Behind the Scenes at the

Naval Justice School

Navy WINTER 2007
 

?

For more information, contact the Command Master Chief of Naval Legal Service Command at 202-685-5190
 

INSIDE JAG MAGAZINE

12 Not Your “Grandfather’s” 

 Article 6 Inspection 

13 A New Game in Town for Some 

 Lenders Dealing with the Military

15 Reaching Out to Djiboutian Orphans 

14 National Paralegal of the Year

10 IA: Life at Guantanamo Bay 

The Benefits of Becoming a Naval Justice School 

Instructor 

8 Naval Justice School 2008 Course Schedule 

16 “How To” Guide for 

 Litigating Classified 

 Information Cases 

7 Premiere Training at the Naval 

 Justice School Training

18 Navy Judges Lend 

 Expertise to the Court

 of Military Commission 

 Review 
On the Front Cover

JAG

Judge Advocate General

Rear Admiral Bruce MacDonald

Deputy Judge Advocate General,

Commander Naval Legal Service Command

Rear Admiral James W. Houck

Deputy Judge Advocate General

Reserve affairs & operations,

Deputy Commander, Navy Legal service command

Rear Admiral Norton C. Joerg

Command Master Chief,

Office of The judge advocate general ,

Naval Legal Service Command

Master Chief Stephen S. Distefano

Reserve Command Master Chief, 

Naval Legal Service Command

Master Chief Tim Ayoub

Editorial Board

CAPT David Hayes

LCDR Aaron Rugh

LCDR Matthew Beran

LT Chris Ray

LT Anne Marks

LT Christopher Colby

LTJG Tracy Reynolds

Public Affairs Officer

Ms. Jen Zeldis

Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Ms. Natalie Morehouse

JAG Magazine is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Comments are not necessarily 

endorsed by the U.S. Government, DOD, U.S. Navy, or the Judge Advocate General. This magazine is prepared by the 

Public Affairs staff of the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy.

 Contributors may send news and images by e-mail to Ms. Natalie Morehouse at natalie.morehouse@navy.mil or by 

mail to: Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy; 1322 Patterson Avenue, SE, Building 33, Suite 3000; 

Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066. Telephone inquiries should be made to (202) 685-5394.

Regular Columns

Fleet News........................................20

Book Review: Team of Rivals.........24 

JAG Corps Alumni (NEW).............25 

Reserves: Training and Education....26

 

JAG Corps 2020...............................28 

NSPS.................................................30 

Awards..............................................32 

Photos from the Fleet......................35 

LT Dustin Wallace teaches a course at the Naval Justice School. Read more on page 7.

Correction:

In the Jul/Aug edition of the JAG magazine, 

we reported LNCM Marco Ramirez received the 

first Bronze Star awarded to a Navy Legalman. 

This was incorrect. The first Navy Legalman 

to receive the Bronze Star was LNC Stewart 

Damron. LNC Damron received the award for 

meritorious service in combat operations in Iraq 

2003.
BRUCE MacDONALD

Rear Admiral, JAGC, U.S. Navy

Judge Advocate General

5

The Judge Advocate General

Education and training remain a critical focus for the Navy 

JAG Corps. Our vision of a formal paralegal education program 

at the Naval Justice School is now a reality. We currently have 

our third class in session under this new program. In the next 

couple of months, we will begin to announce changes to other 

education and training programs, including our post-graduate 

education program. We are constantly reevaluating all the 

courses at the Naval Justice School and all other educational 

opportunities to ensure they are meeting the needs of our legal 

community. In this edition of the JAG Magazine, we focus on 

the JAG Corps’ current training and education endeavors.

In our lead story, CAPT Charlotte Wise explores the 

educational strategy for the Naval Justice School, and LT Dustin 

Wallace shares his perspective as a NJS instructor. The Naval 

Justice School is an incredible asset for our Corps and has been 

heavily involved with the transformation of our professional 

development.

Also in this issue, CDR Pete Schmid, from OJAG Code 17 

(National Security Litigation and Intelligence Law), gives a 

primer on their new “Guide to Litigating Classified Information 

Cases.” This is a great example of how the legal specialists 

in the OJAG headquarters are available to help with difficult 

issues or cases that come up in the Fleet. This guide provides 

a baseline for classified information cases as well as contact 

information for the Code 17 experts.

LT Jason Jones’ article on the Court of Military Commission 

Review explains the court’s make-up and its current issues. 

The Navy JAG Corps is playing a huge role in this historic 

court and its cases are important for every member of the JAG 

Corps. 

We continue our coverage on Individual Augmentees (IAs). 

In this edition, CDR Dan Jones, a JAG reservist, shares his IA 

experience in - “Life at Guantanamo Bay.” This is the fourth 

in the IA series, which highlights the diversity of missions 

involving members of the JAG Corps. MC1 Mary Popjoy of 

CJTF-HOA also provides a touching and vivid article about 

the mentorship and educational training in the Horn of Africa. 

She writes about the women of Camp Lemonier, including our 

own LN1 Nita Fay Holliday, commitment to helping the local 

community.

Article 6 Inspections also have taken on a new element of 

training as Mr. Joe Scranton explains in his article about the 

new Article 6 Inspections. Through the hard work of Joe and 

the SAT team, these new inspections provide tools and 

feedback to our commanding officers so we constantly 

improve as a community. 

This forum is a great opportunity to share and 

communicate across our Corps. In the last few months, we 

have created new sections to meet our community’s diverse 

needs. In this issue, we are adding a section dedicated to the 

alumni of the JAG community. I greatly value our alumni for 

their wealth of knowledge and experience and look forward to 

reading about the great things they are doing in their post-JAG 

Corps careers. 

As always, I truly am interested in your feedback and 

greatly value your thoughts and suggestions regarding the JAG 

Magazine. RADM Houck, RADM Joerg and I could not be 

more proud of you and your many accomplishments. Thank 

you for all that you do each day.
6

Deputy Judge Advocate General for Reserve Affairs and Operations

NORTON C. JOERG

Rear Admiral, JAGC, U.S. Navy

Deputy Judge Advocate General for 

Reserve Affairs and Operations

Training is a word long associated with the Reserve 

Component. In the Cold War years during which the 

component was a strategic reserve, virtually everything we did was classified as training – training for the 

potential that the Cold War would turn hot, and our country 

would need its reservists on a massive scale to counter the 

threat. 

 This point of view was evident in the names of the various ways in which reservists served: annual training (AT), 

active duty for training (ADT), inactive duty training (IDT, 

or drills), and inactive duty training travel (IDTT). The key 

word was training, to be used “for real” later, if and when 

the proverbial “balloon went up.” We are no longer solely a 

strategic reserve. We are an operational reserve, providing 

support real time as an integrated part of the Total Force. 

I emphasize that this shift has occurred “in fact” because 

it has not fully occurred “in law.” The statutes and regulations that authorize and guide how we do business have 

not yet changed to reflect fully the new reality. This makes 

life interesting for us all in terms of making old systems 

and mind-sets work for what is largely a new paradigm of 

service. We are still a strategic reserve, to be sure, but the 

immediate call upon our time and skills is in the realm of 

meeting today’s mission.

This shift provides much for us to consider and discuss. 

One thing has not changed though, training has a continued 

presence in our reserve lexicon. One important reason for 

this is the fact that the Reserve Component provides support 

via our knowledge and intellectual capital. We have always 

trained in very large measure by doing. As a result, even 

before the paradigm shift from a Reserve that was primarily 

strategic to a Reserve that is predominantly operational, we 

were integrated with our active component counterparts in 

all mission areas. 

A second key reason that training remains paramount is 

that, to be operational, we must be efficient and effective 

now. We must be more agile than ever, and training makes 

us so. We must be prepared to do the job across a variety of 

missions on short notice. 

A third key reason that training is central to our mission 

is that we possess many valuable, and sometimes rare, skills, 

knowledge, and experience in both the officer and enlisted 

ranks, with which we can train and mentor our active 

component counterparts.

