Two-star Air Force general found not guilty of sexual assault

Air Force Major General Phillip Stewart was found not guilty of sexual abuse. A military jury acquitted him of the most serious charges at court martial. However, the jury found Stewart guilty on two other charges.

Stewart was sentenced to a reprimand and two months incarceration at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. In addition, Stewart must forgo $10,000 of his monthly salary for six months.

Stewart’s court-martial was the second court-martial of a general in Air Force history and the first to be tried by a jury. Because of Stewart’s own rank, the jury consisted of other two- and three-star generals. The eight-member jury began deliberating on June 28 and returned its verdict just one day later.

Stewart was charged with several counts under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The charges against him included sexual assault, conduct unbecoming an officer, dereliction of duty by flying a training aircraft within 12 hours of consuming alcohol, adultery and having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate officer. Stewart pleaded guilty to the last two last week after previously pleading not guilty to all counts. Earlier this week, Stewart pleaded guilty to less serious charges, including having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate officer and adultery. The two counts of sexually assaulting his subordinates carried the maximum penalty if convicted, up to three decades per count. The jury found him guilty on the other two counts. For the counts he was found guilty of, Stewart faced up to two and a half years in prison.

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The charges stem from events in early 2023. Stewart was accused of having consensual sex with a subordinate in an Oklahoma hotel room on April 13 and 14, 2023, during a business trip to Altus Air Force Base. He was also accused of “taking control of” an Air Force aircraft on April 14, 2023, less than 12 hours after consuming alcohol.

The other charges, including the one he pleaded guilty to earlier this week, date from a period between March and May 2023 when he “failed to refrain from engaging in an unprofessional relationship,” according to court documents. The military jury found Stewart guilty of “conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman” for inviting a female subordinate to stay with him at a hotel during a business trip in Denver in March 2023.

Stewart previously served as commander of the 19th Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. He was relieved of his command in May 2023. The 19th Air Force is responsible for all pilot training in the Air Force. It oversees all of the service’s pilot training at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

Update: 29.06.2024: This story has been updated with Stewart’s sentence.

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