Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look
Nellis AFB, Nevada had 16 courts-martial from June 2024 to April 2026, compared with 46 in 2019–2023. A punitive discharge followed 90% of enlisted convictions, compared with 62% across the Air Force. The median confinement was 1.5 years, up from 6 months in the earlier period.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Nellis AFB, Nevada › Before and after 2024
Short answer: Nellis AFB, Nevada had 16 courts-martial from June 2024 to April 2026, compared with 46 in 2019–2023. A punitive discharge followed 90% of enlisted convictions, compared with 62% across the Air Force. The median confinement was 1.5 years, up from 6 months in the earlier period.
Punitive Discharges in Most Convictions
A punitive discharge followed 90% of enlisted convictions: 6 bad-conduct discharges and 3 dishonorable discharges. The Air Force share was 62%, and the Nellis share in 2019–2023 was 72%. The 1 convicted officer or warrant officer was dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Fewer Sentences With Confinement, but Longer Terms
Confinement was part of 64% of the 11 convictions, compared with 84% in 2019–2023. Among the sentences with confinement, the median was 1.5 years. The Air Force median was 6 months. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal.
| 2019–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 46 | 16 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 42% | 64% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 7 of 13 | 2 of 7 |
| Convictions with confinement | 84% | 64% |
| Median confinement | 6 months | 1.5 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 72% | 90% |
| General courts-martial | 52% | 69% |
More Contested Cases
Of the 11 records that list a plea, 7 were contested and 4 were guilty pleas. The contested share, 64%, was higher than the 43% Air Force-wide and the 42% at Nellis in 2019–2023.
Of 7 contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 ended in a full acquittal. In 2019–2023, 7 of 13 did. A military judge alone decided 10 cases (62%). Members heard 6: 5 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel.
Sexual Assault Charges
Charges are listed in 15 of the 16 records. Article 134 (general article) and Article 120 (rape and sexual assault) each appeared in 4 cases (27%). Air Force-wide, the shares were 24% and 13%. Article 121 (larceny), Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child), Article 112a (drugs), and Article 128b (domestic violence) each appeared in 2 cases (13%). 1 case charged Article 131 (perjury).
| UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, all Air Force cases in those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art. 134 General article | 4 | 27% | 24% |
| Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 4 | 27% | 13% |
| Art. 121 Larceny | 2 | 13% | 8% |
| Art. 120b Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 13% | 9% |
| Art. 112a Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 2 | 13% | 20% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 2 | 13% | 15% |
| Art. 120c Other sexual misconduct | 1 | 7% | 3% |
| Art. 131 Perjury | 1 | 7% | 0% |
Rank and Court Level
The accused were 10 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 5 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 officer or warrant officer. That mix is more junior than the Air Force as a whole, where 58% were junior enlisted.
General courts-martial heard 11 of the 16 cases (69%), compared with 52% at Nellis in 2019–2023. A general court-martial can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. A special court-martial caps confinement at 1 year.
Case Counts and Peers
The records show 7 cases in 2024, 6 in 2025, and 3 so far in 2026, a partial year. That is about 6 a year, compared with about 9 a year in 2019–2023.
Ramstein AB, Germany tried 20 cases and McConnell AFB, Kansas tried 21 in the same years. Their median confinement was 9 months and 3 months, and their punitive discharge rates were 65% and 44%.
| Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nellis AFB, Nevada | 16 | 64% | 2 of 7 | 1.5 years | 90% |
| Ramstein AB, Germany | 20 | 59% | 3 of 10 | 9 months | 65% |
| McConnell AFB, Kansas | 21 | 21% | 1 of 3 | 3 months | 44% |
Law Changes and Limits
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new parameters. These records give trial dates, not offense dates, so they mix cases under old and new rules.
The records do not describe the evidence or plea terms, and they leave out nonjudicial punishment and administrative separations.
Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Every court-martial tried at Nellis AFB, Nevada in 2019–2023 (46) and 2024–2026 (16).
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
- Nellis AFB, Nevada: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- What Was Tried at Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2019–2023? 46 Courts-Martial
- Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2016–2018: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 30 Cases
- Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2024–2026: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 16 Cases
- Nellis AFB, Nevada, 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 Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2024–2026
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.