What Changed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico After 2019? 12 Cases vs. 19
Kirtland AFB, New Mexico had 19 courts-martial in 2019–2023, compared with 12 in 2016–2018. Of the cases with a plea recorded, 67% were contested, compared with 50% across the Air Force.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Kirtland AFB, New Mexico › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Kirtland AFB, New Mexico had 19 courts-martial in 2019–2023, compared with 12 in 2016–2018. Of the cases with a plea recorded, 67% were contested, compared with 50% across the Air Force. Every conviction included confinement, and the median was 2 months, compared with 4 months Air Force-wide.
Most Recorded Pleas Were Contested
Of the 18 records that list a plea, 12 were contested and 6 were guilty pleas. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share, 67%, was higher than the 50% elsewhere in the Air Force.
Full acquittals came in 50% of the 12 contested cases that reached a verdict, close to the 51% Air Force-wide. 1 more ended in a partial acquittal. Air Force results give one verdict per case, so a partial acquittal appears only when an appeals opinion reports it.
Panels Heard Most Contested Cases
Members heard 42% of cases: 5 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. A military judge alone decided the other 11. Among the 12 contested cases, members heard 8 (67%). The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel decides guilt.
Short Sentences
All 13 convictions included confinement (100%). The median was 2 months, the same as at Kirtland in 2016–2018. A quarter of the terms were 3 months or longer. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
Of 13 convicted enlisted members, 6 received a punitive discharge: 5 bad-conduct and 1 dishonorable. Across the Air Force, the share was 56%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 12 | 19 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 67% |
| Convictions with confinement | 8 of 9 | 100% |
| Median confinement | 2 months | 2 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 2 of 8 | 46% |
| General courts-martial | 25% | 21% |
Mostly Special Courts-Martial
General courts-martial heard only 4 of the 19 cases (21%). Special courts-martial heard the rest. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 53% of the accused and NCOs 47%. Across the Air Force, junior enlisted members were 64%.
Domestic Violence and Drug Charges
Charges are listed in 13 of the 19 records. Article 112a (drugs) appeared in 4 cases (31%), compared with 41% Air Force-wide. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 3 cases (23%), compared with 5%. Article 128 (assault) also appeared in 3 cases (23%), compared with 19%. Article 90 (willfully disobeying a superior officer) appeared in 2 cases (15%), compared with 2%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, Air Force-wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 4 | 31% | 41% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 3 | 23% | 5% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 3 | 23% | 19% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 2 | 15% | 5% |
| Art. 90 Willfully disobeying superior officer | 2 | 15% | 2% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 2 | 15% | 16% |
| Art. 134 General article | 2 | 15% | 21% |
| Art. 115 Malingering before 2019, communicating threats since | 1 | 8% | 4% |
Case Counts and Similar Bases
From December 2019 to December 2023, the records show 1 case in 2019, 5 in 2020, 6 in 2021, 2 in 2022, and 5 in 2023. That is about 4 a year, the same pace as 2016–2018.
RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and USAF Academy, Colorado each tried 20 cases in the same years. RAF Mildenhall had 1 full acquittal in 7 decided contested cases, and USAF Academy had 3 in 9. Both had longer median confinement than Kirtland: 8 months and 4 months.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirtland AFB, New Mexico | 19 | 67% | 6 of 12 | 2 months | 46% |
| RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom | 20 | 50% | 1 of 7 | 8 months | 73% |
| USAF Academy, Colorado | 20 | 75% | 3 of 9 | 4 months | 7% |
Limits of the Records
These are cases that reached a courtroom. Nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations are not included. The records do not describe the evidence or plea terms, and 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 Kirtland AFB, New Mexico in 2016–2018 (12) and 2019–2023 (19).
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
- Kirtland AFB, New Mexico: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Inside 19 Courts-Martial at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023
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- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
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- Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023
- Thomas J. Alford
- Adam D. Bentz
- Elijah F. Brown
- Colin P. Eichenberger
- Christina M. Jimenez
- Brett A. Landry
- Vicki L. Marcus
- Charlton J. Meginley
- Andrew R. Norton
- Rebecca E. Schmidt
- Matthew P. Stoffel
- Brian Michael Thompson
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.