Our challenge now is to build upon our past successes 

while focusing on our emergent needs for better agility, 

stronger integration as trainers and mentors, and our capacity 

to deliver specialized skills to augment the capabilities of the 

larger JAG Corps community. 
7

Premiere Training at NJS

By CAPT Charlotte Wise

Commanding Officer, Naval Justice School

Naval Justice School (NJS), the oldest of the three JAG 

schools, began in Port Hueneme, Calif., in 1942 and 

relocated to Newport, R.I., in 1950. 

The NJS mission is to train the sea service (Navy, Marine 

Corps, and Coast Guard) judge advocates, limited duty officers, enlisted and civilian legal professionals to deliver quality legal services, promote justice, and enhance sea service 

readiness. A secondary mission is to train sea service leaders 

to perform their duties under U.S. military and international 

law.

The formal paralegal education program has had extraordinary success with the implementation of the revised Legalman (LN) Accession Course held by NJS in conjunction with 

Roger Williams Law School. The course provides graduates 

10 ABA-approved college credits towards a paralegal degree. 

NJS graduated the first class of 10 LNs in June under this program. The latest class of 15 LNs graduated Dec. 14. 

To increase legal proficiency through low-cost training, 

NJS, with assistance from Naval Education and Training 

Command and the Center for Service Support, is developing 

a Distance Learning program that will bring critical training 

to personnel throughout the world. 

 Expect more training to become available as NJS Distance Learning modules become a staple of JAG Corps training in the near future. 

By LT Dustin Wallace

Naval Justice School

I

f you are seeking a billet that offers 

unparalleled professional growth 

and development, there is simply no 

better place to be than the Naval Justice 

School (NJS). As a NJS instructor since 

July 2005, I have had the privilege of 

both teaching and learning from the best 

and the brightest from all communities. 

Walking through the halls of NJS on 

any given day, I see judge advocates 

and paralegals of all ranks learning 

and discussing a wide variety of topics 

to include military justice, civil law, 

operational law, and legal research and 

writing. The knowledge, wisdom, and 

intellectual curiosity of our students 

and instructors challenges me on a 

daily basis to expand my professional 

horizons and to enhance my skills as a 

judge advocate and naval officer. 

During my tenure at NJS, I have 

had the distinct privilege of serving as 

an Individual Augmentee (IA) to Task 

Force 134 in Iraq. I’ve also assisted in 

the development and implementation 

of NJS’s Iraq Predeployment Legal 

Training Course, designed to provide 

timely and relevant training to our 

IAs deploying to Iraq. Being an NJS 

instructor has provided me the unique 

opportunity to participate in the 

creation of a new and dynamic training 

program tailored to meet the needs of 

judge advocates and paralegals who 

have volunteered to deploy in harm’s 

way. As the center of legal training 

for the sea services, NJS has afforded 

me the opportunity to meet, train, and 

learn from these exceptional men and 

women who are making great sacrifices 

to serve as IAs.

Although training judge advocates 

and paralegals is a core mission of NJS, 

we also give excellent instruction and 

support to the Navy’s line, staff, and 

enlisted communities. Specifically, as 

a NJS instructor, I have been honored 

to speak to students at the Naval War 

College, Surface Warfare Officer’s 

School, Officer Development School 

(formerly OIS), and the Senior Enlisted 

Academy. 

Importantly, NJS not only reaches 

out to the many Navy communities but 

The Benefits of Becoming a Naval Justice School Instructor

also to our sister services. I have had the 

chance to give and receive training at both 

the Army JAG School and the Air Force 

JAG School. Although in many respects 

I often believe that I learned more from 

these groups than they learned from me, 

the most important aspect of this training 

is the positive interaction among judge 

advocates of all services and ranks. This 

cooperative effort – which is a hallmark 

of NJS – has enhanced my personal and 

professional development and has made 

me a more well-rounded and effective 

judge advocate. 

The NJS environment, characterized 

by a constant flow of the military’s finest 

leaders, fosters a pervasive spirit of 

education, patriotism, and camaraderie. 

The wealth of learning experiences at 

NJS, from listening to a U.S. Attorney 

train students on how to prosecute 

complex cases to running “Pain Before 

Breakfast” with both judge advocate 

and paralegal accessions, is simply 

second to none. Therefore, if you are 

interested in a job that is professionally 

rewarding, intellectually stimulating, 

and physically demanding, then NJS is 

the place for you. 
 New 15 class in 

session

FISCAL YEAR 2008

Naval Justice School Course Schedule

Basic Lawyer Course: 2 JUN-1 AUG, 4 AUG-3 OCT

Basic Operational Law Training: 24-28 MAR, 4-8 AUG

Basic Operational Law Training (USMC): 4-8 AUG

Computer Crimes:19-23 MAY

Defending Complex Cases: 18-22 AUG

Defense Trial Training: 12-16 MAY

Estate Planning: 8-12 SEPT

European Command Continuing Legal Education: 28-29 APR

Family Law/Consumer Law: 31 MAR-4 APR

Iraq Predeployment Legal Training: 7-11 JAN, 7-10 APR, 7-10 JUL

Joint Operational Legal Training: 21-24 JUL

Law of Military Operations: 9-20 JUN

Law of Naval Operations: 3-7 MAR, 15-19 SEPT

Legal Tech USCG: 8-19 SEPT

Legalman Accession Course: 22 JAN-4 APR, 9 JUN-22 AUG

Legal Assistance for Paralegals: 31 MAR-5 APR

Legal Scopist Course: 27 AUG-6 NOV, 17 MAR-23 MAY, 25 AUG-7 NOV

Legal Specialist Course: 14 JAN-14 MAR, 7 APR-6 JUN, 23 JUN-22 AUG, 12 SEPT-14 NOV

Litigating National Security Cases (Andrews AFB): 29 APR-1 MAY

LN/Legal Specialist Mid-Career: 5-16 MAY

Paralegal Research & Writing: 21 APR-2 MAY

Prosecuting Complex Cases: 11-15 AUG

Reserve Lawyer: 10-14 MAR, 22-26 SEPT

Reserve LN Phase I: 21 APR-2 MAY

Reserve LN Phase II: 5-16 MAY

Reserve LN Phase III: 19-30 MAY

Senior Officers Leadership Training: 14-25 JUL

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Naples): 28-30 APR

Senior Officer Course: 10-14 MAR, 5-9 MAY, 9-13 JUN, 21-25 JUL, 22-26 SEPT. 18-22 AUG

Senior Officer Course (Pensacola): 3-7 MAR, 14-18 APR, 9-13 JUN, 14-18 JUL, 11-15 AUG

Senior Officer Course (Naples): 28 APR-2 MAY

Senior Officer Course (Quantico): 16-20 JUN

Senior Officer Course (Lejeune): 23-27 JUN

Senior Legalman: 18-22 AUG

Staff Judge Advocate: 12-16 MAY, 28 JUL-6 AUG

Check out the NJS Training 

Newsletter!

The newsletter is a great way 

to learn about upcoming training 

events offered at NJS. You can 

also see a list of all the Regional 

Training Authorities, and read 

articles of professional interest. 

Go to the NJS page on NKO, and 

look for the NJS Library. You 

will find the newsletter under 

publications.

8
FISCAL YEAR 2008

Naval Justice School Course Schedule

Norfolk Detachment

San Diego Detachment

Advanced Staff Judge Advocate / Ethics: 21-25 APR

Effective Courtroom Communication: 29 OCT-2 NOV 

Legal Clerk: 10-21 MAR, 21 APR-2 MAY, 7-18 JULY, 8-19 SEPT.

