rate for all Army Article 119 cases was 92%.
A sentence without a punitive discharge would not rule out a later administrative separation, but no soldier in this group was convicted without one.
Most Pleaded Guilty
10 of the 11 records list the plea. 8 were guilty pleas and 2 were contested, meaning a not-guilty or mixed plea to at least one charge.
The contested share was 20%. In all Army Article 119 cases it was 23%, which is about the same.
Other Articles in the Same Cases
7 of the 11 cases charged at least one other article. Article 113 (drunken or reckless driving) appeared in 3 cases. Article 114 (endangerment) and Article 128 (assault) each appeared in 2. Article 107 (false official statement) and Article 119a (death or injury of an unborn child) each appeared in 1.
Who Decided Guilt?
A military judge alone decided guilt in 9 of 11 cases with the forum listed (82%). Members heard the other 2, and both were enlisted panels. The accused usually chooses between a military judge alone and a panel of members.
Trials by Year
The cases were tried from April 2021 to December 2025: 2 in 2021, 3 in 2022, 3 in 2023, 0 in 2024, and 3 in 2025. The sheet describes this group as more junior than all Army Article 119 cases.
Covered Offense Rules
Article 119 is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters.
Both rules depend on the offense date. The records give only trial dates, so the 3 trials in 2025 may include cases under either set of rules. Army records in this data are sparse before 2021.
What the Records Do Not Show
The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. They also do not show cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army courts-martial tried 2021–2025 that charged junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) under Article 119 (11 cases), compared with every Army Article 119 case.
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
- Article 119 (Manslaughter): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Army Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 119 Cases by the Numbers, 2017–2025
- What Sentence Follows a Navy-Marine Corps Manslaughter Conviction?
- Army Article 93a Cases Against NCOs (E-5 to E-9): Outcomes and Sentences
- Army Child Endangerment Cases Against Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Outcomes and Sentences
- Army Child Sexual Abuse Cases Against Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Outcomes and Sentences
- Army Communicating Threats Cases Against Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Outcomes and Sentences
- Army Conduct Unbecoming Cases Against Officers: Outcomes and Sentences
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Compare: federal court. Manslaughter: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
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.