Fort Bliss in 2022: 37 Courts-Martial, Year in Review

Trends › By Installation › Fort Bliss › 2022

Based on 37 cases · 2022 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Almost Every Conviction Included Confinement

Of 37 cases, 34 ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 33 of those sentences included confinement (97%). Only 1 conviction included no confinement, or 3%, compared with 16% across all Army cases that year.

The median confinement was 1 year, and a quarter of sentences were 2.2 years or longer. More than one year of confinement was adjudged in 15 of 34 convictions (44%), compared with 27% across the Army. Terms under 6 months made up 21% of convictions here, compared with 41% in the Army as a whole.

These are adjudged sentences. They are set at trial, before any plea-agreement limit, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case. Only a general court-martial can impose more than one year of confinement.

Most Cases Were General Courts-Martial

A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge. General courts-martial made up 70% of cases (26 of 37). The other 11 cases were special courts-martial, which cap confinement at one year and cannot adjudge a dishonorable discharge.

Every conviction in a general court-martial included confinement, with a median of 1.5 years. In special courts-martial, 91% of convictions did, with a median of 5 months.

What Changed From 2021

Fort Bliss tried 30 cases in 2021 and 37 in 2022. The contested share was about the same: 33% and 35%. There were 3 full acquittals each year, out of 10 and then 13 contested cases that reached a verdict.

Sentences changed more. The median confinement rose from 7 months to 1 year. The share of convictions with confinement went from 85% to 97%. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 73% to 85%. In groups this small a few cases can change a percentage, so the comparison shows direction, not precise measurements.

Assault, Drugs, and Threats

Charges are listed in all 37 records, and each article is counted once per case. Assault under Article 128 was the most common charge, in 35% of cases, compared with 27% across all Army cases. Drug offenses under Article 112a were next at 22%, compared with 13%.

Article 115 (communicating threats) was charged in 14% of cases, compared with 6% across the Army. Domestic violence under Article 128b was charged in 19%, compared with 13%. Article 134, the general article, was less common here: 14% compared with 21%. Sexual assault under Article 120 was charged in 22% of cases, about the same as the 26% elsewhere.

Convictions and Confinement by Charge

12 of 13 assault cases ended in a conviction on Article 128 (92%), the highest rate of the most common charges. The median confinement for those convictions was 1.6 years. 7 of 8 drug cases ended in a conviction on that article, with a median of 8 months.

Article 120 had the lowest rate, 5 of 8. The median confinement for a sexual assault conviction was 2.2 years. A case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so these rows overlap.

Pleas and Verdicts

A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. Here, 13 cases were contested and 24 ended in guilty pleas. The contested share of 35% was about the same as the 36% across the Army. Of the guilty pleas, 22 are recorded with a plea agreement and 2 have no entry. Army records show whether there was an agreement, not what it said.

Of the 13 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal and 5 in a partial acquittal (38%). In a partial acquittal, the accused is found not guilty of at least one charge or specification and guilty of another. Army records list findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals appear often.

Judges and Panels

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. In 2022, members heard 16% of the cases with a recorded forum, all 6 on enlisted panels. A judge alone heard the other 31. In contested cases, members heard 6 of 13 (46%). Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas, so the forum figures mostly follow the number of contested cases.

Discharges and the Accused

Of 34 convicted enlisted members, 29 received a punitive discharge: 14 bad-conduct discharges and 15 dishonorable discharges. That is 85%, compared with 76% across the Army. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Junior enlisted soldiers (E-1 to E-4) made up 68% of the accused, and NCOs made up 32%. No officers were tried. Across all Army cases that year, junior enlisted soldiers were 57%.

Compared With 2 Similar Bases

Fort Campbell and Joint Base Lewis-McChord tried a similar number of cases. Fort Campbell had a contested share of 15% and a median confinement of 41 days, and 2 of 4 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal. Joint Base Lewis-McChord had a contested share of 30% and a median of 6 months, and 7 of 14 ended in a full acquittal.

The punitive discharge rates were closer: 83% at Fort Campbell, 80% at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and 85% at Fort Bliss.

What the Records Do Not Show

These records give trial dates but not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. Cases closed through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included.

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.

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.