Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
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.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › By Installation › 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.
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 Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 9 | 43% | 41% |
| Art. 128 Assault | 4 | 19% | 19% |
| Art. 128b Domestic violence | 3 | 14% | 5% |
| Art. 134 General article | 3 | 14% | 21% |
| Art. 127 Extortion | 2 | 10% | 0% |
| Art. 120b 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.
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, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Offutt AFB, Nebraska: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- What Was Tried at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2019–2023? 24 Courts-Martial
- What Was Tried at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2016–2018? 16 Courts-Martial
- Inside 11 Courts-Martial at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2024–2026
- 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
- Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2016–2018 vs. 2019–2023: A Side-by-Side Look
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 2019–2023
- Jefferson B. Brown
- Elizabeth M. Hernandez
- Christopher D. James
- James E. Key III
- Shad R. Kidd
- Michael A. Lewis
- Sterling C. Pendleton
- Dayle P. Percle
- Julie L. Pitvorec
- Jennifer J. Raab
- Mark F. Rosenow
- 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.