What Changed at Keesler AFB, Mississippi After 2019? 18 Cases vs. 16
Keesler AFB, Mississippi had 16 courts-martial in 2019–2023, compared with 18 in 2016–2018. Only 29% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 50% across the Air Force.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Keesler AFB, Mississippi › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Keesler AFB, Mississippi had 16 courts-martial in 2019–2023, compared with 18 in 2016–2018. Only 29% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 50% across the Air Force. The median confinement fell from 1 year to 4 months, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 73% to 50%.
Then and Now
The earlier period had 18 cases, about 6 a year. From February 2019 to November 2023, the records show 16, about 3 a year: 2 in 2019, 4 in 2020, 1 in 2021, 3 in 2022, and 6 in 2023.
The median confinement went from 1 year to 4 months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 73% to 50%. With groups this small, a few cases can change these figures.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 18 | 16 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 29% |
| Convictions with confinement | 91% | 92% |
| Median confinement | 1 year | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 73% | 50% |
| General courts-martial | 56% | 62% |
Mostly Guilty Pleas
Of the 14 records that list a plea, 10 were guilty pleas and 4 were contested, meaning a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share, 29%, was lower than the 50% Air Force-wide.
Of all 16 cases, 3 ended in a full acquittal (19%), compared with 24% across the Air Force. This rate uses all cases, not only contested ones, because older Air Force records often leave out guilty pleas.
Larceny and Child Sexual Assault Charges
Charges are listed in 13 of the 16 records. Article 112a (drugs), Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation), and Article 121 (larceny) each appeared in 4 cases (31%). Air Force-wide, Article 121 appeared in 4% of cases and Article 92 in 16%. Drug charges were less common than the 41% Air Force-wide.
Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) appeared in 3 cases (23%), compared with 7%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, Air Force-wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 4 | 31% | 41% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 4 | 31% | 16% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 4 | 31% | 4% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 3 | 23% | 7% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 2 | 15% | 5% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 1 | 8% | 11% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 1 | 8% | 5% |
| Art. 134 General article | 1 | 8% | 21% |
Sentences
Of 13 convictions, 12 included confinement. The median was 4 months, the same as the Air Force median. A quarter of the terms were 1.1 years or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Of 10 convicted enlisted members, 5 received a bad-conduct discharge (50%), compared with 56% Air Force-wide. None received a dishonorable discharge. The records show 3 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 2 were dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
More Officers Than Usual
The accused were 9 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 3 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 4 officers or warrant officers. That mix is more senior than the Air Force as a whole, where 64% were junior enlisted.
General courts-martial heard 10 cases and special courts-martial heard 6. The general share, 62%, compares with 53% Air Force-wide. A military judge alone decided 11 cases. Members heard 27%: 3 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel.
Compared With RAF Mildenhall and the Academy
RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and USAF Academy, Colorado each tried 20 cases in the same years. Both had more contested cases, 50% and 75%. RAF Mildenhall had a longer median confinement, 8 months, and USAF Academy had the same 4 months as Keesler.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keesler AFB, Mississippi | 16 | 29% | 3 of 4 | 4 months | 50% |
| RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom | 20 | 50% | 1 of 7 | 8 months | 73% |
| USAF Academy, Colorado | 20 | 75% | 3 of 9 | 4 months | 7% |
What the Records Do Not Show
The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not describe the evidence or plea terms, and they leave out nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Keesler AFB, Mississippi in 2016–2018 (18) and 2019–2023 (16).
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
- Keesler AFB, Mississippi: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Keesler AFB, Mississippi, 2016–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 18 Cases
- Keesler AFB, Mississippi Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 16 Cases Show
- 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
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- S1 E11: Keesler Air Force Base Chaos (podcast, members)
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, 2019–2023
- Wesley A. Braun
- Bryon T. Gleisner
- Matthew N. McCall
- Mark W. Milam
- Andrew R. Norton
- Bradley J. Palmer
- Michael A. Schrama
- Brian Michael Thompson
- Pilar G. Wennrich
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.