Eglin AFB, Florida Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 17 Cases Show
Eglin AFB, Florida had 17 courts-martial in the records from 2024 to 2026. Article 112a (drug use or possession) was charged in 65% of them, compared with 20% across the Air Force. 55% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 43% in the rest of the Air Force.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Eglin AFB, Florida › 2024–2026
Short answer: Eglin AFB, Florida had 17 courts-martial in the records from 2024 to 2026. Article 112a (drug use or possession) was charged in 65% of them, compared with 20% across the Air Force. 55% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 43% in the rest of the Air Force.
Drug Charges in Most Cases
All 17 records list charges. Article 112a (wrongful use or possession of controlled substances) appears in 11 cases (65%). The Air Force share in the same years was 20%.
Article 121 (larceny) appears in 2 cases (12%), compared with 8%. Article 128b (domestic violence) and Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) each appear in 1 case (6%), lower than the Air Force shares of 15% and 13%. Single cases also charged Article 86 (AWOL), Article 131b (obstructing justice), Article 90 (willfully disobeying a superior officer), and Article 104a (fraudulent enlistment).
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the whole Air Force docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 11 | 65% | 20% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 2 | 12% | 8% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 1 | 6% | 15% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 1 | 6% | 3% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 1 | 6% | 13% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 1 | 6% | 3% |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 1 | 6% | 3% |
| Art. 104a Fraudulent enlistment | 1 | 6% | 1% |
More Contested Cases
11 of the 17 records list a plea. 5 accused pleaded guilty and 6 contested at least one charge. That 55% contested share is higher than the 43% in the rest of the Air Force.
Of the 6 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal. In 2019 to 2023, the 1 contested case decided at Eglin did not end in a full acquittal.
Short Confinement Terms
10 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 9 of those sentences included confinement (90%). The median was 2 months, shorter than the 6 months across all Air Force cases in those years. A quarter of the confinement terms were 6 months or longer.
These are adjudged sentences: the terms set at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in its case.
How 2024 to 2026 Differs From 2019 to 2023
Eglin had 16 cases in 2019 to 2023, about 3 a year. Since 2024 the pace is about 6 a year, counting full years only. The median confinement went from 8 months to 2 months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 71% to 2 of 8.
General courts-martial went from 50% of cases to 24%. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. These groups are small, and a few cases can move each figure.
| 2019–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 16 | 17 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 1 of 9 | 55% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 0 of 1 | 3 of 6 |
| Convictions with confinement | 93% | 90% |
| Median confinement | 8 months | 2 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 71% | 2 of 8 |
| General courts-martial | 50% | 24% |
Panels, Rank, and Court Level
A military judge alone decided 11 cases. Enlisted panels decided 5 and an officer panel decided 1. Members heard 35% of the cases, compared with 28% across the Air Force.
The accused were 8 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 7 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 2 officers. That mix is more senior than the Air Force as a whole, where 58% were junior enlisted. Eglin had 4 general and 13 special courts-martial.
Eglin, Ramstein, and McConnell
Ramstein AB, Germany tried 20 cases and McConnell AFB, Kansas tried 21 in the same years. Median confinement was 9 months at Ramstein and 3 months at McConnell. Their punitive discharge rates for enlisted convictions were 65% and 44%.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eglin AFB, Florida | 17 | 55% | 3 of 6 | 2 months | 2 of 8 |
| Ramstein AB, Germany | 20 | 59% | 3 of 10 | 9 months | 65% |
| McConnell AFB, Kansas | 21 | 21% | 1 of 3 | 3 months | 44% |
Dates, Law Changes, and Gaps
The trials ran from January 2024 to August 2026: 7 in 2024, 4 in 2025, and 6 so far in 2026. They are 3% of the 598 Air Force courts-martial in those years.
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault and domestic violence, and military judges set sentences when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so they cannot show which rules applied. They also do not show the evidence, plea terms, or nonjudicial punishment.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial in the data tried at Eglin AFB, Florida with a trial date in 2024–2026 (17 cases), compared with all 598 Air Force trials in those years. Dates are trial dates.
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
- Eglin AFB, Florida: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Eglin AFB, Florida Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 12 Cases Show (another period)
- What Was Tried at Eglin AFB, Florida, 2019–2023? 16 Courts-Martial (another period)
- Inside 17 Courts-Martial at Minot AFB, North Dakota, 2024–2026 (same years, similar size)
- Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2024–2026: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 16 Cases (same years, similar size)
- Andersen AFB, Guam Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 13 Cases Show
- Aviano AB, Italy Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 16 Cases Show
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 17 Cases
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Eglin AFB, Florida, 2024–2026
- Tiny L. Bowman
- Wesley A. Braun
- Ryan Daniel Brunson
- Elizabeth M. Hernandez
- Tyler B. Musselman
- Michael A. Schrama
- Matthew P. Stoffel
- Charles E. Wiedie Jr.
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.