> ## 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. # Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Vandenberg SFB vs. Federal Court in the Central District of California - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-use-vandenberg-sfb-vs-central-district-of-california/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:10:50.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:10:50.000Z - Description: Of the 16 enlisted members convicted of wrongful drug use (Article 112a) at Vandenberg SFB, California, 14 (88%) received a punitive discharge, and the median adjudged confinement was 7.9 months. In the federal Central District of California, 96 people were sentenced under 21 U.S.C. 844 (simple poss - 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: Vandenberg SFB **In brief:** Of the 16 enlisted members convicted of wrongful drug use (Article 112a) at Vandenberg SFB, California, 14 (88%) received a punitive discharge, and the median adjudged confinement was 7.9 months. In the federal Central District of California, 96 people were sentenced under 21 U.S.C. 844 (simple possession), and 80 of them (83%) received probation only. For the 15 sent to prison, the median term was 0.5 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 96 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/). ## Discharges and Confinement at Vandenberg SFB Punitive discharges followed most of the Vandenberg SFB convictions. Of the 14 punitive discharges, 1 was a dishonorable discharge and 13 were bad-conduct discharges. All 16 people convicted were enlisted members. Confinement was also common. 14 of the 16 convictions with a sentence recorded (88%) included confinement. The median adjudged confinement was 7.9 months, and a quarter of the convictions carried 9.6 months or more. 7 of the 16 convictions (44%) were at a general court-martial, the level of court-martial that can impose the most serious sentences. Federal court has no sentence like a punitive discharge. ## How Vandenberg SFB Compares With All Courts-Martial Across all courts-martial for this offense in the data, there were 1,071 convictions, and the median confinement was 3 months. The Vandenberg SFB median of 7.9 months was higher than that. The plea record at Vandenberg SFB is thin. A plea was recorded for only 4 convictions, and 1 of those 4 was a guilty plea. The sheet gives no separate confinement figures for guilty pleas and contested cases at this location. ## Probation in the Central District of California The federal side had more cases and shorter sentences. Of the 96 people sentenced for simple possession, 15 (16%) received a prison term. The median term for those 15 was 0.5 months. A quarter received 10 months or more, and a quarter received 0.2 months or less. Federal prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served. Court-martial confinement is as adjudged at trial, before any clemency or appeal. Across all federal districts, 6,268 people were sentenced for this charge, with a median prison term of 6 months. | | Courts-martial at Vandenberg SFB | Federal court, Central District of California | | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------- | | Convictions or people sentenced | 16 | 96 | | Sentenced to confinement or prison | 88% | 16% | | Median confinement or prison | 7.9 months | 0.5 months | | A quarter received this or more | 9.6 months | 10 months | | Pleaded guilty | 1 of 4 with a plea recorded (1 of 4) | 98% | | Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 4 of 24 with the information (17%) | ## A District Count, Not a Base Count Vandenberg SFB is in the federal Central District of California, matched by the county where it sits. The 96 federal cases come from that whole district. They are not cases from the installation, and most did not involve service members. On the court-martial side, the records list the trial location as "Vandenberg SFB, California." All 16 convictions were Air Force cases, with trial dates from 2016 to 2021, counted by trial date. The federal cases were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and each fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. Simple possession is the nearest federal charge to Article 112a wrongful use. The offenses are related but are not defined the same way. ## Pleas, Guidelines, and Other Federal Terms In the district, 94 of 96 (98%) pleaded guilty, and 2 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 0.5 months. After a trial it was 31 months, based on 2 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. Among the guilty pleas, 6% had a written plea agreement and 94% were straight pleas with no agreement. Guideline information was available for 90 sentences. 87 (97%) were within the guideline range, 1 (1%) was below it at the government's request, and 2 (2%) were below it without a government request. None was above the range. A fine was ordered for 63 people (66%), and restitution for 0\. 7 (7%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 12 months. 78% were in criminal history category I, the lowest, and 5% were in category VI, the highest. ## What This Comparison Leaves Open Court-martial records have no criminal history field, so that measure has no military counterpart. Neither source records the drug, the amount, or the conduct in a case. The records cannot show how a Vandenberg SFB case would have been handled in the district court. With 16 convictions on the court-martial side, a small number of sentences shapes each percentage. ### How We Counted Courts-martial with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 whose recorded trial location is Vandenberg SFB, California, ending in a conviction for wrongful drug use (Article 112a), compared with federal simple possession, the nearest federal charge (16). Federal: people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 in the Central District of California (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "California Central") under a conviction under 21 U.S.C. 844 (simple possession), the nearest federal charge (96). 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 Central District of California, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-central-district-of-california/) (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.