How Wheeler Army Airfield Handled General Article Cases (Article 134), 2020–2023

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Based on 19 cases · 2020–2023 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026

Confinement in Every Conviction

All 16 convictions included confinement (100%). Half of the terms were 1.7 years or less, and a quarter were 2.8 years or longer. In Army Article 134 cases in 2020–2023, the median was 1 year.

The figures are adjudged sentences, as announced at trial. They come before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each covers all charges in the case.

Discharges for Enlisted Members and Officers

Among 14 convicted enlisted members, 12 left with a punitive discharge: 5 bad-conduct and 7 dishonorable. That is 86%, higher than the 74% for Army Article 134 cases.

The records list 2 convicted officers or warrant officers, and both were dismissed. A dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge. A sentence without one does not rule out a later administrative separation.

Article 134 Rarely Stood Alone

In 17 of the 19 cases, at least one other article was charged. Article 120 (sexual assault) and Article 128 (assault) each appeared in 5 cases. Article 80 (attempt) appeared in 4, and Article 128b (domestic violence) and Article 82 (solicitation) in 3 each.

Pleas and Plea Agreements

Of the 19 accused, 11 pleaded guilty and 8 entered a not-guilty or mixed plea. Contested cases made up 42%, compared with 31% in Army Article 134 cases. A contested case is one where the accused pleads not guilty to at least one charge.

Of the 11 guilty pleas, 10 are recorded with a plea agreement and 1 has no entry. Army records say whether there was an agreement, not what it said.

Who Decided Guilt and at What Level

A military judge alone decided guilt in 15 of the 19 cases (79%). Members heard 4: 3 enlisted panels and 1 officer panel. The accused usually chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt.

General courts-martial made up 89% of the cases (17 of 19). That level can impose long confinement and a dishonorable discharge. The rest were special courts-martial, which cap confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

A More Senior Group of Accused

The accused were 7 junior enlisted members, 10 NCOs, and 2 officers. The group is more senior than in Army Article 134 cases in the same years.

Case Counts by Year

The count was 1 in 2020, 4 in 2021, 6 in 2022, and 8 in 2023. The 19 cases were 25% of the 75 courts-martial at Wheeler Army Airfield in those years. The services were required to begin publishing trial records under Article 140a by December 2020. Army records in this data are sparse before 2021, so 2020 is thin.

Outside These Records

The records show the charges, pleas, findings, and sentence. They do not show the evidence, the plea terms, offense dates, or conduct handled outside a court-martial.

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.