The U.S. Army is taking steps to prepare for the execution of four military death row inmates, should President Donald Trump give the order. This would mark the first time the military has carried out such executions in over half a century. The plan, known as Operation Resolute Justiceinvolves coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer the inmates from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to the federal execution facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The last military execution took place in 1961, when Pvt. John Bennett was put to death for the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl in Austria. Since then, the military has not carried out any executions, despite having inmates on death row. The Army regularly conducts planning exercises for such scenarios, as part of its standard preparation for potential orders from the White House.
The Execution Process and Presidential Approval
The Army’s internal plan directs multiple components to prepare for and facilitate executions no later than 150 days from the date of presidential approval. This includes timelines for check-in meetings and procedures for carrying out the executions. The plan also addresses public communications, including provisions for media access to witness the executions.
While military courts can impose death sentences, presidential approval is required before any execution can proceed. The White House has not responded to requests for comment on whether President Trump intends to approve the execution of any of the military’s death row inmates. The Army has not yet received a specific order from the president regarding these executions.
The Four Death Row Inmates
The four military death row inmates include Ronald Gray, a former specialist and cook for the 82nd Airborne Division based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Gray was convicted in 1988 on 14 charges, including three counts of premeditated murder, attempted murder, and three counts of rape. In July 2008, President George W. Bush approved Gray’s execution, but a federal judge halted the execution until another judge lifted the halt in 2016.
Another inmate is Timothy Hennis, a former master sergeant who worked on parachutes in the 82nd Airborne Division. Hennis was convicted in 1986 in North Carolina state court of raping a woman and murdering her and two of her daughters. The conviction was later overturned for insufficient evidence, and a 1989 retrial ended in an acquittal. Years later, preserved evidence was retested using DNA analysis, prompting renewed scrutiny of the case. Although double jeopardy protections barred another state prosecution, U.S. military prosecutors charged Hennis again, leading to his conviction and death sentence.
The Resurgence of Federal Executions
President Trump has used his second term to revive the federal government’s use of the death penalty. On his first day back in office, he signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to reinstate capital punishment and pursue its use more vigorously. This follows the Biden administration’s pause on federal executions. There were also no federal executions under President Barack Obama, who commuted the death sentence of one military death row inmate, Dwight Loving, to a life sentence without parole.
In April, the Justice Department announced additional steps aimed at speeding the administration of executions, including expanding approved methods such as death by firing squad. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also expressed his commitment to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hassan, who was sentenced to death for the Fort Hood mass shooting in 2009.
