Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, 2016–2018 vs. 2020–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
Little Rock AFB, Arkansas had 14 courts-martial from October 2020 to June 2023, compared with 10 in 2016–2018. Drug offenses (Article 112a) were charged in 64% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 37% across the Air Force.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Little Rock AFB, Arkansas › Before and after 2020
Short answer: Little Rock AFB, Arkansas had 14 courts-martial from October 2020 to June 2023, compared with 10 in 2016–2018. Drug offenses (Article 112a) were charged in 64% of the cases with charges listed, compared with 37% across the Air Force. Only 30% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 56% Air Force-wide.
Drug Charges in Most Cases
Charges are listed in 11 of the 14 records. Article 112a, the controlled-substances article, appeared in 7 of them (64%). Across the Air Force in 2020–2023, the share was 37%.
Article 134 (general article) appeared in 3 cases (27%), compared with 20%. Article 121 (larceny) appeared in 2 cases (18%), compared with 3%. Article 128 (assault) also appeared in 2 cases (18%), compared with 21%. 1 case charged Article 129, which covered burglary before 2019 and burglary and unlawful entry since.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 7 | 64% | 37% |
| Art. 134 General article | 3 | 27% | 20% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 2 | 18% | 21% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 2 | 18% | 3% |
| Art. 115 Malingering before 2019, communicating threats since | 1 | 9% | 4% |
| Art. 129 Burglary before 2019, burglary and unlawful entry since | 1 | 9% | 1% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 1 | 9% | 6% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 1 | 9% | 17% |
Fewer Punitive Discharges
A punitive discharge followed 30% of enlisted convictions: 2 bad-conduct discharges and 1 dishonorable discharge. The Air Force share was 56%. In 2016–2018, 4 of 9 convicted enlisted members at Little Rock received one.
The records show 1 convicted officer or warrant officer, who was not dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Confinement
Of 11 convictions, 8 included confinement (73%). In 2016–2018, 9 of 9 did. The median confinement was 2 months, compared with 4 months Air Force-wide and 4 months at Little Rock in the earlier period. A quarter of the terms were 2.3 years or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
| 2016–2018 | 2020–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 10 | 14 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 50% |
| Convictions with confinement | 9 of 9 | 73% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 2 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 4 of 9 | 30% |
| General courts-martial | 30% | 29% |
Pleas and Forum
Of the 14 cases, 7 were guilty pleas and 7 were contested. The contested share, 50%, matched the Air Force share. Of the 7 contested cases that reached a verdict, 3 ended in a full acquittal.
A military judge alone decided 8 cases (57%). Members heard 6: 4 enlisted panels and 2 officer panels.
Rank and Court Level
The accused were 9 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 4 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 officer or warrant officer. That mix is similar to the Air Force as a whole, where 63% were junior enlisted.
General courts-martial heard 4 of the 14 cases (29%), compared with 55% Air Force-wide. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Case Counts and Peers
The records show 1 case in 2020, 5 in 2021, 5 in 2022, and 3 in 2023. That is about 4 a year, compared with about 3 a year in 2016–2018.
JBSA - Lackland, Texas and Travis AFB, California each tried 20 cases in the same years. Travis had the same median confinement as Little Rock, 2 months. Lackland had 4 months. Both had higher punitive discharge rates, 67% and 54%.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock AFB, Arkansas | 14 | 50% | 3 of 7 | 2 months | 30% |
| JBSA - Lackland, Texas | 20 | 56% | 8 of 10 | 4 months | 67% |
| Travis AFB, California | 20 | 42% | 5 of 8 | 2 months | 54% |
Limits of the Records
The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, plea terms, offense dates, or conduct handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records never report plea agreements.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas in 2016–2018 (10) and 2020–2023 (14).
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
- Little Rock AFB, Arkansas: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Little Rock AFB, Arkansas Courts-Martial, 2020–2023: What 14 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
- 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 Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, 2020–2023
- Jefferson B. Brown
- Elizabeth M. Hernandez
- Christopher D. James
- Andrew R. Norton
- Bradley J. Palmer
- Sterling C. Pendleton
- Dayle P. Percle
- Julie L. Pitvorec
- Mark F. Rosenow
- 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.