Legal Officer: 28 JAN-15 FEB, 10-28 MAR, 28 APR-16 MAY, 2-20 JUN, 7- 25 JUL, 8 SEP-26 SEPT

Paralegal Research & Writing: 16-27 JUN 

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course: 20-22 FEB, 31 MAR-2 APR., 19-21 MAY, 2-4 SEPT

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Jacksonville, FL): 7-9 JAN

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Millington): 4-6 AUG

Staff Judge Advocate LN: 12-23 MAY

Senior Officer Course: 25-29 FEB, 7-11 APR, 23-27 JUN, 25-29 AUG

Senior Officer Course (Jacksonville, FL): 7-11 JAN

Senior Officer Course (Millington): 4-8 AUG

Advanced Staff Judge Advocate / Ethics: 24-28 MAR

Continuing Legal Education (PACOM Yokosuka): 14-15 FEB

Continuing Legal Education (Naples): 28 - 29 APR

Effective Courtroom Communication: 28 JAN-1 FEB

Legal Clerk: 31 MAR-11 APR, 5-16 MAY, 9-20 JUN, 28 JUL-8 AUG, 8-19 SEPT

Legal Officer: 7-25 JAN, 25 FEB-14 MAR, 5-23 MAY, 9-27 JUN, 28 JUL-15 AUG, 8-26 SEPT

Paralegal Research & Writing: 14-25 JUL

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course: 18-20 MAR, 22-24 APR, 8-10 JUL

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Yokosuka): 11-13 FEB

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Okinawa): 4-6 FEB

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Bremerton): 14-16 APR

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Pendleton): 25-27 AUG

SJA LN: 25 FEB-7 MAR

Senior Officer Course: 31 MAR-4 APR, 28 APR-2 MAY, 2-6 JUN

Senior Officer Course (Yokosuka): 11-15 FEB

Senior Officer Course (Okinawa): 4-8 FEB

Senior Officer Course (Bremerton): 14-18 APR

Senior Officer Course (Pendleton): 25-29 AUG

9

Dates and courses may 

change. Go to NKO or 

the NJS page on 

www.jag.navy.mil 

for current offerings.
10

IA: Life at Guantanamo Bay

For those of you unfamiliar with 

Guantanamo Bay (GTMO), 

it is the oldest overseas U.S. 

military installation (since 1903) and 

the only one located within a country 

with which the United States does not 

maintain diplomatic relations. 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTFGTMO) is a subordinate command 

of SOUTHCOM. Our mission is to 

conduct safe and humane care and 

custody of detained enemy combatants, 

as well as conduct intelligence 

operations to collect strategic 

intelligence in support of the Global 

War on Terrorism. Our operations 

are conducted ethically, legally, and 

transparently. The JTF-GTMO Staff 

Judge Advocate (SJA) Office plays 

an integral role in ensuring that this 

mission statement is followed in every 

respect, every day.

At the present time, JTF-GTMO is 

commanded by RDML Mark Busby, 

with BGEN Cameron Crawford as 

Deputy. It is truly a “purple” command 

with active duty and reservists from 

the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, 

Coast Guard, and the National Guard, 

all playing integral roles in mission 

accomplishment.

Our joint environment is full of 

acronyms and adjectives from the 

other services that most folks have 

never heard. Don’t know what an 

AR 15-6 is? How about a 5x8? Any 

idea what OMC, CSRT, ARB, CITF, 

ELC, DMO, ISN, JDG, JMG, JIG, 

HHC, ICRC, JOC, DOC, and JVB 

mean? Don’t worry, because by the 

end of your tour here, you will know 

these acronyms and many more.

We are one of the largest Navy-led 

SJA offices in the world. We have 

seven full-time attorneys and ten 

enlisted personnel. Reservists and 

active duty personnel routinely travel 

here to supplement our staff and mission. We have a morning meeting 

each day to adjust fire, cool down the 

hottest fires, and allocate resources in 

the direction most needed. Our office 

consists of six officers (three Navy, 

one Air Force, and two Army) and 

one Puerto Rico National Guardsman. We also have two Legalmen, 

one Air Force Law Office Superintendent, four Army paralegals and three 

Navy enlisted members who serve as 

full-time Habeas Counsel Escorts. 

CAPT Patrick McCarthy has been 

leading our team since May 2006 

and will continue to do so until next 

summer. I am the Deputy SJA and 

a reservist as an Individual Augmentee (IA) for a one- year tour. CDR 

Thomas Fichter, a New Jersey prosecutor, is also a reservist and here 

on a six month tour as an Assistant 

SJA. Our Legalmen are LN1 Christopher Holt, liaison to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 

and LN1 James Richardson, who acts 

as the military justice officer.

Every few weeks, a new lieutenant 

or lieutenant junior grade arrives 

from Region Legal Service Office 

Southeast (RLSO SE) to supplement 

our staff. They’re here for a week or 

two, where they provide invaluable 

and greatly appreciated assistance on 

short-fused taskers and assignments, 

while getting a taste of life behindthe-wire on GTMO. We could not 

do our job nearly as well without the 

support of RLSO SE.

When personnel have been identified 

and are in the pipeline to come here, 

they often ask, “How can I prepare for 

GTMO?” There is no simple answer. 

The SJA office is a high-speed, lowdrag operation. The only advice I can 

give is to be ready to hit the ground 

running and stay flexible – you never 

know what the next legal issue du jour

will be. While Soldiers and Sailors 

are trained in warfare, members of the 

GTMO SJA office get a crash course 

in “lawfare.” 

We operate in a transparent envi- A typical hearing room in Guantanamo Bay.

By CDR Daniel Jones

Deputy SJA Joint Task Force Guantanamo
11

 A Guantanamo Bay guard tower at sunset.

on the guard force. 

While GTMO is 

a fully functioning 

Naval Station with 

all the normal amenities, life in GTMO 

is an adjustment. For 

example, the car rental 

agency is also the 

island’s dry cleaner. 

Intentionally run over 

an iguana and you’ll 

get fined $10,000. 

The speed limit is 

25 mph and strictly 

enforced, although 

traffic jams are non-existent. Other 

than the occasional pesky hurricane, 

the weather is hot, hot, and hot. Keep 

an eye out for iguanas, banana rats, 

land crabs, and turkey vultures!

Housing is also an interesting topic 

here. Get used to a loss of privacy and 

the idea of having a roommate, several in fact. Just hearken back to your 

childhood and/or college days when 

you shared everything, labeled your 

food with your initials, and waited in 

line to use the bathroom.

Like most deployed environments, 

the daily routine revolves around the 

galley. The chow here is probably 

the best I’ve had and a mainstay of 

each day’s activities. A surf and turf 

and special birthday meal are served 

ronment under the watchful eyes of 

the counsel for detainees, the media, 

Congress, and a myriad other nongovernmental entities. What happens 

here in the morning is in the newspapers the next day or on the evening 

news that night. 

Friends, family, and other attorneys 

routinely ask, “What do you do in 

GTMO?” The better question is, 

“What don’t we do here?” Each 

day we deal with international 

law, operational law, military 

justice, FOIA, intelligence law, 

detainee medical treatment, the law 

relating to hunger strikers, enteral 

feeding, detainee abuse allegation 

investigations, habeas litigation and 

support, the Military Commissions 

Act, and the Detainee Treatment Act.

We also liaise with the International 

Committee of the Red Cross, Migrant 

Operations, and Detainee Movement 

Operations. Some SJA offices dabble 

in these areas of the law, but we are 

engaged in these issues on a daily 

basis. Our office supports litigation 

pending in the U.S. District, U.S. Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Courts.

 Our office interacts with detainees 

on a daily basis. From notifications of 

Combatant Status Review to encouraging detainees to meet with their attorneys, everyone from the SJA office 

goes onto the pods and tiers each day. 

Our office conducts investigations, 

answers taskers, monitors interrogations, screens detainee material, delivers mail and legal correspondence, 

escorts civilian and military counsel 

into meetings, and ensures that detention operations are conducted safely, 

humanely, and consistent with international law. Before your tour is over, 

you will have been face to face with 

hundreds of detainees.

Is it dangerous? You bet. While 

we are certainly below the line of 

fire, we do house some of the most 

dangerous terrorists in the world. 

Detainees regularly commit assaults The USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) pierside at Guantanamo Bay.

at least once a month. By the end 

of your tour in GTMO you’ll either 

weigh 300 pounds or be able to bench 

press 300 pounds. Nevertheless, you 

can look forward to a farewell BBQ 

and presentation of the highly coveted 

GTMO Bar Association Certificate. 

At the end of the day, many people 

wonder whether they are making a 

difference in the world. In GTMO, 

nobody in the SJA office (or at 

JTF for that matter) has to wonder 

whether they’re making a difference. 

