McConnell AFB, Kansas, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
Drug offenses (Article 112a) were charged in 67% of the McConnell AFB, Kansas cases with charges listed in 2019–2023, compared with 41% across the Air Force. Every one of the 19 convictions included confinement, with a median of 4 months.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › McConnell AFB, Kansas › Before and after 2019
Short answer: Drug offenses (Article 112a) were charged in 67% of the McConnell AFB, Kansas cases with charges listed in 2019–2023, compared with 41% across the Air Force. Every one of the 19 convictions included confinement, with a median of 4 months. Punitive discharges went to 65% of convicted enlisted members, up from 47% in 2016–2018.
Drug Charges in Most Cases
Charges are listed in 18 of the 24 records. Article 112a, which covers wrongful use and possession of controlled substances, appeared in 12 of them (67%). Across the Air Force in the same years, the share was 41%.
Article 92 (failure to obey an order or regulation), Article 128 (assault), and Article 134 (general article) each appeared in 4 cases (22%). Air Force-wide, those articles appeared in 16%, 19%, and 21% of cases. Article 107 (false official statements) and Article 128b (domestic violence) each appeared in 2 cases (11%), compared with 6% and 5%.
Article 113 covered misbehavior of a sentinel before 2019 and drunken or reckless driving since. It appeared in 2 cases (11%), compared with 4%. 1 case charged Article 83, which covered fraudulent enlistment before 2019 and malingering since.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, Air Force-wide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 12 | 67% | 41% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 4 | 22% | 16% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 4 | 22% | 19% |
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 22% | 21% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 2 | 11% | 6% |
| Art. 113 Misbehavior of a sentinel before 2019, drunken or reckless driving since | 2 | 11% | 4% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 2 | 11% | 5% |
| Art. 83 Fraudulent enlistment before 2019, malingering since | 1 | 6% | 1% |
Confinement in Every Conviction
There were 19 convictions, and all 19 sentences included confinement (100%). The median was 4 months, the same as the Air Force median. A quarter of the terms were 7 months or longer.
In 2016–2018, 94% of convictions at McConnell included confinement, and the median was 3 months. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case.
More Punitive Discharges Than Before
Of 17 convicted enlisted members, 11 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (65%). Of those, 2 were dishonorable. The Air Force share was 56%, and the McConnell share in 2016–2018 was 47%.
The records also show 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, and 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Then and Now
The records show 18 cases in 2016–2018, about 6 a year. From February 2019 through December 2023 they show 24, about 5 a year. There were 10 cases in 2019, 5 in 2020, 2 in 2021, 5 in 2022, and 2 in 2023.
General courts-martial were 33% of cases in the earlier period and 38% in the later one. With this few cases, a change of a few cases can move a percentage by several points.
| 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 18 | 24 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 57% |
| Convictions with confinement | 94% | 100% |
| Median confinement | 3 months | 4 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 47% | 65% |
| General courts-martial | 33% | 38% |
Pleas and Full Acquittals
Of the 14 records that list a plea, 6 were guilty pleas and 8 were contested. The contested share, 57%, compares with 50% across the Air Force. A contested case is one with a not-guilty or mixed plea.
Of all 24 cases, 4 ended in a full acquittal (17%), compared with 24% Air Force-wide. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, so this rate is measured against all cases, not only contested ones. Counting only decided contested cases, McConnell had 3 full acquittals out of 7.
Who Decided Guilt
A military judge alone decided 16 of the 24 cases (67%). Members heard 8: 5 enlisted panels and 3 officer panels. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt.
Who Was Charged and at What Level
The accused were 17 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 5 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 2 officers or warrant officers. That mix is more junior than the Air Force as a whole, where 64% were junior enlisted.
General courts-martial heard 9 of the 24 cases (38%). Special courts-martial heard the rest. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Offutt and Barksdale for Comparison
Offutt AFB, Nebraska tried 24 cases and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana tried 23 in the same years. Offutt had the same median confinement as McConnell, 4 months, and a similar punitive discharge rate, 67%. Barksdale had a median of 2 months and a punitive discharge rate of 56%.
McConnell had the highest contested share of the 3, at 57%, compared with 17% at Offutt and 40% at Barksdale. In decided contested cases, Offutt had 2 full acquittals out of 3 and Barksdale had 4 out of 8.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McConnell AFB, Kansas | 24 | 57% | 3 of 7 | 4 months | 65% |
| Offutt AFB, Nebraska | 24 | 17% | 2 of 3 | 4 months | 67% |
| Barksdale AFB, Louisiana | 23 | 40% | 4 of 8 | 2 months | 56% |
What the Records Leave Out
The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences from trial. They do not show the evidence, plea terms, or offense dates. Cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not in them, and 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 McConnell AFB, Kansas in 2016–2018 (18) and 2019–2023 (24).
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
- McConnell AFB, Kansas: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- McConnell AFB, Kansas Courts-Martial, 2019–2023: What 24 Cases Show
- McConnell AFB, Kansas, 2024–2026: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 21 Cases
- McConnell AFB, Kansas Courts-Martial, 2016–2018: What 18 Cases Show
- McConnell AFB, Kansas, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
- 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
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at McConnell AFB, Kansas, 2019–2023
- Thomas J. Alford
- Tiny L. Bowman
- Jefferson B. Brown
- Elizabeth M. Hernandez
- Christopher D. James
- Diana L. Johnson
- Shad R. Kidd
- Bradley A. Morris
- Andrew R. Norton
- Sterling C. Pendleton
- Dayle P. Percle
- Mark F. Rosenow
- Matthew P. Stoffel
- Matthew D. Talcott
- 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.