Goodfellow AFB, Texas Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 18 Cases Show
Goodfellow AFB, Texas had 18 courts-martial in the records from 2019 to 2023. 7 of the 18 ended in a full acquittal (39%), compared with 24% across the Air Force. 67% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 50% for the service.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Goodfellow AFB, Texas › 2019–2023
Short answer: Goodfellow AFB, Texas had 18 courts-martial in the records from 2019 to 2023. 7 of the 18 ended in a full acquittal (39%), compared with 24% across the Air Force. 67% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 50% for the service.
Full Acquittals in Contested Cases
7 of the 18 cases ended in a full acquittal, a rate of 39%. Across the Air Force in those years, the rate was 24%. The Air Force rate is measured against all cases because records from 2016 to 2019 seldom list a guilty plea.
Counting only the 8 contested cases that reached a verdict, 7 ended in a full acquittal. A full acquittal means a finding of not guilty on every charge.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodfellow AFB, Texas | 18 | 67% | 7 of 8 | 4 months | 55% |
| RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom | 20 | 50% | 1 of 7 | 8 months | 73% |
| USAF Academy, Colorado | 20 | 75% | 3 of 9 | 4 months | 7% |
Pleas and Panels
12 of the 18 records list a plea. 8 were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge, and 4 were guilty pleas. The contested share of 67% is higher than the 50% across the Air Force.
Members decided 50% of the cases, compared with 38% across the Air Force. Enlisted panels decided 7 and officer panels decided 2. A military judge alone decided the other 9.
Sentences After Conviction
Of 11 convictions, 9 included confinement. The median was 4 months, the same as across the Air Force, and a quarter of the terms were 2 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers all the charges in its case.
A punitive discharge followed 55% of enlisted convictions: 4 bad-conduct discharges and 2 dishonorable discharges. The Air Force rate was 56%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Drug Charges and Other Articles
Only 11 of the 18 records list charges, because Air Force records seldom list charges in full acquittals. Article 112a (drug use or possession) appears in 6 of those 11 (55%), compared with 41% across the Air Force.
Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child), Article 134, and Article 92 each appear in 2 cases (18%). Article 93a (prohibited activities with a recruit or trainee) and Article 128 (assault) each appear in 1. One case can count under several articles.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the whole Air Force docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 6 | 55% | 41% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 18% | 7% |
| Art. 134 General article | 2 | 18% | 21% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 2 | 18% | 16% |
| Art. 93a Prohibited activities with recruit or trainee | 1 | 9% | 0% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 1 | 9% | 19% |
Compared With 2016 to 2018
Goodfellow had 11 cases in 2016 to 2018. The pace was about 4 a year in both periods, counting full years only. The median confinement went from 3 months to 4 months, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 2 of 8 to 55%.
General courts-martial went from 18% of cases to 44%. With groups this small, a few cases can move each figure.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 11 | 18 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 67% |
| Convictions with confinement | 7 of 8 | 82% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 2 of 8 | 55% |
| General courts-martial | 18% | 44% |
Rank, Court Level, and Peers
By rank, the accused were 13 junior enlisted members, 5 NCOs, and no officers, a group more junior than the Air Force as a whole. Goodfellow had 8 general and 10 special courts-martial, a general share of 44% compared with 53% in the rest of the Air Force.
RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and USAF Academy, Colorado each tried 20 cases in these years. At Mildenhall, 1 of 7 decided contested cases ended in a full acquittal. At the Academy, 3 of 9 did.
Dates and Limits
The trials ran from April 2019 to December 2023: 6 in 2019 and 3 in each year from 2020 to 2023. They are 1% of the 1,361 Air Force courts-martial in those years.
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not show the evidence, plea terms, or cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial in the data tried at Goodfellow AFB, Texas with a trial date in 2019–2023 (18 cases), compared with all 1,361 Air Force trials in those years. Dates are trial dates.
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
- Goodfellow AFB, Texas: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Fairchild AFB, Washington Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 18 Cases Show (same years, similar size)
- What Was Tried at Osan AB, South Korea, 2019–2023? 18 Courts-Martial (same years, similar size)
- Andersen AFB, Guam Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 13 Cases Show
- Aviano AB, Italy Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 16 Cases Show
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 17 Cases
- Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 2016–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 27 Cases
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 29 Cases Show
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Goodfellow AFB, Texas, 2019–2023
- Jefferson B. Brown
- David Michael Cisek
- Elizabeth M. Hernandez
- Christina M. Jimenez
- Shad R. Kidd
- Sterling C. Pendleton
- Julie L. Pitvorec
- Mark F. Rosenow
- Rebecca E. Schmidt
- Thomas A. Smith
- Charles G. Warren
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.