What are the consequences of a court-martial conviction?
First and foremost, a General Court-Martial conviction is the equivalent of a federal civilian felony conviction. However, if the imposed confinement is less than 1-year certain States “may” regard the conviction as a misdemeanor. Even so, unless your court-martial is overturned on appeal, the conviction will likely remain a permanent part of your civilian record. Other potential adverse consequences include, but are not limited to: loss of pay, loss of security clearance, loss of health and educational benefits, loss of retirement eligibility, loss of right to travel abroad, loss of right to vote, loss of right to carry a firearm, and in sexual assault cases, the loss of privacy and the significant social stigma associated with sex offender registration.
