A Year of Courts-Martial at Fort Wainwright: 2023
Fort Wainwright tried 19 courts-martial in 2023, and Article 113 (drunken or reckless driving) was charged in 58% of them, compared with 5% across the Army.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Fort Wainwright › 2023
Short answer: Fort Wainwright tried 19 courts-martial in 2023, and Article 113 (drunken or reckless driving) was charged in 58% of them, compared with 5% across the Army. The median confinement was 11 days, and 18% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 74% across the Army.
Drunken or Reckless Driving Led the Charges
All 19 records list the charges, and a case with several articles is counted under each. Article 113 (drunken or reckless operation of a vehicle) appeared in 11 cases (58%), compared with 5% across the Army.
Article 112a (drug offenses) appeared in 21%, compared with 8%. Article 131b (obstructing justice) appeared in 16%, compared with 3%. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) was less common, at 11% compared with 21%. Article 128 (assault) and Article 134 (the general article) each appeared in 26%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, all Army cases in those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle | 11 | 58% | 5% |
| Art. 134 General article | 5 | 26% | 24% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 5 | 26% | 26% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 4 | 21% | 8% |
| Art. 131b Obstructing justice | 3 | 16% | 3% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 3 | 16% | 11% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 11% | 21% |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 2 | 11% | 7% |
Short Confinement Terms
All 19 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 16 sentences included confinement (84%). The median confinement was 11 days, compared with 6 months across the Army. Among sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 4 months or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers every charge in the case.
Few Punitive Discharges
A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct discharge or a dishonorable discharge for enlisted members, and a dismissal for officers. Of 17 convicted enlisted members, 3 received one (18%), and 1 of those was dishonorable. Across the Army, the share was 74%.
The records include 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, and neither was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Guilty Pleas and Forum
A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. In 2023, 17 accused pleaded guilty and 2 contested, a contested share of 11%, compared with 31% across the Army. All 17 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Neither contested case that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal.
A military judge alone decided 18 cases. Members heard 1 case, with an enlisted panel. Across the Army, members heard 19% of cases.
Rank and Court Level
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 47% of the accused, compared with 56% across the Army. NCOs made up 42%, and officers 11%.
The records list 3 general courts-martial and 9 special courts-martial, and the court level is not listed for 7 cases. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Fort Carson and Fort Benning
Fort Carson (20 cases) and Fort Benning (21 cases) tried a similar number of Army cases in 2023. Their median confinement was 6 months and 5 months. Their punitive discharge shares for enlisted members were 94% and 70%.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wainwright | 19 | 11% | 0 of 2 | 11 days | 18% |
| Fort Carson | 20 | 50% | 3 of 10 | 6 months | 94% |
| Fort Benning | 21 | 19% | 0 of 4 | 5 months | 70% |
What This Leaves Out
The records cover cases that reached a courtroom. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, and cases with no action are not included, and the records do not describe the evidence or plea terms.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Fort Wainwright with a trial date in 2023 (19 cases).
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Fort Wainwright: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- Fort Wainwright in 2021: 14 Courts-Martial, Year in Review (previous / next)
- What Was Tried at Fort Wainwright, 2020–2023? 45 Courts-Martial (the whole period)
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Camp Humphreys: 2024
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Camp Humphreys: 2025
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Fort Benning: 2022
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Fort Benning: 2023
- A Year of Courts-Martial at Fort Benning: 2025
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Fort Wainwright, 2023
Names and links only. Each judge's record of pleas, findings, and sentences is on their Know Your Judge page, part of the Court-Martial Characters membership.
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.