We can see the result of our efforts 

and routinely hear from the hundreds 

of visitors that tour our facilities that 

they are grateful and thankful that 

we are here doing this extremely 

difficult job.
12

Not Your “Grandfather’s” 

Article 6 Inspection

By Joe Scranton

Inspector General 

As you may have heard or perhaps experienced over the 

past several months, the Judge Advocate General’s 

Corps is changing the Article 6, UCMJ inspection process of our legal offices, and is looking to expand such assessments beyond Naval Legal Service Command, to other JAG 

legal community units, including SJA offices. 

In the past, a group of six to eight inspectors, comprised of 

subject matter experts (SMEs) and headed by the JAG Inspector 

General, descended upon one of the 18 commands within Naval 

Legal Service Command. They completed 80 pages worth of 

questions from COMNAVLEGSVCCOM 5040.1C “Command 

Inspection” directive. At the end of such triennial concentration of effort, flurry of activity, and wet ink on new command 

directives, the inspectors provided the NLSC Commander and 

the command an on-site, broad scope, written assessment of 

the state of the command. In the debrief session, the inspection 

team would address their findings of satisfactory, unsatisfactory, 

or “meritorious” findings pertaining to various items including 

command climate, leadership, military justice, command services, claims, legal assistance, budget, information technology, 

office administration, personnel, physical fitness, training, and 

facility issues, including physical plant, safety and security. 

Later at headquarters, any findings from the on-site inspection that required action at the field or headquarters level were 

entered into a matrix spreadsheet and tracked. Action was taken 

on many of the findings and some of the processes and procedures were shared with other units. Some of the “action items” 

languished, were not fully completed, or were overcome by 

events (such as re-organizations), only to be “discovered” three 

years later during the next inspection cycle. 

Times have changed. New technology, established reporting programs, and the use of new interactive systems allow the 

Judge Advocate General, the Commander, Naval Legal Service 

Command, and the field legal offices to be better informed, 

resulting in ever better and more timely decisions and courses of 

action. We are able to “see” and identify needs, issues, and best 

practices, quicker, easier, and with more granularity than ever 

before. Such capability is going to get even better. Not only 

do we have the strategic view to guide us, we will have (and 

in some cases, already have) the “dashboard” view allowing us 

to stay on course, and make quick 

adjustments based on objective 

real time data. 

This improved information flow 

means big changes for the ways 

in which Article 6 inspections are 

conducted. 

It should be noted that there still 

exists an Article 6, UCMJ requirement for “the Judge Advocate General, or senior members of his staff to 

make frequent inspection in the field 

in supervision of military justice.” 

However, even though inspections 

are still required, it doesn’t mean we have 

to keep doing them in the same way. From February through 

October 2007, with the help and input of NLSC field units and 

SJAs, the JAG Inspector General traveled to five different legal 

units for the purpose of assessing potential inspection focuses. 

We made use of a set of inspection guidelines for Naval Legal 

Service Offices and Region Legal Service Offices consisting of 

six to eight pages vice the previous 80 page checklist used over 

the previous decade. Suggestions and recommendations from 

each unit inspected were used to further refine and improve the 

assessment process of the next unit inspected.

From the five inspections conducted thus far, it seems clear 

that the Article 6 inspection process of the past, with focus on 

multiple checklists and SME inspectors, is evolving into an 

overall legal office assessment, making use of much more objective data than in the past, with focus on the unit’s performance 

and accomplishments in the four JAG Corps Core Capabilities, which are Operations, Accountability, Sailor Legal Readiness, and Navy Legal Readiness. The inspections also include 

an assessment of the over-arching quality of leadership within 

each legal unit. Information is derived from the Courts-Martial Tracking Information System (CMTIS), iBETS, leadership 

surveys, client satisfaction surveys, command self assessments, 

plus data provided to headquarters in regular, existing reports, 

and from the on-site inspection of the unit, including interviews 

of staff, commands served, and individual clients. 

Assessments of NLSC commands will normally be done on 

an annual basis with SJA offices being assessed regularly, but 

less frequently.
13

A New Game in Town for Some 

Lenders Dealing with the Military

By CAPT Michael Roys

CIVLAWSUPACT 108

Lenders continued page 14

Effective Oct. 1, there is a new set of notice requirements 

and interest limitations for certain lenders providing 

credit to military members and their family members. 

These new requirements are based on regulations promulgated 

by DoD (in 32 CFR §232) under authority granted by Congress 

in the 2007 Defense Authorization Act (10 USC 987; Public 

Law 109-364, Section 670). The regulations’ 

intent is to restrict and discourage the use of 

certain types of short-term, high-interest loans, 

also known as “predatory loans,” to ensure 

servicemembers are advised of alternative 

sources of lending that are often less expensive, 

and to limit the maximum annual percentage 

rate charged to military members.

There are three types of loans covered by 

the new regulations.

1. Payday loans are closed-end loans (rather 

than installment or revolving credit accounts) 

with a term that lasts 91 days or less and with an amount loaned 

that does not exceed $2,000. Typically, the covered borrower 

has to either be charged interest or a fee, and: (a) his/her check 

is provided to the loaning party and they agree to hold it for at 

least one day prior to seeking to negotiate the check for payment, 

or (b) the payment arrangement is an authorized debit or debits 

from the borrower’s account after one or more days.

2. Vehicle title loans are closed-end loans with a term of 181 

days or less secured by the title to a motor vehicle registered for 

use on public roads and owned by the borrower. Loans made to 

purchase or lease a motor vehicle where the credit provided is 

secured by the vehicle are not covered.

3. Tax refund anticipation loans are closed-end loans where 

the borrower grants the creditor the right to receive all or part of 

his/her income tax refund, or agrees to repay the loan with the 

proceeds of a tax refund.

The new regulations apply only to those who are “covered 

borrowers” at the time of the loan. “Covered borrowers” 

includes all active duty servicemembers, including reservists 

on active duty for 30 or more days, and their spouses, children 

and any other person for whom the member provided over fifty 

percent of their support in the 180 days prior to the loan or the 

granting of consumer credit. For covered borrowers and lenders 

providing credit meeting the credit criteria noted above, there 

are several key requirements mandated by the new regulations.

The maximum interest rate for covered borrowers is limited 

to 36% per year based on the Military Annual Percentage Rate 

(MAPR). The MAPR, unlike the well known Annual Percentage 

Rate quoted as part of the loan process under the Truth in 

Lending Act, covers not only the annual interest rate being 

charged, but also credit service charges, credit renewal charges, 

credit insurance premiums and other fees associated with the 

granting of the loan. It does not include fees for subsequent late 

payments, taxes, or fees mandated by law. For 

example, assume a Sailor obtains a payday loan 

of $200 for five days, which comes with a ten 

percent interest charge and a ten dollar handling 

fee. The Sailor would owe the lender a total of 

$230. The interest and fee work out to 15% for 

five days, or MAPR of approximately 1,095%. 

This percentage rate greatly exceeds the 36% 

cap, and would be void at its inception under the 

regulations. However, a 36% MAPR would be 

permissible, which works out to about 98 cents 

for a five day loan of $200.

Covered lenders, in addition to providing the MAPR 

information, must also provide servicemembers the total 

amount of all charges, a payment schedule, and the following 

statement both in writing and orally:

Federal law provides important protections to 

regular or reserve members of the Army, Navy, 

Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard, serving on 

active duty under a call or order that does not specify 

a period of 30 days or fewer, and their dependents. 

Members of the Armed Forces and their dependents 

may be able to obtain financial assistance from 

Army Emergency Relief, Navy and Marine Corps 

Relief Society, the Air Force Aid Society, or Coast 

Guard Mutual Aid. Members of the Armed Forces 

and their dependents may request free legal advice 

regarding an application for credit from a service 

legal assistance office or financial counseling from 

a consumer credit counselor.

