AWOL at Navy-Marine Corps Courts-Martial, 2019: The Year in Numbers
The records hold 22 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2019 that charged Article 86 (AWOL). 19 of the 22 were special courts-martial, and the median confinement was 5 months, compared with 6 months in all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019.
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Trends › By Offense › Article 86 › Navy-Marine Corps, 2019
Short answer: The records hold 22 Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial from 2019 that charged Article 86 (AWOL). 19 of the 22 were special courts-martial, and the median confinement was 5 months, compared with 6 months in all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019. 50% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, against 60% across the service.
Mostly Special Courts-Martial
3 cases were general courts-martial and 19 were special courts-martial. The general share, 14%, was lower than the 43% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019.
A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence.
Shorter Sentences
All 22 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 18 of those sentences included confinement (82%). The median confinement was 5 months, shorter than the 6 months for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019. Among the sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 10 months or longer.
Sentences under 6 months made up 50% of convictions (11), compared with 35% across the service. Sentences longer than one year came in 2 of 22 convictions (9%), against 24%. No conviction carried 5 years or more.
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
| Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No confinement | 4 | 18% | 18% |
| Under 6 months | 11 | 50% | 35% |
| 6 months to 1 year | 5 | 23% | 23% |
| More than 1 year, under 5 years | 2 | 9% | 19% |
| 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 5% |
Bad-Conduct Discharges Only
A punitive discharge followed 50% of enlisted convictions, all of them bad-conduct discharges (11). None was a dishonorable discharge. The share for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019 was 60%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Drug Charges Appeared in 13 Cases
18 of the 22 cases charged at least one other article. Article 112a (drug) appeared in 13 cases, Article 92 (orders violation) in 5, and Article 121 (larceny) in 4. Article 131b (obstruction) and Article 81 (conspiracy) each appeared in 3.
Changes From 2018
Cases went from 27 in 2018 to 22 in 2019. The median confinement went from 6 months to 5 months, and punitive discharges for convicted enlisted members went from 81% to 50%. The general court-martial share went from 7% to 14%. With groups this small, these changes show direction rather than precise rates.
| 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 27 | 22 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 1 of 9 | 0% |
| Convictions with confinement | 93% | 82% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 5 months |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 81% | 50% |
| General courts-martial | 7% | 14% |
Pleas on Record
11 of the 22 records list the plea, and all 11 were guilty pleas. The contested share, 0%, compares with 28% for all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, so these figures use only the records that list it.
Rank and Location
16 accused were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 6 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 0 were officers or warrant officers. The group was more junior than all Navy and Marine Corps cases in 2019, where 57% were junior enlisted.
Bremerton, Washington had the most of these cases, with 4. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and San Diego, California had 3 each. Larger installations try more cases of every kind.
What the Records Leave Out
The records do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial, such as nonjudicial punishment.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 86 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Navy and Marine Corps courts-martial with a trial date in 2019 that charged Article 86 (22 cases), compared with all Navy and Marine Corps cases that year and with 2018.
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
- Article 86 (AWOL): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Year (hub)
- How Navy-Marine Corps AWOL Cases Ended in 2018 (previous / next)
- How Navy-Marine Corps AWOL Cases Ended in 2020 (previous / next)
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 86 Cases by the Numbers, 2017–2025 (the full trend)
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 86 Cases in 2017
- Navy-Marine Corps Article 86 Cases in 2022
- What Sentence Follows a Navy-Marine Corps AWOL Conviction?
- Article 86 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
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.