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# Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Moody AFB vs. Federal Court in the Middle District of Georgia
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-moody-afb-vs-middle-district-of-georgia/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:46.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:46.000Z
- Description: Most Article 112a drug-use convictions at Moody AFB with a plea recorded came from contested cases: only 1 of 9 was a guilty plea. In the Middle District of Georgia, 55 of 61 people sentenced for simple possession (90%) pleaded guilty. Confinement was part of 74% of Moody AFB sentences, with a media
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) › Drug Use: Moody AFB

**In brief:** Most Article 112a drug-use convictions at Moody AFB with a plea recorded came from contested cases: only 1 of 9 was a guilty plea. In the Middle District of Georgia, 55 of 61 people sentenced for simple possession (90%) pleaded guilty. Confinement was part of 74% of Moody AFB sentences, with a median of 3 months, while 41% of the federal group received a prison term, with a median of 6 months.

Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 · Military Trial Results

This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 61 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/).

## Contested Cases Were Common at Moody AFB

The records list the trial location as "Moody AFB, Georgia." There were 19 convictions for wrongful drug use under Article 112a, all in Air Force cases, with trial dates from 2016 to 2021.

A plea was recorded for 9 of those convictions. Only 1 of the 9 was a guilty plea. The rest were contested cases, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least part of the charges and the case ended in a conviction.

The single guilty plea led to a median confinement of 1 month. In contested cases ending in conviction, the median confinement was 2.5 months, based on 4 cases with confinement. Counts this small say little about any wider rule.

## Federal Trials and Pleas in the District

The federal comparison uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's count of 61 people sentenced in the Middle District of Georgia under 21 U.S.C. 844, simple possession, in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The data treats this as the nearest federal charge to drug use.

Of the 61, 55 (90%) pleaded guilty and 6 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 2.8 months. After a trial, it was 120 months, based on 5 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.

Among the guilty pleas, 58% had a written plea agreement and 40% were straight pleas with no agreement.

## Sentences Compared

At Moody AFB, 14 of the 19 convictions with a sentence recorded (74%) included confinement. The median adjudged confinement was 3 months, and a quarter received 3.9 months or more. That median matches the 3-month median for all 1,071 court-martial convictions for this offense in the data.

In the district, 25 of the 61 (41%) received a prison term, and 36 (59%) received probation only. Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 6 months. A quarter received 34 months or more, and a quarter received 0.2 months or less. The median for all federal districts was also 6 months.

Court-martial confinement is counted as adjudged at trial, before any clemency or appeal. Federal prison terms are the terms imposed by the judge, not time actually served.

|                                    | Courts-martial at Moody AFB          | Federal court, Middle District of Georgia |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------- |
| Convictions or people sentenced    | 19                                   | 61                                        |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 74%                                  | 41%                                       |
| Median confinement or prison       | 3 months                             | 6 months                                  |
| A quarter received this or more    | 3.9 months                           | 34 months                                 |
| Pleaded guilty                     | 1 of 9 with a plea recorded (1 of 9) | 90%                                       |
| Mandatory minimum applied          | See the caveats                      | 8 of 51 with the information (16%)        |

## Why the Groups Are Not the Same

Moody AFB is in the Middle District of Georgia, but the federal figures cover the entire district. They are not cases from the base, and most did not involve service members. Nothing in the records indicates that a Moody AFB case would have gone to the district court.

The time frames also differ. The court-martial cases run by trial date from 2016 to 2021\. The federal cases run by fiscal year, from October 1 to September 30, over 2016 to 2025.

## Discharges, Guidelines, and Other Terms

Of the 19 enlisted members convicted at Moody AFB, 9 (47%) received a punitive discharge, all bad-conduct discharges. 2 of the 19 convictions (11%) were at a general court-martial. The median confinement was 3 months for trials in 2016 to 2019 (13 cases with confinement) and 1 month for trials in 2020 to 2025 (1 case).

On the federal side, 56 cases had guideline information. Of these, 89% (50) were sentenced within the recommended range, 4% (2) below it at the government's request, 4% (2) below it without such a request, and 4% (2) above it. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 8 people (16%).

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 17 (28%), with a median term of 12 months. A fine was ordered for 23 (38%), and restitution for none. On criminal history, 52% were in category I and 11% in category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## What Is Missing From the Records

The data cannot show the facts behind any conviction, the drug or amount involved, or why a sentence was set at a given length. With 19 court-martial convictions and 61 federal sentences, a few unusual cases can move any median shown here.

### How We Counted

Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Moody AFB, Georgia, ending in a conviction for wrongful drug use (Article 112a), compared with federal simple possession, the nearest federal charge (19). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the Middle District of Georgia (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Georgia Mid") under a conviction under 21 U.S.C. 844 (simple possession), the nearest federal charge (61). The installation is matched to the federal district for the county where it sits.

Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.

### What to Keep in Mind

**Who is in each set of numbers.** The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.

**Different cases reach each system.** Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts.

**No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.

**Military confinement credit and parole.** For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.

**Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not.** A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.

**Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.

**Offense categories do not line up exactly.** Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match.

**Drug use has no federal counterpart.** Federal law does not make drug use a crime. A positive drug test is not a federal offense; a civilian can be charged only with possessing the drug. Bringing drugs onto a military installation is also a military-only offense. For these, the nearest federal charge is simple possession, and the post says that the match is not exact.

## Related Analysis

- [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article)
- [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts)
- [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method)
- [Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-no-crime-of-drug-use-article-112a/) (overview)
- [Federal Sentences in the Middle District of Georgia, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-middle-district-of-georgia/) (the federal district)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Barksdale AFB vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Louisiana](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-barksdale-afb-vs-western-district-of-louisiana/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Beale AFB vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of California](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-beale-afb-vs-eastern-district-of-california/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Bremerton vs. Federal Court in the Western District of Washington](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-bremerton-vs-western-district-of-washington/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Camp Lejeune vs. Federal Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-camp-lejeune-vs-eastern-district-of-north-carolina/) (other installations)
- [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Air Force Courts-Martial, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-air-force/)
- [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-army/)
- [Drug Use: Federal Sentences vs. Marine Corps Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vs-marine-corps/)
- [Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [What Sentence Follows an Army Drug Conviction?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-sent-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [How Often Are Contested Army Article 112a Cases Acquitted?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-acq-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Guilty Pleas in Army Drug Cases: How Often, and What Came Next](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-plea-2021-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Are Air Force Drug Courts-Martial Disappearing? Article 112a, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [How Much Confinement for an Article 112a Conviction in the Air Force?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-sent-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Pleading Guilty to Article 112a in the Air Force: What Sentences Followed?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-plea-2016-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [How Much Confinement for an Article 112a Conviction in the Navy-Marine Corps?](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-sent-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Fighting a Navy-Marine Corps Drug Charge: How Contested Cases Ended](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-acq-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [When Navy-Marine Corps Accused Plead Guilty to Drug](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-plea-2017-2025/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-courts-martial/) (court-martial data)
- [Article 112a UCMJ Drug Offenses and Positive Urinalysis](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page)
- [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)
- [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source)

**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.