The lender must also identify whether a borrower is a 

“covered borrower” whose loan is subject to the previously 

noted requirements. This identification is done by use of a 

borrower’s identification declaration, where the borrower signs 
14

Legalman, National 

Paralegal of the Year

By Natalie Morehouse

Public Affairs Officer

LN1 Marcelo A. Carrillo was chosen as the Paralegal of the 

Year by the National Federation of Paralegal Association 

(NFPA) for his work while 

stationed at Naval Legal 

Service Office Southwest 

(NLSO SW), San Diego, 

Calif. He was honored by 

NFPA for his dedication to duty and his paralegal training 

program at the NFPA annual conference in Tampa, Fla., 

Oct. 20. 

“It’s a great feeling to know that our peers and superiors 

recognize and appreciate the work we do in the Fleet; it’s 

an even greater feeling knowing that they believe we are 

capable of holding our own and being recognized amongst 

our civilian counterparts,” said LN1 Carrillo.

LN1 Carrillo, an honor graduate of the Naval Justice 

School with 14 years of formal civilian education and an 

Associate’s Degree in Computer-Aided Drafting, is currently assigned to USS BOXER.

“Being nominated for the NFPAs Paralegal of the Year 

is an honor in itself, but to be selected as the Paralegal of 

the Year in the presence of my fellow Legalman, I mean, 

what a blessing! I recall my name being announced as the 

recipient of the award but as I walked towards the stage, 

I was at a loss for words. I thought to myself, how did I 

end up here? I’m honored to have been given the opportunity not only to represent our outstanding Judge Advocate 

General Corps/Legalman team but the United States Navy! 

I owe a lot to those who have taken the time out of their 

personal and professional lives, to guide, lead, mentor, and 

support me during my past eight years in the Navy. If it 

wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Life in 

the Navy as Legalman has been good, I couldn’t imagine 

doing anything else,” said LN1 Carrillo. 

Among his many accomplishments, LN1 Carrillo 

recently returned from voluntary service in Iraq. While 

there, his courage and leadership skills were recognized 

by senior leadership. Upon his return from Iraq, he was 

personally invited by the Judge Advocate General of the 

Paralegal of the year continued page 21

under the status that applies to him/her (servicemember, 

dependent, not a servicemember). For those noting they 

are an active duty servicemember or dependent, the lender 

can ask to see a military identification card. In the case of 

members who are reservists or with the national guard on 

extended (30 or more days) active duty, the lender can ask 

for a copy of their orders.

Other restrictions on covered borrower loans include 

prohibitions on provisions waiving the Servicemembers 

Civil Relief Act coverage, requiring arbitration for disputes, 

or requiring an allotment as a condition of granting credit. 

Moreover, the regulations make it clear that the provisions 

preempt any conflicting Federal or State laws or regulations, 

including any state usury laws, so as to avoid any claim of 

State pre-emptive coverage. However to the extent that 

any such laws or regulations provide greater protection 

to a “covered borrower” than the new regulations, those 

provisions are unaffected.

There are several remedies for lender non-compliance. 

As previously discussed, loans that exceed the MAPR of 36 

percent per year are void, which means the lender cannot 

collect on them. Non-compliance with the regulations is 

also a misdemeanor. Since much regulation of this part 

of the credit industry is a state function, reports of noncompliance should be reported to applicable state regulating 

entities and state consumer affairs offices.

In addition to trying to restrict predatory lending 

practices, there is a push within DoD to educate 

servicemembers about the need for having an “emergency” 

savings account and to advise members of more reasonably 

priced borrowing options. DoD is working with the service 

relief organizations, banks, and other lending institutions to 

encourage them to make available small dollar, short-term 

loans to servicemembers at reasonable interest rates.

The impact of the new regulations is already showing 

up in reports of covered lenders indicating they will no 

longer provide covered loans to military members given 

the interest rate restrictions. The availability of such loans 

may dry up as covered lenders realize they can no longer 

charge servicemembers the “going” interest rates for such 

loans. While this may solve a portion of the predatory 

lending problem, it will not reduce the need for some 

servicemembers to learn responsible financial management 

so the next unexpected car repair or broken appliance does 

not result in the need for a short-term, high-interest loan. 

If you or a servicemember seeking assistance is in need 

of financial planning or credit management assistance, 

Family Service Centers have counselors who are trained 

in this area.

Lenders continued from page 13
15

U.S. military women attached 

to Combined Joint Task 

Force-Horn of Africa (CJTFHOA) visited the girls’ orphanage in 

Djibouti City, Djibouti, Aug. 15.

During the visit, the servicemembers taught the female students the 

Alphabet Song, how to count to 10, 

how to say and spell certain words, 

and how to introduce themselves in 

English.

“For young people especially, 

pronouncing the words and having 

someone correct you immediately 

one on one helps them better understand how to say the words, vice 

thinking they are saying it correctly 

when learning new words on their 

own,” said Chaplain (Lt.Col.) Oledia 

Bell, CJTF-HOA deputy command 

chaplain. “This type of teaching 

technique helps them to speak more 

clearly and become more comfortable speaking English to not only us, 

but also to those they interact with 

throughout the day.”

Being able to help Djiboutian 

women expand their vocabulary and 

improve their conversational English 

helps both the students and teachers 

learn more about each other.

“The group is an opportunity for 

the young Djiboutian women to see 

American women as caring, compassionate and kind individuals who 

enjoy sharing their culture and language,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jessica Palmer, chief enlisted manager 

of 449th Air Expeditionary Group. 

“Each night, as I leave the orphanage, 

I have a smile on my face and warmth 

in my heart because I’ve just spent a 

little time with the girls and sang a 

few songs about ‘My ABCs.’”

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Angela McLane, 

CJTF-HOA Combat Camera, enjoyed 

the energy from the women because 

they have a strong desire to become 

fluent in English.

“These women are very smart. 

They caught on really quickly and 

were eager to learn more words,” 

said McLane. “I really like seeing 

their eyes light up when they get the 

correct answer.”

Legalman 1st Class (SW/AW) 

Nita Fay Holliday, noncommissioned 

officer in charge of CJTF-HOA Staff 

Judge Advocate’s office, enjoyed the 

experience as well because of how 

happy the girls were to see the U.S. 

military women sharing valuable life 

skills with them.

By MC1 Mary Popejoy 

CJTF-HOA Public Affairs

“The smiles on their faces make 

it completely worth it,” said Holliday. “It is great to see these young 

women smile when they know they 

got a letter, number, or word right. 

One smile can make a difference.”

At the end of the night, smiles 

were on everyone’s faces, friendships were made, and the Djiboutian 

women got to see first-hand the quality of the individuals who take part in 

programs such as this.

“On our sign-in sheet for the students, we have the CJTF-HOA mission statement because we want 

all of the [Djiboutian] ladies to be 

reminded that every time they see 

us we represent America at its best, 

volunteering, and caring about our 

neighbors,” said Bell.

LN1 Nita Fay Holliday of JTF-HOA tutoring children at a Djiboutian orphanage.

Reaching out to Djiboutian Orphans
16

How To Guide for Litigating 

Classified Information Cases

By CDR Pete Schmid

National Security Litigation (Code 17)

The Office of the Judge Advocate General National 

Security Litigation and Intelligence Law Division 

(Code 17) recently published the second edition 

of the “Handbook for Litigating Classified Information 

Cases.” The second edition builds on the first edition 

published in August 2002 and replaces the “Prosecuting 

National Security Cases: A Handbook for Trial Counsel” published by the former Special Programs Division 

(Code 11) in 1994.

 The handbook is a pillar of Code 17’s effort to ensure 

that all judge advocates understand the unique procedures 

and processes applicable to a court-martial involving 

classified information. This need for educational support was one of the factors that led to the establishment 

of Code 17. Former Judge Advocate General, RADM 

Donald Guter, established Code 17 in 2001, shortly after 

the King Commission Report cited the disestablishment 

of Code 11 as one of the factors contributing to the unsuccessful prosecution of Cryptologic Technician Collection 

1st Class Daniel M. King.1

 The King National Security 

Case Commission Report is accessible at Code 17’s Navy 

Knowledge Online (NKO) site. 

Several broad themes make the second edition significantly different from previous handbooks. First, and perhaps most importantly, the new handbook is much more 

than a “handbook for trial counsel.” The handbook is written for staff judge advocates, trial and defense counsel, 

Article 32 investigating officers, military judges, investigation security officers, and court security officers. 

