Texas has one of the largest active-duty military populations in the country, with installations across all five regions of the state. The major Army presence is at Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, with Fort Sam Houston as the medical command in San Antonio. The Air Force operates training bases at Lackland, Randolph, Sheppard, Goodfellow, and Laughlin, plus the base at Dyess. NAS Corpus Christi handles Navy aviation training. National coverage of one of the largest Article 120 prosecutions in recent military history has kept Fort Hood on page one. The scale of the military presence in Texas produces a wide variety of questions and challenges for military defendants there.
Court-Martial Locations in Texas
There are eight Army and Air Force installations across the state, plus one Navy aviation base on the Gulf, and any of them can see court-martial action:
Army
- Fort Hood (Killeen, Central Texas)
- Fort Bliss (El Paso, West Texas)
- Fort Sam Houston / JBSA (San Antonio, South Texas)
Air Force
- Lackland / JBSA (San Antonio, South Texas)
- Randolph / JBSA (San Antonio, South Texas)
- Sheppard (Wichita Falls, North Texas)
- Dyess (Abilene, West Texas)
- Goodfellow (San Angelo, West Texas)
- Laughlin (Del Rio, South Texas)
Navy
- NAS Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi, South Texas)
UCMJ Cases in Texas
Fort Hood soldiers end up on the front page for cases including child sexual assault, attempted murder, soldiers paying for prostitution involving other soldiers, murder of romantic partners, an NCO arrested twice on child sex assault charges, a sergeant charged with a series of sexual assaults on post, and a coordinator of the post’s sexual assault prevention program allegedly arranging prostitution involving soldiers.
Fort Bliss soldiers get in the news too, with recent cases ranging from espionage (attempting to send tank and combat operations details to Russia), kidnapping and rape, murder of a fellow soldier, child exploitation and AI-generated child abuse content, severe child abuse, and animal cruelty. The post borders Mexico.
Joint Base San Antonio nominally combines three installations: Lackland (Air Force basic military training and security forces training), Randolph (AETC headquarters and pilot instructor training), and Fort Sam Houston (Army Medical Command, medical and dental training). JBSA is a joint base on paper, but a UCMJ case at Lackland gets handled by Air Force counsel and law enforcement, a case at Fort Sam gets handled by Army counsel and law enforcement, and the two don’t cross over.
Lackland is known as the home of USAF basic military training. Cases there often involve abusive sexual contact and grab-ass type Article 120 allegations arising out of horseplay in BMT.
Randolph is AETC headquarters and runs pilot instructor training. One of the main OSTC districts is there, too, and the courtroom sometimes hosts high-profile cases.
Sheppard and Goodfellow are for tech training. Alcohol-related sexual assault cases under Article 120 are common.
Fort Sam Houston is the home of Army MEDCOM. Drug cases are more common than covered-offense investigations.
Dyess in Abilene hosts B-1B and C-130 operations. Laughlin in Del Rio trains Air Force pilots. NAS Corpus Christi trains Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard pilots. The caseload at these bases is relatively low-volume, but serious cases can occur anywhere, and OSTC prosecutes at Dyess and Corpus Christi when the allegations come.
Gagne, Scherer & Associates Cases Across Texas
For over 20 years, Gagne, Scherer & Associates has handled UCMJ cases across the active-duty installations of Texas, from Hood and Bliss to JBSA in San Antonio and the training bases across the state. A sample of that work:
Randolph AFB Two-Star General: Accused of Article 120 and Violating Article 92, PHO Adopts Defense Position at Article 32
Our client was a two-star general charged with sexual assault under Article 120 and multiple Article 92 violations including a bottle-to-throttle allegation, which forbids alcohol consumption within a set number of hours before flight duty. At the Article 32 preliminary hearing, we spent significant time scraping through the complainant’s account, exposing its contradictions and outlandishness, and the extensive coaching she received from OSI to help her hold the story together. The preliminary hearing officer adopted our defense position in its entirety, including our recommended disposition of administrative resolution rather than court-martial.
Fort Bliss SPC: Accused of Sexual Assault, Acquitted in 10 Minutes
Our client was accused of sexual assault by an Iraqi interpreter during a deployment. She claimed she had never had consensual intercourse, due to her religious principles. Gagne, Scherer & Associates had reviewed her medical records and knew she had been treated for an STD she got in a consensual relationship. We cross-examined her to get the information to the panel, destroying her credibility, and the members acquitted our client in less than ten minutes.
Fort Bliss SPC: Accused of Sexual Assault, Acquitted by Military Judge
Our client was a young soldier accused by a fellow soldier of an alcohol-related sexual assault under Article 120. When confronted by text the morning after, he had made some damaging statements that appeared to be a confession. Gagne, Scherer & Associates not only provided context that made the text sound gentlemanly, they also presented expert testimony on confabulation and other issues related to faulty recall. The military judge acquitted.
Fort Hood SPC: Accused of Unlawfully Shooting Down a Drone Over Mexican Airspace, Case Dropped
A Fort Hood soldier on border patrol duty was alleged to have unlawfully downed a drone over Mexican airspace. Gagne, Scherer & Associates obtained communications showing our client was following lawful orders given by a senior NCO. We intervened with OSTC within hours of the investigation starting, shared the evidence, and then accompanied our client by teleconference when interviewed by law enforcement. The case was dropped.
Fort Hood SPC: Accused of Sexual Assault and Positive Urinalysis for Opiates, No UCMJ Action Taken
Our client was a young soldier accused of sexual assault by another soldier. He was told by TDS to check back if he received court-martial charges. The client then hired Gagne, Scherer & Associates, who contacted OSTC immediately to begin advocating for a deferral. The case was deferred shortly thereafter. While under investigation for sexual assault, he tested positive for opiates. The unit and the drug reduction program tried several times to pressure him into explaining the drug use, but our attorneys protected him. He was separated with a General discharge, no UCMJ action taken for either allegation.
