13 General Article Courts-Martial at Vilseck (Europe), 2024–2026: What the Records Show

Trends › By Installation › Vilseck (Europe) › Article 134, 2024–2026

Based on 13 cases · 2024–2026 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Long Confinement Terms

All 13 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge. 12 of the sentences included confinement (92%). The median was 1.3 years, compared with 1 year Army-wide. Among the sentences that included confinement, a quarter were 3 years or longer.

These are adjudged sentences, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case.

Discharges and Dismissal

10 of 12 convicted enlisted members left with a punitive discharge: 6 bad-conduct and 4 dishonorable. In Army Article 134 cases overall, the share was 88%.

1 convicted officer or warrant officer appears in these cases, and 1 was dismissed. A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Mostly General Courts-Martial

10 of the 13 cases were general courts-martial (77%), compared with 85% in all Army Article 134 cases in 2024–2026. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence, including long confinement and a dishonorable discharge.

Pleas and Plea Agreements

11 accused pleaded guilty and 2 contested. The contested share was 15%, about the same as the 14% in Army Article 134 cases overall. All 11 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement. Army records show that an agreement existed, not its terms.

Forum

A military judge alone decided guilt in 11 of 13 cases with the forum listed (85%). 1 case went to an enlisted panel and 1 to an officer panel.

Rank and Other Charges

8 accused were junior enlisted (E-1 to E-4), 4 were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 was an officer or warrant officer. The group was more junior than Army-wide Article 134 cases, where 54% were junior enlisted.

7 of the 13 cases charged Article 134 by itself, compared with 144 of 262 Army-wide. Article 128 (assault) and Article 90 (disobeying an officer) appeared in 3 cases each, Article 93 (maltreatment) in 2, and Article 108 (military property) and Article 115 (communicating threats) in 1 each.

Timing and Law Changes

There were 4 trials in 2024, 6 in 2025, and 3 in 2026, a partial year. They were 21% of the 61 courts-martial at Vilseck (Europe) in 2024–2026.

Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute covered offenses such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and murder. When every guilty finding is for an offense after December 27, 2023, the military judge sets the sentence within new sentencing parameters. Without offense dates, the records cannot show which cases fell under the new rules.

Limits

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not show the evidence or the plea terms. Cases resolved by nonjudicial punishment or administrative separation are not in this data.

For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 134 on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.

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.