What Changed at JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia After 2019? 16 Cases vs. 15
Only 1 of the 15 courts-martial at JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia in 2019–2023 ended in a full acquittal (7%), compared with 24% Air Force-wide. The median confinement was 8 months in both 2016–2018 and 2019–2023, compared with 4 months across the Air Force.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Only 1 of the 15 courts-martial at JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia in 2019–2023 ended in a full acquittal (7%), compared with 24% Air Force-wide. The median confinement was 8 months in both 2016–2018 and 2019–2023, compared with 4 months across the Air Force. Of 14 convicted enlisted members, 8 received a punitive discharge (57%).
1 Full Acquittal in 15 Cases
A full acquittal means the accused was found not guilty of every charge. At JB Langley-Eustis, 1 of the 15 cases from 2019 to 2023 ended that way (7%). Across the Air Force, the rate was 24%. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list guilty pleas, so the rate is measured against all cases.
The plea is listed in 8 records, and 4 of the 8 were contested, meaning a not-guilty or mixed plea. None of the 4 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (0 of 4). In the same years, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom had 1 of 7 and USAF Academy, Colorado had 3 of 9.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia | 15 | 4 of 8 | 0 of 4 | 8 months | 57% |
| RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom | 20 | 50% | 1 of 7 | 8 months | 73% |
| USAF Academy, Colorado | 20 | 75% | 3 of 9 | 4 months | 7% |
The Same Median Confinement as Before 2019
There were 14 convictions, and 12 included confinement (86%). In 2016–2018, 67% of convictions included confinement. The median confinement stayed at 8 months in both periods. Across the Air Force in 2019–2023, the median was 4 months.
A quarter of the terms with confinement were 3 years or longer. These are sentences as adjudged at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in its case.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 16 | 15 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 4 of 8 |
| Convictions with confinement | 67% | 86% |
| Median confinement | 8 months | 8 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 53% | 57% |
| General courts-martial | 31% | 53% |
Punitive Discharges Split Evenly by Type
Of 14 convicted enlisted members, 8 received a punitive discharge: 4 bad-conduct discharges and 4 dishonorable discharges. The share was 57%, about the same as the 56% in the rest of the Air Force and the 53% at the base in 2016–2018.
Only a general court-martial can adjudge a dishonorable discharge. Without a punitive discharge, administrative separation is still possible.
Sexual Assault, Larceny, and Other Charges
Charges are listed for 14 of the 15 cases. Article 112a (drugs) was the most common, in 4 cases (29%), but lower than the 41% across the rest of the Air Force. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 3 cases (21%), compared with 11% elsewhere.
Article 86 (AWOL), Article 134 (the general article), Article 121 (larceny), Article 128 (assault), and Article 107 (false official statements) each appeared in 2 cases (14%). The Article 121 share was higher than the 4% elsewhere in the Air Force, and the Article 86 share was higher than the 5%. The Article 107 share was higher than the 6% elsewhere. The Article 134 and Article 128 shares were lower than the 21% and 19% elsewhere. Article 120c (other sexual misconduct) appeared in 1 case. A case is counted under each article it charges.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the rest of the Air Force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 4 | 29% | 41% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 3 | 21% | 11% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 2 | 14% | 5% |
| Art. 134 General article | 2 | 14% | 21% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 2 | 14% | 4% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 2 | 14% | 19% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 2 | 14% | 6% |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 1 | 7% | 3% |
Officer Panels Heard 5 Cases
Members decided 40% of cases with the forum listed: 1 enlisted panel and 5 officer panels. A military judge alone decided the other 9. The accused usually chooses whether a judge alone or members decide guilt.
Junior Enlisted Accused and Court Level
By rank, the accused were 11 junior enlisted members and 4 NCOs. No officers were tried. The group was more junior than the Air Force as a whole.
There were 8 general courts-martial and 7 special courts-martial. The general share of 53% equaled the Air Force share and was higher than the 31% at the base in 2016–2018. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, with a cap of six months of confinement and no punitive discharge.
Yearly Counts and Similar Bases
The 15 cases ran from March 2019 to March 2023: 6 in 2019, 3 in 2020, 2 in 2021, 3 in 2022, and 1 in 2023. There were 16 cases in 2016–2018. Counting full years only, that is about 5 a year earlier and about 3 a year later. A few cases can move these small-group percentages a long way.
RAF Mildenhall and the Academy each tried 20 cases in these years. RAF Mildenhall had the same 8 months median confinement and a 73% punitive discharge rate. The Academy had a 4 months median and a 7% rate. Both had more contested cases among recorded pleas: 50% at RAF Mildenhall and 75% at the Academy.
What the Records Leave Out
Offense dates, the evidence, and the plea terms are not in the records. Nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations are not included. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia in 2016–2018 (16) and 2019–2023 (15).
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
- JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia, 2016–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 16 Cases
- JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 15 Cases
- JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 15 Cases Show
- What Changed at JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia After 2024? 15 Cases vs. 15
- Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia, 2019–2023
- Wesley A. Braun
- Bryon T. Gleisner
- Jason M. Kellhofer
- Matthew N. McCall
- Andrew R. Norton
- Michael A. Schrama
- Shaun S. Speranza
- Pilar G. Wennrich
- Charles E. Wiedie Jr.
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.