Second, since the release of the first edition, the 

Navy has successfully litigated two designated National 

Security Cases, the first cases since King. One of those 

cases involved espionage on behalf of a foreign power 

and ended in a guilty plea. The other involved a willful 

compromise of classified information to an unauthorized 

representative of a non-governmental organization and 

ended in a conviction following trial before members. 

The current edition of the handbook contains lessons 

learned from these two cases. 

Finally, the handbook is much more than a primer for 

handling national security designated cases. Given the 

current operational environment, Code 17 is not only 

supporting several mishandling of classified information cases, but also numerous cases arising from actions 

in Operation Iraqi Freedom. None of these cases is a 

national security designated case, but all involve classified information. In these cases, classified information, 

such as rules of engagement or SIPRNET email, is subject to discovery and often introduced into evidence. The 

classified information need not be an element of a charge 

or specification to be discoverable and potentially relevant and material to a case. Therefore, it is important 

for all judge advocates to be aware that the involvement 

of any classified material in a case changes the rules.

All cases involving classified information are inherently complex because they impose strict security, 

reporting, coordination, and approval requirements on 

top of the necessities of investigating, trying, defending, 

or adjudicating charges. The newly-revised handbook is 

an essential tool to ensure all parties to a classified information case approach their responsibilities deliberately, 

understand the issues, and respect the unique demands 

associated with classified information. 

An article in the June 1986 Army Lawyer provides 

an interesting perspective on litigating a case involving 

classified information: 

The hope of trying a big case is the fuel that 

fires the furnace of ambition inside every trial 

lawyer... For the military criminal lawyer [a big 

case] is defined in terms of the offense... Among 

the murders, rapes, and other mayhem that we 

traditionally associate with big cases is a category 

which is unsurpassed in importance, complexity, 

and potential for hazard to the advocate-those cases 

involving classified information. 

This is so for a fairly obvious reason.... In any 

event, the lawyer who girds himself or herself 

with shield and sword to champion the cause of 

his or her client, faces difficulties and challenges 

in classified trials that are not encountered in his 

normal practice.2

Appended to the handbook are checklists, sample 

documents, and background information to help 

illustrate points and issues. Annexes include checklists 

for staff judge advocates, trial counsel, defense counsel, 
17

Endnotes:

1

 The King Commission Report cited the following reasons for the unsuccessful prosecution of CTR1 Daniel M. King: (1) inadequate 

personnel resources assigned to the prosecution 

team, (2) lack of national security law experience among those assigned, (3) inadequate 

analysis of evidence and legal issues inherent 

in the case, (4) lack of proper preparation for 

the proceedings, and (5) lack of foresight with 

respect to possible logistical problems that 

might arise during the proceedings. 

2 Army Major Joseph A. Woodruff, “Trial 

Defense Service Notes: Practical Aspects of 

Trying Cases Involving Classified Information,” 1986 Army Lawyer 50.

investigation security officers, and court security officers. In addition, annexes 

contain a comparison of the classified information protections offered by the 

Classified Information Procedures Act (used in federal court) and Military 

Rule of Evidence 505, a recommended reading list that includes law review 

articles and cases, and the Department of Defense Instruction that implements 

the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Departments of 

Justice and Defense regarding the investigation and prosecution of certain 

types of crimes. 

 As stated by the second edition’s editor, LCDR Paul Walker, “Our goal 

is to provide the best possible support to anyone dealing with a classified 

information case and ensure that all the good lessons we have learned since

King, are used by the next generation of litigator. Ultimately, this revised 

handbook will allow all judge advocates to both zealously represent their 

respective clients and protect the interests of national security.” 

The “Handbook for Litigating Classified Information Cases”

is now available on NKO at the Code 17 site.
18

By LT Jason Jones

Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals (Code 07)

Navy Judges Lend Expertise to the 

Court of Military Commission Review

I

n June 2006, in the case of Hamdan 

v. Rumsfeld, the U.S. Supreme Court 

ruled that the military commissions 

in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could no 

longer continue to operate, in part, due 

to the President’s lack of independent 

constitutional authority to create such 

commissions without congressional 

authorization. In response, Congress 

passed the Military Commissions Act 

(MCA) (Public Law 109-366, Oct. 17, 

2006), which expressly authorized and 

substantially restructured the military 

commissions process. MCA formally 

established the U.S. Court of Military 

Commission Review (CMCR) as the 

first-level appellate court of review to 

hear interlocutory and post-trial appeals 

from military commission judicial determinations and convictions. The CMCR 

currently sits in Washington, D.C., and 

may convene elsewhere, including 

Guantanamo Bay, should the need arise.

The CMCR recently considered its first 

case an interlocutory appeal, filed by 

the U.S. Government following a 

military commission 

judge’s decision that 

terminated proceedings and dismissed 

the charges without 

prejudice against an 

Afghan detainee, 

Omar Ahmed Khadr. 

The U.S. Government appealed to the 

CMCR to overturn the 

judge’s decision. The 

primary issue was how 

the term “enemy combatants,” as used 

by the Combatant Status Review Board, 

related to the express jurisdictional prerequisite language “unlawful enemy 

combatants” contained in the MCA. 

On Sept. 24, the CMCR issued its 

first decision in United States v. Khadr, 

holding that military commissions 

have jurisdiction solely over “unlawful 

enemy combatants” and that commission presiding officers have the authority to rule on whether a detainee is in 

fact an “unlawful enemy combatant.” 

Many perceived this Government 

appeal as an important test case for 

commission jurisdiction over other 

detainees who have previously been 

designated simply as “enemy combatants.” Further appeals within the 

federal courts are expected. Under 

the MCA, CMCR decisions may be 

appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals 

for the District of Columbia Circuit, 

U.S. District Courts, and by writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The CMCR is unique in that its 

16-judge membership combines military and civilian appellate judges 

appointed directly by the Secretary of 

Defense and is the first truly “joint” military appellate court. Military appellate 

judges from the three service courts 

of criminal appeals were nominated 

by their respective Judge Advocate 

General to serve on the CMCR. The 

Secretary of Defense then selected 12 

military judges, including four sitting 

judges from the Navy-Marine Corps 

Court of Criminal Appeals (NMCCA), 

to serve on the CMCR. 

CAPT John Rolph, CAPT Dan 

O’Toole, CAPT Eric Geiser, and 

Col John Feltham were selected from 

NMCCA. These military justice 

experts took their oaths of office in July 

2007. The CMCR’s appellate panel 

structure currently has military judges 

from each of the service courts serving 

in three-member panels. The CMCR’s 

four civilian judges also occupy a spot 

on each of the CMCR 

panels.

CAPT Rolph 

serves as the Deputy 

Chief Judge of the 

CMCR. CAPT Rolph 

possesses a wealth of 

military justice experience, having previously served as Chief 

Judge of the NMCCA, 

Navy-Marine Corps 

Trial Judiciary, as the 

designated East Coast 

National Security 

Judge, as the Circuit 

Military Judge of the 

Tidewater Judicial 

Circuit in Norfolk, RADM Bruce MacDonald swears in CAPT John Rolph as Deputy Chief Judge of CMCR.
19

Appeals, rules of practice, and various other documents are on the CMCR’s 

Web site at defenselink.mil/news/commissions.html.

CAPT John Rolph swears in COL Paul Holden (USA), COL Dawn Scholz (USAF), COL Steven Walburn (USA), COL Amy Bechtold (USAF), 

COL Steven Thompson (USAF), COL Lisa Schenck (USA), and CAPT Eric Geiser (USN).

Va., and as a military 

judge in the Transatlantic Judicial Circuit 

in Rota, Spain. 

CAPT Dan O’Toole 

recently joined the 

NMCCA directly from 

a tour as the Circuit 

Military Judge of the 

Central (formerly Tidewater) Judicial Circuit. 

CAPT O’Toole has 

previously served as 

a designated National 

Security Judge, as 

Deputy Assistant 

Judge Advocate General (General Litigation), and as Commanding Officer, 

Trial Service Office East. He was also 

a former presiding officer on three military commissions prior to the Supreme 

Court’s decision in Hamdan. 

