> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Comparing Wheeler Army Airfield and Fort Drum: Army Courts-Martial, 2020–2023 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/wheeler-army-airfield-vs-fort-drum-2020-2023/ - Published: 2026-10-30T05:29:34.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T05:29:34.000Z - Description: Wheeler Army Airfield had 75 courts-martial from 2020–2023, and Fort Drum had 72. Article 80, attempts, was charged in 24% of Wheeler cases with charges listed, compared with 6% at Fort Drum. The median confinement was 8 months at Wheeler and 6 months at Fort Drum. - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Wheeler Army Airfield, Fort Drum, Army [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) › [Wheeler Army Airfield](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-wheeler-army-airfield/) › vs. Fort Drum **Short answer:** Wheeler Army Airfield had 75 courts-martial from 2020–2023, and Fort Drum had 72\. Article 80, attempts, was charged in 24% of Wheeler cases with charges listed, compared with 6% at Fort Drum. The median confinement was 8 months at Wheeler and 6 months at Fort Drum. Based on 75 cases · 2020–2023 · Army records · data updated October 24, 2026 ## Attempt and Assault Charges Were More Common at Wheeler 72 of the 75 Wheeler records list the charges, and a case counts under each article it charges. Article 80, which covers attempts to commit another offense, appeared in 17 cases (24%). At Fort Drum, it appeared in 6% of cases. Article 128, assault, was the most common charge at Wheeler, in 22 cases (31%), compared with 17% at Fort Drum. Article 90, willfully disobeying a superior officer, appeared in 11% of Wheeler cases and 5% of Fort Drum cases. Article 120, rape and sexual assault, appeared in 25% at Wheeler and 30% at Fort Drum. Article 128b, domestic violence, appeared in 7% at Wheeler and 13% at Fort Drum. | UCMJ Article | Cases | Share here | Share, Fort Drum in the same years | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------- | ---------------------------------- | | [Art. 128](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-128/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Assault | 22 | 31% | 17% | | [Art. 134](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-134/?ref=bodiesburied.com) General article | 19 | 26% | 29% | | [Art. 120](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-120-sexual-assault/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Rape and sexual assault | 18 | 25% | 30% | | [Art. 80](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-80/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Attempts | 17 | 24% | 6% | | [Art. 92](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-92/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Failure to obey order or regulation | 9 | 12% | 16% | | [Art. 90](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-90/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Willfully disobeying superior officer | 8 | 11% | 5% | | [Art. 112a](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) Wrongful use, possession of controlled substances | 5 | 7% | 8% | | [Art. 86](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/practice-areas/court-martial/article-86/?ref=bodiesburied.com) AWOL | 5 | 7% | 8% | ## Longer Sentences at Wheeler 60 Wheeler cases ended in a conviction, and 88% of those sentences included confinement. The median term was 8 months, compared with 6 months at Fort Drum. A quarter of the Wheeler sentences were 1.8 years or longer. 23 of 60 Wheeler convictions (38%) carried more than one year of confinement, compared with 29% at Fort Drum. No confinement was 12% of Wheeler convictions and 23% of Fort Drum convictions. Sentences of 5 years or more were 12% at Wheeler and 10% at Fort Drum. All of these are adjudged sentences. They reflect the trial result, not any later plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal, and each one applies to every charge in the case. | Adjudged confinement | Convictions | Share here | Share, Fort Drum in the same years | | ------------------------------- | ----------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------- | | No confinement | 7 | 12% | 23% | | Under 6 months | 19 | 32% | 38% | | 6 months to 1 year | 11 | 18% | 10% | | More than 1 year, under 5 years | 16 | 27% | 19% | | 5 years or more | 7 | 12% | 10% | ## Conviction Rates for Each Top Charge Article 80 ended in a conviction on that article in 14 of 17 cases (82%), the highest share among the top charges. Article 128 did so in 16 of 22 (73%) and Article 134 in 12 of 19 (63%). Article 120 was lowest, at 10 of 18 (56%). When the conviction included Article 120, the median confinement was 2.9 years. It was 1.9 years for Article 134, 1 year for Article 128, and 8 months for Article 80\. A case can include a conviction on one article and an acquittal on another, so these rows overlap. | Article | Cases charging it | Convicted of it (share) | Median confinement when convicted of it | | -------------------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- | | Art. 128 Assault | 22 | 16 (73%) | 1 year | | Art. 134 General article | 19 | 12 (63%) | 1.9 years | | Art. 120 Rape and sexual assault | 18 | 10 (56%) | 2.9 years | | Art. 80 Attempts | 17 | 14 (82%) | 8 months | ## Contested Cases Were Common at Wheeler 74 of the 75 Wheeler records show the plea. 34 were not-guilty or mixed pleas, and 40 were guilty pleas. A case with a not-guilty or mixed plea counts as contested. The contested share was 46% at Wheeler and 43% at Fort Drum. 34 of the 40 guilty pleas are recorded with a plea agreement, and 6 have no entry. Army records show whether an agreement existed but not its terms. Cases charging Article 80 ended in a guilty plea 65% of the time (11 of 17), the most among the top charges. Cases charging Article 120 ended in a guilty plea 11% of the time (2 of 18). ## How Contested Cases Ended Of 33 contested Wheeler cases that reached a verdict, 12 ended in a full acquittal (36%). At Fort Drum, the full-acquittal rate was 43%. Another 13 Wheeler cases (39%) ended in a partial acquittal: not guilty of at least one charge or specification, but guilty of another. Army results list findings charge by charge, so partial acquittals are common in Army records. In most cases the accused chooses whether a military judge alone or a panel of members decides guilt. 