MCAS Yuma, Arizona, 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
The records hold 27 courts-martial at MCAS Yuma, Arizona in 2019–2023, up from 13 in 2017–2018. Article 134, the general article, was charged in 38% of cases, compared with 18% across the Navy and Marine Corps.
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Trends › By Installation › MCAS Yuma, Arizona › Before and after 2019
Short answer: The records hold 27 courts-martial at MCAS Yuma, Arizona in 2019–2023, up from 13 in 2017–2018. Article 134, the general article, was charged in 38% of cases, compared with 18% across the Navy and Marine Corps. The median confinement was 7 months, compared with 6 months, and 32% of convictions carried more than 1 year.
Article 134 Was the Most Common Charge
Charges are listed in 26 of the 27 records. Article 134, the general article, appeared in 10 cases (38%). Across the Navy and Marine Corps in the same years, it appeared in 18% of cases. Article 134 covers conduct that is prejudicial to good order and discipline or discrediting to the service, along with a list of specific offenses.
Article 128 (assault) appeared in 23% of cases, lower than the 31% across the 2 services. Article 107 (false official statements) appeared in 15%, compared with 8%. Article 86 (AWOL) appeared in 12%, compared with 5%. Article 112a (drugs) appeared in 12%, compared with 25%. Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation) appeared in 19%, about the same as the 18% elsewhere. Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) appeared in 8%, compared with 14%, and Article 120c (other sexual misconduct) in 8%, compared with 4%.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the rest of the Navy and Marine Corps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 134 General article | 10 | 38% | 18% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 6 | 23% | 31% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 5 | 19% | 18% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 4 | 15% | 8% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 3 | 12% | 25% |
| Art. 86 AWOL | 3 | 12% | 5% |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 2 | 8% | 4% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 2 | 8% | 14% |
How Long Were the Sentences?
Of 25 convictions, 22 included confinement (88%). The median confinement was 7 months, compared with 6 months across the Navy and Marine Corps. A quarter of the sentences with confinement were 2 years or longer.
Sentences of more than 1 year came in 8 of 25 convictions (32%), higher than the 24% across the Navy and Marine Corps. None reached 5 years. Terms under 6 months made up 28%, and terms of 6 months to 1 year made up another 28%. These are adjudged sentences, set at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, the whole Navy and Marine Corps docket |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 3 | 12% | 17% |
| Under 6 months | 7 | 28% | 35% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 7 | 28% | 24% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 8 | 32% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 5% |
General Courts-Martial and Special Courts-Martial
General courts-martial heard 12 of the 27 cases (44%), with a median confinement of 2 years. The 15 special courts-martial had a median of 6 months. Only a general court-martial can adjudge more than 1 year of confinement or a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial is capped at 1 year and can impose a bad-conduct discharge.
Punitive Discharges
Of 24 convicted enlisted members, 14 received a punitive discharge: 10 bad-conduct discharges and 4 dishonorable discharges. The share, 58%, was lower than the 63% across the Navy and Marine Corps. In 2017–2018 the share at Yuma was 62%.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Comparing 2017–2018 With 2019–2023
The earlier period had 13 cases over 2 years, about 6 a year. From January 2019 through July 2023, the records show 27 cases, about 5 a year. The yearly counts were 7 in 2019, 8 in 2020, 5 in 2021, 1 in 2022, and 6 in 2023.
Convictions with confinement went from 69% to 88%. The median confinement went from 6 months to 7 months. General courts-martial went from 38% of cases to 44%. In groups this small, a few cases can change a percentage by several points.
| 2017–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 13 | 27 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 36% |
| Convictions with confinement | 69% | 88% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 7 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 62% | 58% |
| General courts-martial | 38% | 44% |
Pleas Recorded in Only 11 Cases
Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often leave out the plea. Only 11 of the 27 records here list one. Of those, 7 were guilty pleas and 4 were contested, meaning the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share, 36%, compares with 31% elsewhere in the Navy and Marine Corps.
None of the 4 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal (0 of 4).
Rank of the Accused
Among the accused with rank recorded, 23 were junior enlisted members and 1 was an NCO. No officers appear. The group is more junior than the Navy and Marine Corps as a whole.
Compared With Great Lakes and Cherry Point
Great Lakes, Illinois and MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina each tried 34 cases in the same years. The median confinement at Yuma, 7 months, was longer than the 5 months at Great Lakes and shorter than the 1 year at Cherry Point. Punitive discharge rates were about the same at all 3: 58% at Yuma, 55% at Great Lakes, and 54% at Cherry Point.
Cherry Point had the highest contested share of the 3, at 41%, compared with 36% at Yuma and 24% at Great Lakes. In decided contested cases, Great Lakes had 1 full acquittal out of 8, and Cherry Point had 0 out of 7.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCAS Yuma, Arizona | 27 | 36% | 0 of 4 | 7 months | 58% |
| Great Lakes, Illinois | 34 | 24% | 1 of 8 | 5 months | 55% |
| MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina | 34 | 41% | 0 of 7 | 1 year | 54% |
Limits of the Records
The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or the offense dates. Cases handled through nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at MCAS Yuma, Arizona in 2017–2018 (13) and 2019–2023 (27).
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
- MCAS Yuma, Arizona: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- MCAS Yuma, Arizona, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 27 Cases
- What Was Tried at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, 2017–2018? 13 Courts-Martial
- Bremerton, Washington Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Bremerton, Washington Before and After 2024: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Great Lakes, Illinois Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Great Lakes, Illinois Before and After 2024: How Its Courts-Martial Changed
- Groton, Connecticut, 2013–2017 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, 2019–2023
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.