ABC: US Army prepares contingency plan for possible military executions

The U.S. Army has developed an internal plan to prepare for the possible execution of four military inmates on death row, should the president authorize such action, according to a document reviewed by ABC News.

The plan, titled “Operation Resolute Justice” and issued in February, outlines procedures for coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer condemned service members from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to the federal execution facility in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Indiana facility previously carried out federal executions during President Donald Trump’s first term.

If implemented, it would mark the first execution of U.S. military prisoners in more than six decades. The last known military execution took place in 1961, when Pvt. John Bennett was put to death following a court-martial conviction for the rape and attempted murder of a child in Austria.

Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith said the planning is part of routine contingency exercises conducted over many years.

“Exercises regarding this operation have been conducted regularly for the past 20 years,” Smith said, describing them as standard preparation for potential presidential authorization of a death sentence. She added that no execution order has been received.

According to the document, Army units would be required to coordinate logistics and procedures within 150 days of any presidential approval of death sentences, including scheduled check-ins and operational readiness steps.

While military courts can impose capital punishment, executions require final approval from the president before being carried out. The White House did not directly comment on the reported plan, instead referring inquiries back to the Army.

By Sabin Mammadli