The Articles of the UCMJ are the foundation of U.S. military law. They define who is subject to military law, the rights of service members, the rules for courts-martial, and the specific criminal offenses under military jurisdiction. The UCMJ contains 146 articles, organized into subchapters.
Article 1 Short title, Article 2 Persons subject, Article 3 Jurisdiction, Article 7 Apprehension, Article 15 Non-judicial punishment, Article 16–21 Courts-martial jurisdiction, Article 22–29 Convening and composition of courts-martial, Article 30 Charges and specifications, Article 31 Rights against self-incrimination, Article 32 Preliminary hearing, Article 34 Staff judge advocate advice, Article 35–46 Trial procedures, Article 55–58b Sentences and punishments, Article 77 Principals, Article 80 Attempts, Article 81 Conspiracy, Article 85 Desertion, Article 86 AWOL, Article 88 Contempt toward officials, Article 90 Disobeying superior officer, Article 92 Failure to obey order/regulation, Article 94 Mutiny or sedition, Article 99 Misbehavior before the enemy, Article 104 Aiding the enemy, Article 106 Spies, Article 107 False official statements, Article 108 Damage to military property, Article 111 Drunken or reckless driving, Article 112a Controlled substances, Article 118 Murder, Article 119 Manslaughter, Article 120 Rape and sexual assault, Article 121 Larceny, Article 122 Robbery, Article 126 Arson, Article 128 Assault, Article 133 Conduct unbecoming an officer, Article 134 General article, Article 135 Courts of inquiry, Article 138 Complaints of wrongs, Article 141 Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
UCMJ Article 98: Misconduct as a Prisoner
Capture by an enemy force is not a crime, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice does not punish a service member for being taken prisoner. What the Code does…
UCMJ Article 120a: Mailing Obscene Matter
Most service members never think twice about dropping a letter or package in the mail. Article 120a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice draws a sharp line, however, around…
UCMJ Article 119: Manslaughter
Not every unlawful killing is murder. The law has long recognized that a person can cause another’s death without the premeditation, intent, or extreme indifference that defines the gravest homicides,…
UCMJ Article 87: Jumping From a Vessel Into the Water
At first glance, jumping off a ship into the water might sound like a harmless stunt rather than a crime. Aboard a military vessel, however, an unauthorized jump can trigger…
UCMJ Article 124: Frauds Against the United States
Money flows through the armed forces in a constant stream of claims, vouchers, receipts, and certifications. A travel voucher requests reimbursement. A property receipt confirms that supplies arrived in full….
UCMJ Article 89: Disrespect Toward or Assault of a Superior Commissioned Officer
The relationship between a service member and a superior commissioned officer rests on a baseline of respect and physical safety. Article 89 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice protects…
UCMJ Article 119b: Child Endangerment
A young child depends entirely on the adults responsible for its care, and military law imposes criminal liability when a service member with that responsibility places a child at risk….
UCMJ Article 119a: Death or Injury of an Unborn Child
When a service member’s unlawful act against a pregnant woman also harms the child she is carrying, military law treats that harm as a separate, chargeable wrong. Article 119a of…
UCMJ Article 129: Burglary
For most of its history, burglary in military law carried the old common-law trappings: it had to involve a dwelling house, and it had to happen at night. That is…
UCMJ Article 134: Bigamy
Marriage carries legal and financial consequences in the military, from dependent enrollment to housing allowances, so a service member who marries a second person while a prior marriage remains legally…
UCMJ Article 131: Perjury
The military justice system runs on sworn testimony, and a witness who lies under oath strikes at the reliability of every proceeding that follows. Article 131 of the Uniform Code…
UCMJ Article 112a: Wrongful Use or Possession of Controlled Substances
Few offenses are enforced more consistently across the armed forces than drug misconduct. A positive urinalysis can end a career, and the consequences reach service members on or off duty,…
UCMJ Article 99: Misbehavior Before the Enemy
Military discipline asks the most of service members at the moment it matters most: when the enemy is present and a unit’s survival depends on every member holding firm. Article…
UCMJ Article 105a: False or Unauthorized Pass Offenses
The armed forces depend on accurate control of who may be absent, who may enter a restricted area, and who is who. Passes, permits, discharge certificates, and identification cards are…
UCMJ Article 105: Forgery
Military operations run on paper and its electronic equivalents: leave forms, pay vouchers, contracts, orders, identification cards. When someone falsifies a signature or alters a document so it appears to…
UCMJ Article 96: Releasing a Prisoner Without Authority
Custody is a chain of trust. Once a person is lawfully held as a prisoner, the order to release belongs to lawful authority, and the responsibility to maintain custody belongs…
UCMJ Article 126: Arson
Fire is uniquely dangerous because it does not stay where it is set. A blaze meant for one structure can spread to others, trap occupants, and destroy resources a unit…
UCMJ Article 131d: Wrongful Refusal to Testify
Military justice depends on witnesses who answer when lawfully directed to do so. A service member who is ordered to take the stand or to answer a specific question, and…
UCMJ Article 134: Negligent Discharge of a Firearm
A weapon that fires when it should not, during cleaning, while clearing a chamber, or through a careless trigger pull in a barracks room, can injure or kill even though…
UCMJ Article 107a: Parole Violation
A service member who earns parole from military confinement leaves the disciplinary barracks under a written promise to obey specific conditions. Breaking that promise is itself a criminal offense. Article…
UCMJ Article 134: Dishonorably Failing to Maintain Sufficient Funds
A bounced check is usually a private headache between a person and a bank. In the armed forces it can become a criminal charge, but only when the failure behind…
UCMJ Article 134: Indecent Language
Words can become a court-martial offense when they cross from crude into legally indecent. Under the General Article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a service member who communicates…
UCMJ Article 125: Kidnapping
Kidnapping is among the gravest offenses a service member can face under military law. Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice punishes the unlawful seizing and holding of…