Fort Sam Houston CW2: Cocaine Positive, Non-UCMJ Resolution, Retirement Saved
An Army CW2 with 18 years of excellent service tested positive for cocaine on a urinalysis. Initially, the command intended to serve him with an Article 15, but Gagne, Scherer & Associates was prepared to turn it down and take the case to trial due to the test’s low nanogram level. After months of lobbying with the staff judge advocate’s office and chain of command, and presenting persuasive corroboration of our client’s military service, the case was resolved with a GOMOR and the CW2 was allowed to finish his career.
Lackland AFB SSgt: Cocaine and THC Positive on Eve of Retirement, Full Retirement Saved
Our client, an Air Force NCO on the eve of retirement, tested positive for cocaine and THC. The unit was moving toward an Article 15 and separation board when he tested positive again. A court-martial was convened. By presenting a strong case in mitigation and focusing on an abusive relationship that coincided with the test results, our client avoided a punitive discharge, preserved his retirement and rank, and served less than two weeks in confinement.
Sheppard AFB SrA: Article 120 Sexual Assault Allegation, Case Dropped
Our client was in training at Sheppard AFB when he was accused by a fellow airman of sexual assault. Gagne, Scherer & Associates worked with the client to assemble text messages, social media, and witness statements that destroyed the accuser’s credibility. The case was dropped before ever being charged.
Sheppard AFB TSgt: Separation Board, Fully Exonerated
Our client was accused of a pattern of misconduct. We demonstrated that she had been the victim of unfair treatment and discrimination. She had been mistreated so extensively, it had caused her to suffer a mental health crisis. When the government’s case collapsed during the board, they asked the members to separate our client for the mental health disorder, which was totally improper. The board exonerated her in less than half an hour.
Laughlin Lt Col: Accused of Larceny, Unlawful Entry, Article 133, Retirement Saved
An Air Force pilot past his retirement date was caught stealing his neighbor’s underwear out of her laundry basket after sneaking into her house when he thought she wasn’t home. The client was recorded confessing to the neighbor, making a conviction certain. Gagne, Scherer & Associates negotiated a deal to protect his retirement and dismiss the two more serious charges. Client retired after serving minimal confinement.
Featured as a UCMJ Expert in Fort Hood Court-Martial Coverage
In March 2026, KXXV-TV interviewed Mr. Scherer for expert insight on the Article 120 prosecution of Maj. Blaine McGraw, a Fort Hood Army OB-GYN, specifically on the defense’s decision to waive the preliminary hearing. KXXV-TV interviewed him again in May 2026, following the addition of dozens of charges and alleged victims. With over 270 specifications involving more than 90 alleged victims, it is one of the largest sexual assault prosecutions in recent military history. Mr. Scherer was sought out for analysis of the Article 32 preliminary hearing process, why the accused shouldn’t waive the hearing, and the potential impact of the prosecution adding so many new allegations.
FAQs About Military Cases in Texas
Do training bases have as many courts-martial as operational bases?
No and yes, depending on the stage of training. Cases out of BMT tend to involve trainees, often within the first months of service, and the allegations often relate to Article 92 violations and usually end with the military member being administratively separated. The sexual misconduct allegations that come out of BMT tend to be nut-taps, ass-slaps, dry-humps, and other nonsense that OSTC is eager to defer for a lower disposition. Those cases get prosecuted but not often. OSTC is more eager to prosecute at tech school bases and other training bases, where the members are older, have been in longer, are sometimes pilots, and are being accused of sex crimes. At any of these bases, allegations against permanent-party personnel will be prosecuted the same as at any non-training base.
Are “nut-tap” and “grab-ass” cases at Lackland really sex offenses?
They can be prosecuted as sex offenses, yes. Under Article 120, the same conduct that looks like bros just horsing around can be a registerable sexual offense if the government proves the accused acted with “the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, or degrade.” OSTC doesn’t like these cases and dumps them on the base office for a lower disposition almost every time, but they can still be prosecuted by non-OSTC JAGs even if that happens.
Does Fort Bliss do cases differently because of its proximity to the border?
Mostly when it comes to deciding whether a soldier is ordered into pretrial confinement. A soldier from Fort Bliss can arguably be categorized as a higher flight risk than a soldier at an installation hundreds of miles from an international border, even when there’s no evidence suggesting he might run. Other than that, no. The UCMJ is the same everywhere, and so are the rules of procedure, evidence, and for courts-martial. There will be small differences among regions or services on mostly administrative issues, like formatting a motion, but the substance of military law is the same at Bliss as Great Lakes as on the moon.
Do the smaller training bases handle big courts-martial?
Yes. Big as in serious. Training bases see their share of sexual assault cases and other “covered offense” allegations. Gagne, Scherer & Associates handles cases at Sheppard, Goodfellow, Dyess, and Laughlin.
Does Gagne, Scherer & Associates have a real connection to Texas?
Gagne, Scherer & Associates is a national firm and our attorneys have done courts-martial across Texas for over 20 years, but the firm does not have a brick-and-mortar office there. Even so, Gagne, Scherer & Associates has personal connections to Texas in addition to the history of doing cases there. Mr. Scherer’s mother’s family is from the Fort Worth area, and he trained at Lackland and Goodfellow during his enlisted service.
Experienced Military Lawyer for Court-Martial Defense in Texas
If you are facing a court-martial, administrative separation board, or UCMJ investigation at any installation in Texas, call Gagne, Scherer & Associates at (224) 935-6172. You will speak directly with an experienced military lawyer.