What Changed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana After 2019? 27 Cases vs. 23
Barksdale AFB, Louisiana tried fewer courts-martial per year in 2019–2023 than in 2016–2018, and most later sentences included short confinement. The median confinement was 4 months in 2016–2018 and 2 months in 2019–2023, compared with 4 months in the rest of the Air Force.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › Barksdale AFB, Louisiana › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Barksdale AFB, Louisiana tried fewer courts-martial per year in 2019–2023 than in 2016–2018, and most later sentences included short confinement. The median confinement was 4 months in 2016–2018 and 2 months in 2019–2023, compared with 4 months in the rest of the Air Force. Drug offenses (Article 112a) were charged in 56% of the 23 later cases, compared with 41% Air Force-wide. A quarter of the terms were 2.2 years or longer.
A Short Median Confinement With Some Long Terms
Of 18 convictions at Barksdale in 2019–2023, 17 included confinement. The share of convictions with confinement was 81% in 2016–2018 and 94% in 2019–2023. Over the same periods, the median confinement was 4 months and then 2 months. The Air Force median was 4 months.
Sentence lengths varied widely. A quarter of the terms were 2.2 years or longer, so a few cases had much longer sentences than the median. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 27 | 23 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 40% |
| Convictions with confinement | 81% | 94% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 2 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 53% | 56% |
| General courts-martial | 44% | 39% |
Drug Offenses, and 2 Murder Cases
The charge lists cover 18 of the 23 cases. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals. Article 112a, the controlled-substances article, was charged in 10 of those 18 cases (56%), compared with 41% across the Air Force.
Article 118 (murder) was charged in 2 cases, 11% of the listed cases. The share shown for the Air Force as a whole is 0%. Article 134, the general article, was charged in 22% of cases, about the same as the 21% Air Force-wide. Article 120 (sexual assault) was charged in 11%, the same as service-wide. 1 case charged Article 130, which covered housebreaking before 2019 and stalking since.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 10 | 56% | 41% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 22% | 21% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 17% | 19% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 11% | 11% |
| Art. 118 Murder | 2 | 11% | 0% |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 1 | 6% | 3% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 1 | 6% | 5% |
| Art. 130 Housebreaking before 2019, stalking since | 1 | 6% | 1% |
More Dishonorable Than Bad-Conduct Discharges
Of 18 convicted enlisted members, 10 received a punitive discharge: 4 bad-conduct discharges and 6 dishonorable discharges. Across the Air Force, the share was 56%. At Barksdale in 2016–2018, it was 53%.
No officers or warrant officers were among the accused, so there were no dismissals. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Fewer Contested Cases Than Elsewhere
Of the 20 records that list a plea, 12 were guilty pleas and 8 were contested. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share, 40%, is lower than the 50% across the Air Force. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, so there is no earlier contested share to compare.
Of the 23 cases, 5 ended in a full acquittal (22%), compared with 24% Air Force-wide. Older Air Force records often leave out guilty pleas, so this rate is measured against all cases, not only contested cases.
Panels and Judges
Members heard 39% of cases with a forum listed: 4 enlisted panels and 5 officer panels. A military judge alone decided the other 14. The accused usually chooses whether a judge alone or a panel decides guilt. Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.
There were slightly more officer panels than enlisted panels here. The records show which kind of panel heard each case but not why.
Junior Airmen and Special Courts-Martial
The accused were 17 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) and 6 NCOs (E-5 to E-9). Across the Air Force, junior enlisted members were 64% of the accused, so the Barksdale group is more junior.
General courts-martial heard 9 of the 23 cases (39%), compared with 53% Air Force-wide and 44% at Barksdale in 2016–2018. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Fewer Cases per Year
In 2016–2018, Barksdale tried 27 cases, about 9 a year. From January 2019 through April 2023, the records show 23 cases, about 5 a year counting full years only. There were 2 cases in 2019, 4 in 2020, 9 in 2021, 5 in 2022, and 3 in 2023. In small groups, a few cases can change the percentages by a large amount.
Compared With Similar Bases
Kadena AB, Japan and RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom each tried 23 cases in the same years. Both had more contested cases: 67% at Kadena and 87% at RAF Lakenheath. Both had longer median confinement, 1 year and 9 months. Both had higher punitive discharge rates, 86% and 75%, than Barksdale.
Of decided contested cases, Barksdale had 4 full acquittals out of 8. Kadena had 7 of 12, and RAF Lakenheath had 5 of 12.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barksdale AFB, Louisiana | 23 | 40% | 4 of 8 | 2 months | 56% |
| Kadena AB, Japan | 23 | 67% | 7 of 12 | 1 year | 86% |
| RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom | 23 | 87% | 5 of 12 | 9 months | 75% |
What the Records Do Not Show
The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or offense dates. Air Force records never report plea agreements. Misconduct handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation is not included.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana in 2016–2018 (27) and 2019–2023 (23).
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
- Barksdale AFB, Louisiana: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 2016–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 27 Cases
- Inside 23 Courts-Martial at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 2019–2023
- Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 2019–2023
- Jefferson B. Brown
- Christopher D. James
- Shad R. Kidd
- Brett A. Landry
- Sterling C. Pendleton
- Dayle P. Percle
- Julie L. Pitvorec
- Mark F. Rosenow
- Thomas A. Smith
- Charles G. Warren
- Bryan D. Watson
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.