53 Wheeler cases were judge alone, 15 went to an enlisted panel, and 5 went to an officer panel. Members heard 27% of cases, compared with 19% at Fort Drum. Among contested cases, members heard 19 of 32 (59%). Among the 31 contested cases with a verdict and the forum listed, members acquitted in full 39% of the time and military judges 23% of the time. Because the accused picks the forum, the two groups of cases are not alike, and the records cannot show why the rates differ. | Installation | Cases | Contested | Full acquittals (decided contested) | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | | --------------------- | ----- | --------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------- | | Wheeler Army Airfield | 75 | 46% | 12 of 33 | 8 months | 69% | | Fort Drum | 72 | 43% | 12 of 28 | 6 months | 63% | ## Court Level and Punitive Discharges 61 of the 75 Wheeler cases were general courts-martial (81%), compared with 76% at Fort Drum. The median confinement was 1.2 years in general courts-martial and 30 days in the 14 special courts-martial. Contested shares were 43% and 57%. A special court-martial can impose no more than one year of confinement and no dishonorable discharge. 69% of enlisted convictions at Wheeler ended with a bad-conduct or dishonorable discharge: 17 bad-conduct and 20 dishonorable. At Fort Drum, the share was 63%. 6 convicted officers or warrant officers appear, and 2 were dismissed. A later administrative separation is still possible without a punitive discharge. ## Rank of the Accused Junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4) were 47% of the Wheeler accused. NCOs were 44% and officers were 9%. At Fort Drum, junior enlisted members were 61%, so the Wheeler group was more senior. ## Years Covered and Missing Information The Wheeler cases were tried from November 2020 through December 2023: 3 in 2020, 30 in 2021, 18 in 2022, and 24 in 2023\. The services had to begin publishing trial records under Article 140a by December 2020, and Army records in this data are sparse before 2021. Only cases that reached a courtroom are here. Nonjudicial punishment, administrative separations, and cases with no action are not included, and the records do not describe the evidence or plea terms. Dates and sources for the law changes mentioned here: [UCMJ change timeline](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/ucmj-change-timeline/). ### How We Counted Every court-martial tried at Wheeler Army Airfield (75) and Fort Drum (72) with trial dates in 2020–2023\. Each figure for Wheeler Army Airfield is set beside the same figure for Fort Drum. Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in [Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/), data updated October 24, 2026\. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: [how this data was built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/how-the-military-trial-results-data-was-built/). Errors: content@bodiesburied.com. ## Related Analysis - [Wheeler Army Airfield: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-wheeler-army-airfield/) (hub) - [Fort Drum: Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/courts-martial-at-fort-drum/) (hub) - [By Installation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/by-installation/) (hub) - [Camp Humphreys and Fort Riley, 2024–2026: How Their Courts-Martial Compare](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/camp-humphreys-vs-fort-riley-2024-2026/) - [Comparing Fort Hood and Fort Campbell: Army Courts-Martial, 2024–2026](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/fort-hood-vs-fort-campbell-2024-2026/) - [Comparing Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Benning: Army Courts-Martial, 2024–2026](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/fort-leonard-wood-vs-fort-benning-2024-2026/) - [Comparing Fort Polk and Fort Knox: Army Courts-Martial, 2020–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/fort-polk-vs-fort-knox-2020-2023/) - [Comparing Fort Riley and Fort Benning: Army Courts-Martial, 2020–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/fort-riley-vs-fort-benning-2020-2023/) - [Comparing Fort Sill and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson: Army Courts-Martial, 2020–2023](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/fort-sill-vs-joint-base-elmendorf-richardson-2020-2023/) - [Comparing Fort Stewart and Kaiserslautern (Europe): Army Courts-Martial, 2024–2026](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/fort-stewart-vs-kaiserslautern-europe-2024-2026/) - [Search every case in Military Trial Results](https://www.bodiesburied.com/military-trial-results/) (members) ## Military Judges Who Presided Over Cases at Wheeler Army Airfield, 2020–2023 - [Larry A. Babin Jr.](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-larry-a-babin-jr/) - [Trevor I. Barna](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-trevor-i-barna/) - [Mark A. Bridges](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-mark-a-bridges/) - [Jacqueline L. Emanuel](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-jacqueline-l-emanuel/) - [Rebecca L. Farrell](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-rebecca-l-farrell/) - [Matthew S. Fitzgerald](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-matthew-s-fitzgerald/) - [Timothy P. Hayes Jr.](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-timothy-p-hayes-jr/) - [Michael E. Korte](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-michael-e-korte/) - [Robert E. Murdough](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-robert-e-murdough/) - [Scott A. Oravec](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judge-scott-a-oravec/) 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](https://www.bodiesburied.com/judges/) 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](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.