Burglary And Unlawful Entry Plus Attempt: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 129 and 80
The records hold 16 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2021–2025 that charged both Article 129 (burglary and unlawful entry) and Article 80 (attempt). The median confinement was 1.9 years, compared with 9 months in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 129.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 129 › With Article 80
Short answer: The records hold 16 Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2021–2025 that charged both Article 129 (burglary and unlawful entry) and Article 80 (attempt). The median confinement was 1.9 years, compared with 9 months in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 129. 86% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, against 76% in that group.
Confinement of 1.9 Years at the Median
Of the 15 convictions, 12 carried confinement. The median term was 1.9 years. In all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 129, the median was 9 months.
A quarter of the sentences that included confinement were 10 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. A single sentence covers every charge in a case, so these terms reflect the attempt and other charges as well as the burglary count.
Most Were General Courts-Martial
13 cases were tried at a general court-martial and 3 at a special court-martial. The general share of 81% was higher than the 61% in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 129.
Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than 1 year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is capped at 1 year.
Discharges
12 of the 14 convicted enlisted members received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (86%). That was more often than the 76% in the comparison group. 3 of the 12 were dishonorable discharges. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Assault Charged in 8 Cases
No case charged burglary or unlawful entry by itself, compared with 10 of 127 in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 129. Besides Article 80 (attempt) in all 16, the most common charges were Article 128 (assault) in 8 cases, Article 92 (orders violation) in 6, Article 121 (larceny) in 5, and Article 131b (obstruction) in 3.
Pleas
15 of the 16 records list the plea. 10 accused pleaded guilty and 5 entered not-guilty or mixed pleas. The contested share of 33% was about the same as the 36% in all Army, Navy, and Marine Corps cases charging Article 129.
Rank and Trial Years
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 73% of the accused and NCOs 27%, with no officers. Across the comparison group, junior enlisted members were 76%.
The cases were tried between March 2021 and April 2025: 2 in 2021, 5 in 2022, 3 in 2023, 4 in 2024, and 2 in 2025.
Rule Changes and Gaps in the Records
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses, and new sentencing parameters apply when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023. Both depend on the offense date. The records give only trial dates, so they cannot show which rules governed the later cases.
The records also do not describe the evidence or the plea terms, and they do not include nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Army, Navy, and Marine Corps courts-martial that charged both Article 129 and Article 80 (16 cases). Air Force cases are left out because Air Force records rarely list the charges in acquittals.
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 129 (Burglary Before 2019, Burglary and Unlawful Entry Since): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 80 (Attempts): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Articles 129 and 92 in the Same Case: What the Records Show
- Burglary And Unlawful Entry Plus General Article: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 129 and 134
- How Has Article 129 Changed in Army Courts-Martial Since 2021?
- How Has Article 129 Changed in Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial Since 2021?
- AWOL Plus Disrespect: Courts-Martial Charging Articles 86 and 89
- 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.