Aviano AB, Italy, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
Sentences at Aviano AB, Italy were longer in 2019–2023 than in 2016–2018. The median confinement went from 3 months to 10 months, compared with 4 months Air Force-wide, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 40% to 69%.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › Aviano AB, Italy › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Sentences at Aviano AB, Italy were longer in 2019–2023 than in 2016–2018. The median confinement went from 3 months to 10 months, compared with 4 months Air Force-wide, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 40% to 69%. Article 128 (assault) was charged in 43% of the later cases, compared with 19% across the Air Force.
Longer Confinement Than Before 2019
Of the 17 cases tried at Aviano from 2019 to 2023, 14 ended in a conviction on at least one charge. Confinement was part of 13 of those 14 sentences (93%). In 2016–2018, 100% of convictions included confinement.
The median confinement was 10 months in 2019–2023. It was 3 months in 2016–2018. Across the Air Force in the later years, the median was 4 months. Among the later sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 1 year or longer.
These are adjudged sentences: the sentence announced at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case, not a single offense.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 16 | 17 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 43% |
| Convictions with confinement | 100% | 93% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 10 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 40% | 69% |
| General courts-martial | 31% | 53% |
Assault Charged More Often Than Air Force-Wide
The charges are listed for 14 of the 17 cases. Each article counts once per case, so a case with 2 articles appears under both.
Article 128 (assault) was the most common charge, in 6 cases (43%). Across the Air Force, the share was 19%. Article 112a, the drug article, was next, in 5 cases (36%), lower than the 41% Air Force-wide. Article 134, the general article, appeared in 4 cases (29%), compared with 21% service-wide.
Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) was charged in 3 cases. Article 107 (false official statements), Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child), and Article 86 (AWOL) each appeared in 2. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 1.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 128 Assault | 6 | 43% | 19% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 5 | 36% | 41% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 29% | 21% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 21% | 16% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 2 | 14% | 6% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 14% | 7% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 2 | 14% | 5% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 1 | 7% | 5% |
More Punitive Discharges
Of 13 convicted enlisted members, 9 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (69%). Across the Air Force, the share was 56%. At Aviano in 2016–2018, it was 40%. Of the 9 punitive discharges, 3 were dishonorable discharges.
1 convicted officer or warrant officer appears in the records, and that officer was dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Guilty Pleas and Acquittals
Of the 14 records that list a plea, 8 were guilty pleas and 6 were contested. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 43%, lower than the 50% across the Air Force.
Of the 17 cases, 3 ended in a full acquittal (18%), compared with 24% Air Force-wide. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list the plea when the accused pleaded guilty, so this rate is measured against all cases. Among the contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 of 6 ended in a full acquittal.
A Higher Share of General Courts-Martial
General courts-martial heard 9 of the 17 cases, and special courts-martial heard 8. The general court-martial share was 53%, the same as across the Air Force and higher than the 31% at Aviano in 2016–2018. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year.
Rank and Forum
The accused were 10 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 6 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 officer or warrant officer. Across the Air Force, 64% of the accused were junior enlisted, so the Aviano group was more senior.
Members decided guilt in 24% of cases with the forum listed: 3 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. A military judge alone decided the other 13. The accused usually chooses between a judge alone and a panel.
Case Counts and Similar Bases
The records show 17 cases from February 2019 to July 2023: 3 in 2019, 4 in each of 2020, 2021, and 2022, and 2 in 2023. In 2016–2018 there were 16 cases. Counting full years only, that is about 5 a year before 2019 and about 3 a year after. Small groups change by large percentages when a few cases differ.
RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and USAF Academy, Colorado each tried 20 cases in the same years. Their median confinement was 8 months and 4 months, both shorter than at Aviano. The punitive discharge rate was 73% at RAF Mildenhall and 7% at the Academy.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviano AB, Italy | 17 | 43% | 3 of 6 | 10 months | 69% |
| 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 show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, offense dates, or misconduct handled outside a court-martial. 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 Aviano AB, Italy in 2016–2018 (16) and 2019–2023 (17).
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
- Aviano AB, Italy: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 17 Cases
- Aviano AB, Italy Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 16 Cases Show
- Inside 14 Courts-Martial at Aviano AB, Italy, 2024–2026
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023
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.