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# Inside 19 Courts-Martial at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/kirtland-afb-new-mexico-courts-martial-2019-2023/
- Published: 2026-10-30T08:03:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T08:03:01.000Z
- Description: Kirtland AFB, New Mexico had 19 Air Force courts-martial from December 2019 to December 2023, 1% of the 1,361 Air Force cases in those years.
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, Air Force

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [Kirtland AFB, New Mexico](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-kirtland-afb-new-mexico/) › 2019–2023

**Short answer:** Kirtland AFB, New Mexico had 19 Air Force courts-martial from December 2019 to December 2023, 1% of the 1,361 Air Force cases in those years. The accused contested 12 of the 18 cases with a plea recorded (67%), compared with 50% in the rest of the Air Force, and 6 of those 12 ended in a full acquittal. Every conviction included confinement, with a median of 2 months.

Based on 19 cases · 2019–2023 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026

## Most Cases Were Contested

The plea is recorded for 18 of the 19 cases. In 12 of them the accused contested at least one charge, and in 6 the accused pleaded guilty. The contested share, 67%, was higher than the 50% in the rest of the Air Force.

A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge, either a not-guilty plea or a mixed plea.

## How Contested Cases Ended

Of the 12 contested cases that reached a verdict, 6 ended in a full acquittal (50%). That is close to the 51% in the rest of the Air Force. In 1 more case, the accused was found not guilty of some charges and guilty of others, which is a partial acquittal.

Air Force results give one verdict per case, so a partial acquittal appears in these records only when an appeals opinion reports it.

## Short Confinement Terms

Of the 19 cases, 13 ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and all 13 sentences included confinement (100%). The median confinement was 2 months, shorter than the 4 months in the rest of the Air Force. A quarter of the sentences were 3 months or longer.

These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each one covers every charge in the case.

## Discharges

Of 13 convicted enlisted members, 6 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (46%), compared with 56% Air Force-wide. Only 1 of those was dishonorable. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

## Panels in Contested Cases

Members heard 42% of the cases with the forum listed: 5 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. A military judge alone heard the other 11\. Among the contested cases, members heard 8 of 12 (67%). The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt.

## Charges, Rank, and Court Level

Charges are listed for 13 cases. Article 112a (drug offenses) was charged in 4 (31%), compared with 41% across the Air Force. Article 128b (domestic violence) and Article 128 (assault) were each charged in 3 (23%). The Article 128b share across the Air Force was 5%. A case with several articles counts under each one.

The accused were 10 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) and 9 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), with no officers. There were 4 general and 15 special courts-martial. The general share, 21%, was lower than the 53% Air Force-wide.

| UCMJ Article                                                                                                                                                  | Cases | Share here | Share, all Air Force cases in those years |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances            | 4     | 31%        | 41%                                       |
| [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence                                        | 3     | 23%        | 5%                                        |
| [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault                                              | 3     | 23%        | 19%                                       |
| [Art. 86](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-86/?ref=bodiesburied.com) AWOL                                                   | 2     | 15%        | 5%                                        |
| [Art. 90](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-90/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Willfully disobeying superior officer                  | 2     | 15%        | 2%                                        |
| [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation                    | 2     | 15%        | 16%                                       |
| [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article                                      | 2     | 15%        | 21%                                       |
| [Art. 115](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-115/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Malingering before 2019, communicating threats since | 1     | 8%         | 4%                                        |

## Then and Now, and Similar Installations

In 2016–2018 the installation had 12 cases, about 4 a year, the same rate as from 2019 on. The median confinement was 2 months in both periods. Groups this small can change with a few cases.

RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom and USAF Academy, Colorado each tried 20 cases in these years. Their contested shares were 50% and 75%, and their median confinement was 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%                            |

## Years and Limits

There was 1 case in 2019, 5 in 2020, 6 in 2021, 2 in 2022, and 5 in 2023\. 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 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%       |

Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/).

### How We Counted

Every court-martial in the data tried at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico with a trial date in 2019–2023 (19 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.

## Related Analysis

- [Kirtland AFB, New Mexico: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-kirtland-afb-new-mexico/) (hub)
- [Air Force Courts-Martial: Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-courts-martial/) (hub)
- [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub)
- [Fairchild AFB, Washington Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 18 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/fairchild-afb-washington-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (same years, similar size)
- [Goodfellow AFB, Texas Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 18 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/goodfellow-afb-texas-courts-martial-2019-2023/) (same years, similar size)
- [Andersen AFB, Guam Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 13 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/andersen-afb-guam-courts-martial-2016-2018/)
- [Aviano AB, Italy Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 16 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-courts-martial-2016-2018/)
- [Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 17 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-courts-martial-2019-2023/)
- [Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 2016–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 27 Cases](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/barksdale-afb-louisiana-courts-martial-2016-2018/)
- [Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 29 Cases Show](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/davis-monthan-afb-arizona-courts-martial-2019-2023/)
- [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members)

## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, 2019–2023

- [Thomas J. Alford](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-thomas-j-alford/)
- [Adam D. Bentz](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-adam-d-bentz/)
- [Elijah F. Brown](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-elijah-f-brown/)
- [Colin P. Eichenberger](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-colin-p-eichenberger/)
- [Christina M. Jimenez](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-christina-m-jimenez/)
- [Brett A. Landry](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-brett-a-landry/)
- [Vicki L. Marcus](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-vicki-l-marcus/)
- [Charlton J. Meginley](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-charlton-j-meginley/)
- [Andrew R. Norton](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-andrew-r-norton/)
- [Rebecca E. Schmidt](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-rebecca-e-schmidt/)
- [Matthew P. Stoffel](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-p-stoffel/)
- [Brian Michael Thompson](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) 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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.