CAPT Eric Geiser has served as a 

senior judge on the NMCCA for the 

past two years and has international 

law expertise from tours as legal advisor to Commander, SIXTH Fleet, and 

as Deputy Legal Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. CAPT 

Geiser most recently served as Deputy 

Assistant Judge Advocate General 

(Administrative Law). 

Col John Feltham is a sitting judge 

on the NMCCA and has served as a 

staff judge advocate at both of the 

Marine Corps major shore installations, 

Camp Pendleton and Camp 

Lejeune. He also served as a 

trial counsel and military justice officer at major Marine 

Corps bases. 

The civilian judges 

appointed to the CMCR by the 

Secretary of Defense come 

from the private sector and 

have a tremendous wealth of 

top-level government expertise. Chief Judge Frank J. 

Williams of the Rhode Island 

Supreme Court has recently 

been appointed Chief Judge 

of the CMCR, replacing 

former Attorney General Griffin Bell, 

who resigned for health reasons. The 

other civilian judges are former Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman Jr. and the Honorable Edward G. 

Beister Jr., former Congressman and 

current judge on the Court of Common 

Pleas for Bucks County, Pa. One additional civilian judge will be appointed 

to replace Judge Bell.
20

Fleet News

Law meeting. Members 

of the JAG Corps and 

other ABA members 

interested in military 

law issues attended both 

meetings.

The ABA is the largest 

voluntary professional 

association in the world. 

It provides a variety of 

services for its members as 

well as work on initiatives 

to improve the legal system. The ABA holds an annual and midyear meeting that members of the Navy JAG Corps attend. 

“There are more than 10,000 JAGs and civilian lawyers 

working in the military, both in active duty and reserves. They 

are a significant legal community in their own right, and they 

are an important and growing part of the American Bar Association’s mission,” said Karen Mathis, the president of the ABA 

during the ABA annual meeting. 

The full Navy JAG report is located in the reading room on 

the Navy JAG Web site at www.jag.navy.mil. 

By Jen Zeldis

Public Affairs Officer

RADM Bruce MacDonald briefed the American Bar Association (ABA) about the JAG Corps during the ABA annual 

meeting Aug. 9-14.

RADM MacDonald presented the current state and accomplishments of the JAG Corps to the ABA’s Military Law Committee (MLC) and was a panel member for the ABA International 

Division’s discussion on the rule of law and the U.S. military.

There were a variety of questions 

during the discussion on human 

rights issues in Guantanamo Bay 

and Afghanistan.

“Judge advocates from every 

branch of the U.S. military assisted 

the Afghanistan National Army in 

melding Afghan culture with human 

rights law, the law of armed conflict, 

and the creation of a contemporary 

military justice system uniquely modeled on Sharia law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” 

said RADM MacDonald during the discussion.

Each of the services presented the state of their corps at the 

MLC meeting, and each discussed current issues and events 

affecting their Corps at the Standing Committee on Armed Forces 

Judge Advocate General Reports JAG 

Corps Accomplishments to ABA

NLSO Central Marine Achieves Citizenship

By Larry Kachelhofer

Gosport Associate Editor

LCpl Luis Camacho, USMC, a legal 

specialist at Naval Legal Service Office 

Central (NLSO), at Naval Air Station 

(NAS) Pensacola, Fla., became a U.S. citizen in a naturalization ceremony held in the 

United States District Court in Pensacola. 

The 23-year-old Marine joined 72 other 

people from 27 countries in taking the oath 

of citizenship. 

LCpl Camacho, a native of Chosica, Peru, 

LCpl Luis Camacho, USMC, a 

legal specialist at NLSO Central, 

joined 72 other people from 27 countries to take the oath of citizenship.

immigrated to the United States as 

a 13-year-old boy. As a Peruvian, 

LCpl Camacho said learning the 

english language was the hardest part. However, he added that 

people here have more freedom. 

“Here you can go out and dress 

like you want.” His biggest surprise was the people from so 

many different countries. 

Left picture: RADM Bruce MacDonald and LCDR Susan 

McGarvey, recipient of the ABA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, 

at the ABA Meeting. Top picture: from left to right: Maj Gen Jack 

Rives, RADM Bruce MacDonald, ABA President Karen Mathis, MG 

Scott Black, and Mr. Calvin Lederer. 
21

Fleet News

By Virginia Eilmus

Head Personnel Claims Unit

Full Replacement Value

Starting in the fall of 2007, Full Replacement Value 

(FRV) Protection is provided to military members and 

Department of Defense (DoD) civilians who have to move 

or store their personal property as part of a DoD sponsored 

move. 

FRV Protection entitles the member or employee to the 

full value of lost or destroyed items. For items that are damaged, the carrier has the option of repairing them or making a 

monetary settlement for repair costs. There is no additional 

cost to the member or employee for FRV coverage. 

In the past, if a carrier lost or destroyed something during 

a move, claimants would only be paid the depreciated value 

(fair market value) of an item that was lost or destroyed, 

regardless of whether they filed their claim with a military 

claims office or directly with a commercial carrier. FRV 

coverage will apply to all international shipments picked 

up on or after Oct. 1, 2007 and most domestic shipments 

picked up on or after Nov. 1, 2007. FRV will apply to all 

shipments picked up on or after March 1, 2008, including 

those placed into non-temporary storage. 

An important difference between depreciated value 

coverage and FRV is that with FRV the claimant must file 

his or her claim with the Transportation Service Provider 

(TSP) (commercial carrier) rather than with the Military 

Claims Office (MCO). 

Under the FRV program, the maximum liability for 

the TSP is 4 times the net weight of the shipment, with 

a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $50,000 per 

shipment. Just like under the current system, the claimant 

must record loss or damage discovered at delivery on the 

DD Form 1840 (Joint Statement of Loss or Damage at 

Delivery) and must record all additional loss or damage 

discovered after delivery on the DD Form 1840R (Notice 

of Loss or Damage). The claimant must submit these 

forms to the TSP within 75 days after delivery or to the 

nearest Personal Property Office within 70 days of delivery. 

The claimant must then file a claim with the TSP within 

nine months of delivery. The TSP will settle the claim 

by repairing or paying to repair damaged items, and by 

replacing or by paying the FRV cost for items that have 

been lost or destroyed. When the claim is filed directly 

with the TSP, the TSP will be responsible for obtaining all 

repair and replacement costs. 

If the TSP denies the claim completely, makes an offer 

on the claim that is not acceptable, or does not respond 

within 30 days, the claimant may transfer the claim to 

the MCO. If the claimant transfers the claim, the MCO 

can only pay depreciated value (fair market value) on the 

claims. The MCO will then attempt to recover FRV from 

the TSP. If the MCO recovers FRV, the MCO will then pay 

the claimant the difference between the depreciated value 

already paid and the FRV. If a claimant files a claim with 

the TSP after nine months, but before the two year time 

limit for filing, the TSP is only liable for the depreciated 

value of items lost or destroyed. 

For more detailed information about the program, the 

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command 

(SDDC) published a detailed set of guidelines that governs 

FRV coverage on its Web site at http://www.sddc.army.

mil/. Click Full Replacement Value Protection for detailed 

information. 

Paralegal of the year 

continued from page 14

Navy to attend the 2006 world-wide 

JAG symposium. At the symposium, 

LN1 Carrillo participated in a 

discussion group where he shared 

his deployment experience with over 

300 Navy attorneys in attendance. 

While deployed, LN1 Carrillo 

was in direct support of the MultiNational Forces, Iraq legal team. “He 

worked without complaint and under 

the constant threat of indiscriminate 

hostile fire, in a non-traditional legal, 

combat environment,” said LNCS 

David C. Ostrander, who nominated 

LN1 Carrillo for the award. 

During his time at NLSO SW, LN1 

Carrillo provided career advice and 

support to enlisted Sailors at all levels. 

LN1 Carrillo facilitated the training 

and assisted in the coordination and 

implementation of the new metrics 

reporting system used throughout the 

U.S. Navy JAG community. 

