> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Courts-Martial in Japan and Guam: How the Services Compare, 2016–2025 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-japan-and-guam-2016-2025/ - Published: 2026-10-30T05:31:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:20:46.000Z - Description: The records hold 482 courts-martial tried in Japan and Guam from 2016–2025, most of them Navy and Marine Corps cases (342). - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › Japan and Guam **Short answer:** The records hold 482 courts-martial tried in Japan and Guam from 2016–2025, most of them Navy and Marine Corps cases (342). Convictions brought a median confinement of 10 months, longer than the 6 months across all courts-martial in those years, and Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) was charged in 16% of cases, against 8%. Based on 482 cases · 2016–2025 · Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Longer Confinement Than Elsewhere 416 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 357 of those convictions carried confinement. The median confinement was 10 months. Across all courts-martial in those years, the median was 6 months. A quarter of the confinement terms in Japan and Guam were 2.5 years or longer. 156 of the 416 convictions brought more than one year of confinement (38%), compared with 25% across all courts-martial. 48 brought 5 years or more (12%), against 7%. The band under 6 months held 127 convictions (31%), compared with 40%. These are adjudged sentences, meaning the sentence imposed at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all courts-martial in those years | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------- | | No confinement | 59 | 14% | 16% | | Under 6 months | 127 | 31% | 40% | | 6 months to 1 year | 74 | 18% | 19% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 108 | 26% | 18% | | 5 years or more | 48 | 12% | 7% | ## Child Sexual Abuse Charges Appeared More Often 442 of the 482 records list the charges, and each article counts once per case. Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) was charged in 72 cases (16%), compared with 8% across all courts-martial in those years. Article 80 (attempts) was charged in 12%, against 7%. Article 128 (assault) was the most common charge, in 134 cases (30%), against 25%. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 19% of cases, against 15%. Article 112a (drug offenses) was charged less often: 12% compared with 24%. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, all courts-martial in those years | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------- | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 134 | 30% | 25% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 108 | 24% | 20% | | [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault | 85 | 19% | 15% | | [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child | 72 | 16% | 8% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 62 | 14% | 16% | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 55 | 12% | 24% | | [Art. 80](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-80/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Attempts | 54 | 12% | 7% | | [Art. 121](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-121/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Larceny | 41 | 9% | 8% | ## Conviction Rates and Sentences for the Top Charges Article 120b ended in a conviction on that article in 71 of 72 cases (99%), the highest rate among the top charges. The median confinement for those convictions was 3 years. Article 120 had the lowest rate, 66 of 85 cases (78%), and its convictions also brought a median of 3 years. Article 134 (the general article) ended in a conviction in 105 of 108 cases (97%), with a median of 1.7 years. Article 128 ended in a conviction in 117 of 134 cases (87%), with a median of 8 months. One case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so these rows overlap. | Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it | | -------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Art. 128 Assault | 134 | 117 (87%) | 8 months | | Art. 134 General article | 108 | 105 (97%) | 1.7 years | | Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 85 | 66 (78%) | 3 years | | Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 72 | 71 (99%) | 3 years | ## Services, Installations, and Years The Navy and Marine Corps account for 342 of the 482 cases, the Air Force for 130, and the Army for 10. Okinawa, Japan, had the most cases (208), followed by Yokosuka, Japan (112), Kadena AB, Japan (49), Yokota AB, Japan (29), and Andersen AFB, Guam (28). These five account for 88% of the cases. Misawa AB, Japan (24), MCAS Iwakuni, Japan (12), and Camp Zama (10) follow. The yearly count was 30 in 2016, 62 in 2017, 82 in 2018, 65 in 2019, 49 in 2020, 35 in 2021, 39 in 2022, 38 in 2023, 35 in 2024, and 47 in 2025\. The highest year was 2018. | Service | Cases | | ----------------- | ----- | | Army | 10 | | Air Force | 130 | | Navy-Marine Corps | 342 | ## Pleas and Verdicts 281 of the 482 records list the plea. 176 accused pleaded guilty and 105 contested at least one charge, through a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share, 37%, compares with 34% across all courts-martial in those years. Cases charging Article 134 ended in a guilty plea 82% of the time (50 of 61), the most among the top charges. Cases charging Article 120 ended in a guilty plea 29% of the time (14 of 49). The records do not say why an accused pleaded guilty or contested the charges. 43 of the 105 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (41%), close to the 40% across all courts-martial. 17 more split the charges, with a guilty finding on one and a not-guilty finding on another. ## Punitive Discharges A punitive discharge followed 66% of enlisted convictions in Japan and Guam, compared with 63% across all courts-martial in those years. Dishonorable discharges outnumbered bad-conduct discharges: 141 against 126. 13 convicted officers or warrant officers appear in the records, and 6 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. ## Court Level and Rank 261 of the 482 cases were general courts-martial (54%), the same as the 54% across all courts-martial. 93% of their convictions brought confinement, with a median of 2.2 years. At the 221 special courts-martial, which cap confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge, 78% did, with a median of 4 months. Among the accused with rank recorded, 288 were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 164 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 17 were officers or warrant officers. That mix is similar to all courts-martial in those years, where 60% were junior enlisted. ## Limits of the Japan and Guam Records The Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019, and special trial counsel have decided whether to prosecute covered offenses since December 28, 2023\. Both depend on offense dates, which these records do not give. The records also do not describe the evidence or plea terms, and they leave out cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Courts-martial at installations in Japan and Guam with trial dates in 2016–2025 (482 cases), all services. Navy and Marine Corps plea and forum records are incomplete before 2021. Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub) - [120 Courts-Martial in Joint Base San Antonio, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-joint-base-san-antonio-2016-2025/) - [Courts-Martial in Europe: How the Services Compare, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-europe-2016-2025/) - [Courts-Martial in Hawaii: How the Services Compare, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-hawaii-2016-2025/) - [What Was Tried in Alaska? Courts-Martial 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-alaska-2016-2025/) - [What Was Tried in Korea? Courts-Martial 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-korea-2016-2025/) - [What Was Tried in Washington State? Courts-Martial 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-in-washington-state-2016-2025/) - [Smaller Air Force Installations: 177 Courts-Martial Together](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/smaller-air-force-installations-courts-martial/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.