Article 128 at Fort Campbell Before and After 2024

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Based on 20 cases · 2024–2026 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

From 3 Months to 1.3 Years

The largest change at Fort Campbell is in sentence length. In 2020–2023, the median confinement in assault cases here was 3 months. In 2024–2026, the median was 1.3 years, longer than the 6-month median across Army Article 128 cases in the same years.

The change came in the same period as new sentencing rules for offenses after December 27, 2023, and the records cannot show whether one caused the other. They give trial dates, not offense dates, so recent trials include cases sentenced under both the old and the new rules. The recent median is also based on only 20 cases.

How Long Were the Terms?

All 20 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 16 of those sentences included confinement (80%). A quarter of the sentences were 1.5 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and they cover every charge in the case.

Sentences longer than one year were imposed in 9 of 20 convictions (45%), more often than the 30% in Army Article 128 cases. Only 15% of convictions were under 6 months, compared with 42% Army-wide. Another 10% were 5 years or more, compared with 6%. Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than one year of confinement.

Fewer Cases, Fewer Contested

The earlier period held 46 cases, about 12 a year, compared with about 6 a year since 2024, counting full years only. The recent counts were 4 in 2024, 8 in 2025, and 8 in 2026, a partial year. These made up 23% of the 87 courts-martial at Fort Campbell in that span.

The contested share fell from 30% to 15%. In 2024–2026, 17 accused pleaded guilty and 3 entered a not-guilty or mixed plea. In Army assault cases overall, the contested share was 29%. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge.

Plea Agreements and Verdicts

All 17 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records say whether an agreement existed, not what it said, so any sentence limits in those agreements are not visible here.

None of the 3 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal. In 2020–2023, 7 of 14 did. These groups are small, and a few cases either way would change the rates.

More Punitive Discharges

Of convicted enlisted members, 88% received a punitive discharge (14 bad-conduct, 1 dishonorable). That share was 79% in 2020–2023 and 72% in the rest of the Army. All 3 convicted officers or warrant officers were dismissed, the officer equivalent.

A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation, which these records do not track.

Court Level and Forum

Of the 20 cases, 16 were general courts-martial and 4 were special courts-martial. The general share, 80%, is higher than the 75% in all Army Article 128 cases in 2024–2026 but lower than the 96% at this base in 2020–2023. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

A military judge alone decided 19 cases, and 1 went to an officer panel. Members heard 5% of cases, compared with 17% in the rest of the Army. The accused usually chooses the forum, and most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas.

What Came With the Assault Charge?

Article 128 was the only charge in 8 of the 20 cases. Article 90 (disobeying an officer) was also charged in 4 cases, Article 134 (general article) and Article 120 (sexual assault) in 3 each, and Article 93 (maltreatment) and Article 129 (burglary) in 1 each. A sentence covers every charge, so the sentence figures above include these other charges.

By rank, the accused included 11 junior enlisted members, 6 NCOs, and 3 officers, a mix similar to the Army as a whole.

Covered Offenses and Assault

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. Article 128 assault is not itself a covered offense. Special trial counsel who take a covered offense can also take related charges, such as an assault tied to a domestic violence allegation.

The records do not show which office handled each case, the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 128 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

Compare: federal court. Aggravated Assault: Federal Sentences vs. Article 128 Courts-Martial, 2016–2025

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.