Article 92 at Okinawa, Japan Before and After 2024
Okinawa, Japan had 12 courts-martial charging Article 92 (orders violation) in 2024–2026. A punitive discharge followed 20% of enlisted convictions, compared with 92% at Okinawa in 2017–2018 and 37% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in 2024–2026.
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Short answer: Okinawa, Japan had 12 courts-martial charging Article 92 (orders violation) in 2024–2026. A punitive discharge followed 20% of enlisted convictions, compared with 92% at Okinawa in 2017–2018 and 37% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in 2024–2026. The median confinement was 45 days, compared with 8 months in 2017–2018.
Fewer Punitive Discharges Than in 2017–2018
A punitive discharge followed 20% of enlisted convictions: 2 bad-conduct discharges and 0 dishonorable discharges. In 2017–2018, the share at Okinawa was 92%. Across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in 2024–2026, it was 37%.
A punitive discharge is a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge. A sentence without one does not rule out a later administrative separation, and administrative separations are not in these records.
Shorter Confinement, and Less Often
Of 10 convictions, 5 included confinement. The median confinement was 45 days. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in 2024–2026, the median was 3 months.
In 2017–2018, 93% of convictions at Okinawa included confinement, and the median was 8 months. These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
No General Courts-Martial Since 2024
General courts-martial were 0% of the 2024–2026 cases, compared with 64% in 2017–2018. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge. Since 2019, a special court-martial can also be tried by a military judge alone, with a cap of six months and no punitive discharge.
The earlier period had 14 cases over 2 years, about 7 a year. Since 2024 there have been about 4 a year, counting full years only. By year, there were 3 cases in 2024, 5 in 2025, and 4 so far in 2026, a partial year. These numbers are small, and a few cases can change them, so the changes show a direction only.
| 2017–2018 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 14 | 12 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | — | 25% |
| Convictions with confinement | 93% | 50% |
| Median confinement | 8 months | 45 days |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 92% | 20% |
| General courts-martial | 64% | 0% |
Pleas in 2024–2026
Of the 12 cases, 3 had a not-guilty or mixed plea and 9 had a guilty plea. A case is contested when the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge. The contested share was 25%, lower than the 44% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases in 2024–2026.
Other Charges in the Same Cases
Of the 12 cases, 8 charged at least one other article. Article 81 (conspiracy) and Article 134 (general article) were each charged in 2 cases. Article 107 (false official statement), Article 112 (drunkenness on duty), and Article 128b (domestic violence) were each charged in 1.
Rank of the Accused
Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) made up 64% of the accused, NCOs 36%, and officers 0%. In all Navy and Marine Corps Article 92 cases, junior enlisted members were 51%. These 12 cases were 24% of the 50 courts-martial at Okinawa in 2024–2026.
Law Changes and Record Limits
Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. For offenses after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence under new sentencing parameters. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so trials since 2024 include cases under both the old and new rules.
The records show charges, pleas, findings, and sentences. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, or conduct handled outside a court-martial.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 92 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Okinawa, Japan that charged Article 92 (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2017–2018 (14) and 2024–2026 (12). Comparisons use every Navy and Marine Corps case charging Article 92 in 2024–2026.
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
- Okinawa, Japan: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 92 (Failure to Obey Order or Regulation): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Inside 70 Courts-Martial at Okinawa, Japan, 2017–2018 (the whole docket)
- Okinawa, Japan, 2019–2023: Charges, Verdicts, and Sentences in 100 Cases (the whole docket)
- Inside 50 Courts-Martial at Okinawa, Japan, 2024–2026 (the whole docket)
- Did Orders Violation Cases at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Change After 2019? (same offense, another installation)
- Did Orders Violation Cases at Camp Pendleton, California Change After 2019? (same offense, another installation)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Orders Violation Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 92, 2017–2025
- Article 92 explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 92 Cases at Okinawa, Japan, 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.