How Vilseck (Europe) Handled Domestic Violence Cases (Article 128b), 2024–2026
Vilseck (Europe) had 15 Army courts-martial charging Article 128b (domestic violence, numbered since 2019) from February 2024 to September 2026. 86% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 72% in all Army Article 128b cases in 2024–2026.
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Short answer: Vilseck (Europe) had 15 Army courts-martial charging Article 128b (domestic violence, numbered since 2019) from February 2024 to September 2026. 86% of convicted enlisted members received a punitive discharge, compared with 72% in all Army Article 128b cases in 2024–2026. The median confinement was 6 months, compared with 5 months Army-wide.
Punitive Discharges Were More Common
A punitive discharge followed 86% of the enlisted convictions: 10 bad-conduct discharges and 2 dishonorable discharges. Army-wide, the share in Article 128b cases was 72%. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
Confinement
Confinement was part of 93% of the 14 convictions. The median was 6 months, compared with 5 months in Army-wide Article 128b cases. Among the sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 2 years or longer.
These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each covers every charge in the case.
Guilty Pleas and Plea Agreements
11 accused pleaded guilty and 4 contested at least one charge. The contested share was 27%, compared with 24% in Army Article 128b cases overall.
All 11 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records say whether there was an agreement but not what it said.
General Courts-Martial and Forum
General courts-martial made up 60% of these cases (9 of 15). That level can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. The rest were special courts-martial.
A military judge alone decided guilt in 13 of 15 cases with the forum listed (87%). Enlisted panels heard the other 2.
A More Senior Group
By rank, 7 accused were junior enlisted, 8 were NCOs, and 0 were officers. The group was more senior than Army-wide Article 128b cases.
Other Charges
7 of the 15 cases charged Article 128b by itself, compared with 169 of 306 in Army Article 128b cases overall. Article 128 (assault) appeared in 4 cases and Article 92 (orders violation) in 3. Article 120 (sexual assault) and Article 90 (disobeying an officer) appeared in 2 each, and Article 108 (military property) in 1.
Timing and the 2023 Changes
There were 4 trials in 2024, 7 in 2025, and 4 in 2026, a partial year. They were 25% of the 61 courts-martial at Vilseck (Europe) in 2024–2026.
Article 128b is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel, not commanders, decide whether to prosecute covered offenses. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, so these trials mix cases under the old and new rules.
Article 128b applies only to offenses on or after January 1, 2019. Earlier conduct was charged under other articles.
What the Records Leave Out
The records do not describe the evidence or the plea terms. Cases handled by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not included.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 128b on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Vilseck (Europe) in 2024–2026 that charged Article 128b (15 cases), compared with every Army case charging Article 128b in those years.
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
- Vilseck (Europe): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 128b (Domestic Violence, Numbered Since 2019): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Vilseck (Europe) Courts-Martial, 2024–2026: What 61 Cases Show
- What Was Tried at Vilseck (Europe), 2020–2023? 43 Courts-Martial
- Is Army Domestic Violence Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 128b, 2021–2025
- 24 Domestic Violence Courts-Martial at Fort Bragg, 2021–2023: What the Records Show
- 28 Domestic Violence Courts-Martial at Fort Bragg, 2024–2026: What the Records Show
- Article 128b Cases at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 2021–2023: 24 Courts-Martial
- Domestic Violence Charges at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 2024–2026: Pleas, Verdicts, and Sentences
- Article 128b explained on the law firm's website
- Search every case in Military Trial Results (members)
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 128b Cases at Vilseck (Europe), 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.