Article 134 at Fort Hood Before and After 2024

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Based on 37 cases · 2024–2026 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

All Convicted Enlisted Members Received a Punitive Discharge

Among 32 enlisted members convicted at Fort Hood in Article 134 cases from 2024–2026, all 32 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. That is 100%, higher than the 88% in Army-wide Article 134 cases. Of those 32 discharges, 16 were dishonorable, the more severe kind.

A punitive discharge is a sentence imposed by the court itself, not an administrative step. For officers the equivalent is a dismissal, and the 1 convicted officer or warrant officer in this group was dismissed. In this group, no convicted enlisted member was left without a punitive discharge.

Longer Confinement Than the Army Average

Of 33 convictions, 29 included confinement. The median confinement was 1.5 years, longer than the 1 year median for Army Article 134 cases as a whole. A quarter of the confinement sentences were 3.5 years or longer.

These figures are adjudged sentences: what the court announced at trial, before any cap in a plea agreement, clemency, or appellate change. They also cover every charge in a case, so a sentence in an Article 134 case may reflect other offenses tried at the same time.

Sentence Lengths

Sentences longer than one year were more common at Fort Hood than across the rest of the Army: 17 of 33 convictions (52%), compared with 45%. Sentences of 5 years or more were imposed in 7 convictions here (21%), compared with 11% Army-wide. Sentences under 6 months made up 9% here, compared with 22% Army-wide.

Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than a year of confinement. A special court-martial is capped at one year. Here, 35 of the 37 cases (95%) were general courts-martial, which can also impose a dishonorable discharge.

What Else Was on the Charge Sheet?

Article 134 covers conduct that is prejudicial to good order and discipline or service-discrediting, and it is often charged with other articles. At Fort Hood, Article 134 was the only charge in 23 of the 37 cases. Across all Army Article 134 cases, 144 of 262 did.

The most common other charge was Article 120b (child sexual abuse), in 6 cases. Article 80 (attempt) was charged in 4, Article 82 (solicitation) in 3, Article 120 (sexual assault) in 3, and Article 128 (assault) in 3. The sentence covers the whole case, so the sentence figures on this page include these other charges.

From 2021–2023 to 2024–2026

The earlier period had 22 cases, about 7 a year, compared with about 12 a year since, counting full years only. The yearly counts were 15 in 2024, 10 in 2025, and 12 in 2026, a year that is only partly covered. These 37 cases made up 27% of all 138 courts-martial at Fort Hood in 2024–2026.

Several measures changed between the periods. The contested share fell from 36% to 16%. The median confinement increased from 11 months to 1.5 years. The enlisted punitive discharge share went from 94% to 100%. The general court-martial share increased from 82% to 95%. These groups are small, so a few cases can change these figures.

Few Cases Were Contested

A case counts as contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least 1 charge. Here, 6 cases were contested and 31 were guilty pleas, so 16% were contested. That is close to the 14% contested share in Army Article 134 cases overall.

All 31 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records show whether an agreement existed, not its terms. Of the contested cases that reached a verdict, 4 of 6 ended in a full acquittal in 2024–2026, compared with 3 of 8 in the earlier period. With so few contested cases, a single outcome changes those figures.

Judges or Panels?

The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. A judge alone decided 34 of 37 cases (92%), and members heard 3, all of them enlisted panels. Most cases were guilty pleas, so the high judge-alone share largely follows the low contested share.

Who Faced These Charges?

Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 59% of the accused, somewhat higher than the 54% in Army Article 134 cases overall. NCOs were 38%, and officers 3%.

Law Changes and What the Records Leave Out

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel rather than commanders decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. Military judges also set sentences under new sentencing parameters when every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023. Both rules depend on the offense date, which the records do not give. Trials from 2024 on include cases under both the old and the new rules. The records cannot show whether either change affected the numbers above.

These figures cover only cases that reached a courtroom. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, and cases dropped without action are absent. The records describe neither the evidence nor the terms of any plea agreement.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 134 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: 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.