> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/offutt-afb-nebraska-before-after-2019/ - Published: 2026-10-30T08:06:19.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T08:06:19.000Z - Description: Most Offutt AFB, Nebraska cases in 2019–2023 were guilty pleas: only 17% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 50% across the Air Force. All 21 convictions included confinement, with a median of 4 months. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, Air Force [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [Offutt AFB, Nebraska](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-offutt-afb-nebraska/) › Before and after 2019 **Short answer:** Most Offutt AFB, Nebraska cases in 2019–2023 were guilty pleas: only 17% of the cases with a plea recorded were contested, compared with 50% across the Air Force. All 21 convictions included confinement, with a median of 4 months. A punitive discharge followed 67% of enlisted convictions, compared with 56% Air Force-wide and 55% at Offutt in 2016–2018. Based on 24 cases · 2019–2023 · Air Force records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Guilty Pleas in Most Cases Of the 24 records, 18 list a plea. Of those 18, 15 were guilty pleas and 3 were contested, meaning a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share, 17%, was lower than the 50% across the Air Force in the same years. Air Force records from 2016 to 2019 rarely list a guilty plea, so there is no contested share for the earlier period to compare. ## Confinement in All 21 Convictions Every conviction included confinement (100%), compared with 77% at Offutt in 2016–2018\. The median confinement was 4 months, the same as the Air Force median. In 2016–2018 the Offutt median was 2 months. Most terms were short. 13 convictions (62%) carried under 6 months, compared with 50% elsewhere in the Air Force. 3 carried 6 months to 1 year (14%). Sentences of more than 1 year came in 5 of 21 convictions (24%), about the same as the 23% Air Force-wide. None reached 5 years. 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, the rest of the Air Force | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | -------------------------------- | | No confinement | 0 | 0% | 12% | | Under 6 months | 13 | 62% | 50% | | 6 months to 1 year | 3 | 14% | 15% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 5 | 24% | 17% | | 5 years or more | 0 | 0% | 6% | ## General and Special Courts-Martial General courts-martial heard 13 of the 24 cases (54%), compared with 44% in 2016–2018\. Special courts-martial heard 11\. At both levels, 100% of convictions brought confinement. The median was 1.5 years at general courts-martial and 3 months at special courts-martial. 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. ## Punitive Discharges Of 21 convicted enlisted members, 14 received a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge (67%), and 3 of those were dishonorable. No officers or warrant officers were among the accused, so there were no dismissals. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation. | | 2016–2018 | 2019–2023 | | ----------------------------- | --------- | --------- | | Cases | 16 | 24 | | Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 17% | | Convictions with confinement | 77% | 100% | | Median confinement | 2 months | 4 months | | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 55% | 67% | | General courts-martial | 44% | 54% | ## What Was Charged Charges are listed in 21 of the 24 records. Article 112a (drugs) was the most common, in 43% of cases, about the same as the 41% Air Force-wide. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 19%, the same as the Air Force share. Article 128b (domestic violence) appeared in 14%, compared with 5%. Article 127 (extortion) appeared in 2 cases (10%). Article 120b (rape and sexual assault of a child) also appeared in 2 cases (10%), compared with 7%. Article 134 appeared in 14%, lower than the 21% Air Force-wide. Article 104a (fraudulent enlistment) and Article 82 (soliciting) each appeared in 1 case. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, the rest of the Air Force | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | -------------------------------- | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 9 | 43% | 41% | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 4 | 19% | 19% | | [Art. 128b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-128b-domestic-violence/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Domestic violence | 3 | 14% | 5% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 3 | 14% | 21% | | Art. 127 Extortion | 2 | 10% | 0% | | [Art. 120b](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-120b/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault of a child | 2 | 10% | 7% | | Art. 104a Fraudulent enlistment | 1 | 5% | 0% | | Art. 82 Soliciting | 1 | 5% | 1% | ## Fewer Full Acquittals Of the 24 cases, 3 ended in a full acquittal (12%), compared with 24% across the Air Force. This rate is measured against all cases, not only contested ones, because older Air Force records often leave out guilty pleas. Of the 3 contested cases that reached a verdict, 2 ended in a full acquittal. ## Forum: A Military Judge in Most Cases A military judge alone decided guilt in 19 of 24 cases (79%). Members heard 5: 4 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. ## Case Counts, Rank, and Peers The records show 16 cases in 2016–2018 and 24 from February 2019 through December 2023, about 5 a year in both periods. The yearly counts were 6 in 2019, 6 in 2020, 2 in 2021, 3 in 2022, and 7 in 2023. Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 71% of the accused and NCOs 29%. Elsewhere in the Air Force, junior enlisted members were 64%. McConnell AFB, Kansas tried 24 cases and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana tried 23 in the same years. Both had more contested cases, 57% and 40%. Offutt and McConnell had the same median confinement, 4 months, compared with 2 months at Barksdale. Punitive discharge rates were 65% at McConnell and 56% at Barksdale. In decided contested cases, McConnell had 3 full acquittals out of 7 and Barksdale had 4 out of 8. | Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | | ------------------------ | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | | Offutt AFB, Nebraska | 24 | 17% | 2 of 3 | 4 months | 67% | | McConnell AFB, Kansas | 24 | 57% | 3 of 7 | 4 months | 65% | | Barksdale AFB, Louisiana | 23 | 40% | 4 of 8 | 2 months | 56% | ## Limits of the Records The records show what happened at trial. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, offense dates, or cases handled outside a court-martial. Air Force records rarely list charges in full acquittals and never report plea agreements. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Every court-martial tried at Offutt AFB, Nebraska in 2016–2018 (16) and 2019–2023 (24). Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [Offutt AFB, Nebraska: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-offutt-afb-nebraska/) (hub) - [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub) - [What Was Tried at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2019–2023? 24 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/offutt-afb-nebraska-courts-martial-2019-2023/) - [What Was Tried at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2016–2018? 16 Courts-Martial](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/offutt-afb-nebraska-courts-martial-2016-2018/) - [Inside 11 Courts-Martial at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2024–2026](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/offutt-afb-nebraska-courts-martial-2024-2026/) - [Andersen AFB, Guam Before and After 2019: How Its Courts-Martial Changed](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/andersen-afb-guam-before-after-2019/) - [Aviano AB, Italy, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-before-after-2019/) - [Aviano AB, Italy, 2019–2023 vs. 2024–2026: A Side-by-Side Look](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/aviano-ab-italy-before-after-2024/) - [Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/davis-monthan-afb-arizona-before-after-2019/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2019–2023 - [Jefferson B. Brown](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-jefferson-b-brown/) - [Elizabeth M. Hernandez](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-elizabeth-m-hernandez/) - [Christopher D. James](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-christopher-d-james/) - [James E. Key III](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-james-e-key-iii/) - [Shad R. Kidd](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-shad-r-kidd/) - [Michael A. Lewis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-michael-a-lewis/) - [Sterling C. Pendleton](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-sterling-c-pendleton/) - [Dayle P. Percle](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-dayle-p-percle/) - [Julie L. Pitvorec](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-julie-l-pitvorec/) - [Jennifer J. Raab](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-jennifer-j-raab/) - [Mark F. Rosenow](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-mark-f-rosenow/) - [Matthew D. Talcott](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-d-talcott/) - [Charles G. Warren](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) 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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.