McConnell AFB, Kansas, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
McConnell AFB, Kansas had 21 courts-martial from April 2024 to July 2026, compared with 24 in 2019–2023. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 60% of the recent cases, compared with 20% Air Force-wide.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › McConnell AFB, Kansas › Before and after 2024
Short answer: McConnell AFB, Kansas had 21 courts-martial from April 2024 to July 2026, compared with 24 in 2019–2023. Drug charges under Article 112a appeared in 60% of the recent cases, compared with 20% Air Force-wide. Compared with the earlier period, fewer cases were contested (21%, down from 57%), and fewer convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge (44%, down from 65%).
Drug Charges Were the Most Common
Of the 21 recent cases, 20 list the charges. Article 112a (wrongful use or possession of controlled substances) appeared in 12 of them (60%). Across the Air Force in 2024–2026, the share was 20%.
Article 107 (false official statements) was also more common than elsewhere. It appeared in 4 cases (20%), compared with 6% Air Force-wide. Article 134 (general article), Article 128b (domestic violence), and Article 92 (orders violation) each appeared in 2 cases. Each article counts once per case, so one case can appear in several rows.
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the Air Force as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 12 | 60% | 20% |
| Art. 107 False official statements | 4 | 20% | 6% |
| Art. 134 General article | 2 | 10% | 24% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 2 | 10% | 15% |
| Art. 92 Failure to obey order or regulation | 2 | 10% | 16% |
| Art. 113 Drunken or reckless operation of vehicle | 1 | 5% | 5% |
| Art. 119a Death or injury of an unborn child | 1 | 5% | 1% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 1 | 5% | 8% |
2019–2023 Compared With 2024–2026
The earlier period, 2019–2023, had 24 cases, about 5 a year. Since then, there have been about 7 a year, counting full years only. The later period includes 9 cases in 2024, 5 in 2025, and 7 in 2026, a partial year.
Several measures changed. The contested share went from 57% to 21%. Convictions with confinement went from 100% to 84%. The median confinement went from 4 months to 3 months. Punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 65% to 44%. General courts-martial went from 38% of cases to 33%.
In groups this small, a few cases either way can change a percentage a great deal. These changes show direction, not precision.
| 2019–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 24 | 21 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 57% | 21% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 3 of 7 | 1 of 3 |
| Convictions with confinement | 100% | 84% |
| Median confinement | 4 months | 3 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 65% | 44% |
| General courts-martial | 38% | 33% |
Fewer Contested Cases
Only 14 of the 21 recent records list a plea. Of those, 11 accused pleaded guilty and 3 entered not-guilty or mixed pleas. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 21%, compared with 43% across the Air Force.
Of the 3 contested cases with a verdict, 1 ended in a full acquittal. In 2019–2023, 3 of 7 contested cases that reached a verdict ended in a full acquittal. Air Force records rarely list the charges in a full acquittal and never report plea agreements, so these counts are limited.
Short Confinement Sentences
Of 19 convictions, 16 included confinement. The median confinement was 3 months, shorter than the 6 months in the rest of the Air Force. A quarter of the confinement sentences were 11 months or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, as announced at trial before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
Punitive Discharges and Court Level
A punitive discharge followed 44% of enlisted convictions: 7 bad-conduct discharges and 1 dishonorable discharge. Air Force-wide, the share was 62%. The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was not sentenced to dismissal. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
General courts-martial tried 7 of the 21 cases (33%), compared with 56% Air Force-wide. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.
Who Decided Guilt, and Rank
A military judge alone decided guilt in 18 cases, and enlisted panels decided 3. There were 0 officer panels. Members heard 14% of the cases, compared with 28% in the rest of the Air Force. Most judge-alone cases are guilty pleas, so this split mostly follows how many cases were contested.
The accused were 14 junior enlisted members, 6 NCOs, and 1 officer. That group is more junior than the Air Force as a whole.
Compared With Ramstein AB, Germany
Ramstein AB, Germany tried 20 cases in the same years, about the same as McConnell's 21. The results were different. Ramstein's contested share was 59%, its median confinement was 9 months, and its punitive discharge share was 65%. All 3 were higher than at McConnell.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McConnell AFB, Kansas | 21 | 21% | 1 of 3 | 3 months | 44% |
| Ramstein AB, Germany | 20 | 59% | 3 of 10 | 9 months | 65% |
New Rules at the Start of the Period
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding in a case is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters.
Both rules depend on the offense date, and these records give only trial dates. Trials from 2024 on therefore include both old-rule and new-rule cases. The records cannot show whether the rule changes are connected to the changes at McConnell.
Outside the Records
Nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations are not in these records. The evidence and the plea terms are not in them either.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at McConnell AFB, Kansas in 2019–2023 (24) and 2024–2026 (21).
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, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: 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, 2024–2026
- Nathan Rick Allred
- Willie J. Babor
- Tiny L. Bowman
- Wesley A. Braun
- Kasey W. Hawkins
- Bradley J. Palmer
- Jennifer E. Powell
- Nathan D. Royer
- Lance R. Smith
- Thomas A. Smith
- Jamie Stewart
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.