Most significantly, LN1 Carrillo 

was chosen to spearhead the 

paralegal support team necessary 

for the litigation demands of one of 

the Navy’s busiest military justice 

offices. He took on the mission by 

developing the Legalmen in his office 

as litigation paralegals. 

 LN1 Carrillo also participated 

in the San Diego Bar Association’s 

“Operation Stand Down,” where 

he provided pro bono paralegal 

assistance to more than 600 homeless 

veterans.
22

Fleet News

By LNCM Donna Sayers

Center for Service Support 

Credentialing is the process of meeting professional and technical standards, and earning official recognition, 

in the form of licenses, certifications, 

and apprenticeships.

The Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) Web site was 

launched in June 2006. Navy COOL 

is designed expressly for you to help 

find and understand the civilian credentials related to your Navy training. 

It provides information on how Sailors 

can fulfill the requirements for civilian 

credentials, including certifications, 

licenses, and apprenticeships related to 

their rating and jobs.

On Navy COOL, you can find background information about civilian credentials relevant to the Legalman rating 

and the three jobs identified through 

the job-task-analysis process. Additionally, Navy COOL describes how 

to fill any gaps between Navy training 

and experience and civilian credentialing requirements as well as provides 

information on resources available to 

Sailors to facilitate credentialing.

The United Services Military 

Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) 

in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) awards apprenticeships so the servicemembers can 

achieve recognition for on-the-job 

training and work experience equal to 

his or her civilian counterpart. Apprenticeships are voluntary; however, they 

may be required by some employers in 

certain industries. The DOL provides 

the nationally recognized “Certificate 

of Completion” upon program completion. USMAP enhances your job skills 

and shows your motivation for more 

challenging military assignments. 

Having a DOL Certificate of Completion is an advantage in getting better 

civilian jobs since employers know the 

value of apprenticeships.

Credentialing Opportunities Online
23

Fleet News

Battlefield Lessons Come to Life 

for Rising O-4 LTS Participants

By LT Chris Colby

Operations Officer, OJAG 

The 2007 Leadership Training Symposium (LTS) went “joint” for the first time 

this past October, integrating Army leadership lessons into the JAG Corps’ cornerstone leadership course for the “new partners” of the Navy’s uniformed law firm. 

For the first time, the class of 35 rising 

O-4s took a “Staff Ride” to Antietam 

National Battlefield, where they walked 

the same hills and peered down the same 

embankments that their blue and grey 

predecessors did almost 150 years ago.

Knowing your troops’ capabilities and 

weaknesses, inspiring them to do just a 

little bit more, leading from the front, and 

knowing when you’ve asked enough – 

these were some of the lessons learned 

at Antietam. Aside from enjoying a day 

of fresh air and flawless weather, the 

students learned leadership lessons firsthand thanks to Dr. Robert Rush of the 

Army’s Center for Military History. As 

LCDR(Sel) John Clady noted, “The Staff 

Ride was an investment in the future of 

JAG leadership. It provided examples of 

leadership and examined the various factors of battle such as tactics, terrain, communications, leadership and the psychological factors of combat.” 

LCDR(Sel) Clady, a former Army 

officer, also discussed the Staff Ride in 

a larger context. “By studying the Battle 

of Antietam, we gained an 

informed perspective on historical lessons that will help us 

understand the present and plan 

for the future as leaders.” Dr. 

Rush, a former U.S. First Army 

Command Sergeant Major, also 

briefed the class on some of the 

legal issues facing the North and 

South at the time of Antietam.

Another innovation at LTS 

was the use of the Myers-Brigg 

Type Indicator (MBTI), which 

demonstrated the importance of 

recognizing differences in personality. Through a dynamic, 

eye-opening presentation by 

CAPT Rhetta Bailey of the 

Command Leadership School, 

students saw how personality differences can strengthen 

teams. Other useful presentations, such as an evaluation of personal 

ethical decision-making in wartime, challenged the mind – and conscience – of 

every participant.

Students took the time to evaluate their 

role in the JAG Corps and the proper role 

of the JAG Corps in today’s Navy. As 

LCDR(Sel) Dustin Wallace pointed out, 

“LTS was a tremendous opportunity to 

meet with your peers and discuss myriad 

issues that will impact judge advocates 

and paralegals for many years to come.” 

CAPT Hank Molinengo’s frank discussions with the students throughout the 

course highlighted their new role, not as 

new associates learning the ropes, but as 

new partners taking their seat at the table.

According to LCDR(Sel) Jeanine 

Womble, another LTS participant, “While 

I relished the opportunity to meet and 

reconnect with the other O-4 selects, 

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the 

actual training sessions. I was pleasantly 

surprised by the diversity of the curriculum in both format and topic. I expected a 

Kool-Aid drinking evolution, but instead 

got a week of sessions that I honestly 

found both interesting and useful.”

The class of O-4s discussing the lessons learned at Antietam 

during the Leadership Training Symposium.
24

Book Review

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

By Doris Kearns Goodwin

Book review provided by LT Mark Nevitt

In Team of Rivals, Pulitzer 

Prize-winning historian Doris 

Kearns Goodwin closely 

examines Abraham Lincoln 

and the unusual relationship he shared with his 

presidential cabinet. The title refers to the men whom 

Lincoln appointed to the top four positions in his administration: William Seward (Secretary of State), Samuel 

Chase (Secretary of Treasury), Edward Bates (Attorney 

General), and Edwin Stanton (Secretary of War). At one 

point, each man was a fierce rival and political competitor of Lincoln. Indeed, three of them - Seward, Chase, 

and Bates - challenged Lincoln for the Republican nomination in 1860 in a hotly-contested race when this country debated the future of both slavery and secession. 

While more has been written about Lincoln than any 

other president, Goodwin still manages to craft a uniquely 

original work. Team of Rivals is not merely a political 

biography of Lincoln and his cabinet members. At its 

heart, it is a book on leadership that details how Lincoln 

led his cabinet and his country through the most challenging time in our country’s history. 

Goodwin focuses 

on the leadership style 

of Abraham Lincoln 

and the relationships 

that he shared with 

his cabinet members. 

Despite being a prairie 

lawyer and a one-term 

congressman, Lincoln bested these four 

gifted men of national 

reputation and stature. 

After falling short of 

the Republican nomination, Seward, Chase, 

and Bates felt disgraced and angry at 

losing to such an obscure figure. In the time between 

Lincoln’s election to the Presidency and his inauguration, 

the country unraveled when several states seceded. In a 

decision characterized by both forgiveness and political 

genius, Lincoln appointed his one-time political rivals 

to his cabinet, enabling him to harness their enormous 

talents to assist in maintaining the Union. 

Under the great strain of being President during the 

Civil War, Lincoln encountered numerous leadership 

challenges in his cabinet, but ultimately was able to 

gracefully and deftly lead these four men. His ability 

to soothe egos and manage differences enabled him to 

lead both his cabinet and the nation for the greater good. 

What was at stake was no less important than the future 

of the United States.

One story Goodwin describes in detail is the first time 

Lincoln and Stanton met. A famed lawyer of his day, 

Stanton treated Lincoln with utter contempt when they 

met in 1855 while serving as co-counsel on a case that was 

decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Lincoln had worked 

independently and diligently for months on the case, but 

Stanton was not impressed. He dismissed Lincoln, calling the young prairie lawyer a “long-armed baboon.” 

Most men would have never forgiven this insult-but Lincoln was not just any man. He forgave Stanton, and 

five years later he appointed him to the powerful position of Secretary of War. Stanton served Lincoln admirably, gradually growing to respect and to love the President. Stories such as this, where Goodwin focuses on 

Lincoln’s empathy and 

his uncanny ability to 

transcend petty matters, are the strength of 

Team of Rivals. 

This is a wonderful 

read for naval officers 

and judge advocates. 

We share the common 

heritage with Lincoln 

of being both lawyers 

and leaders. Goodwin 

clearly illuminates the 

extraordinary leadership of Abraham Lincoln, concentrating on 

Lincoln’s ability to use 

his natural empathy and grace to forge an effective team 

composed of strong individuals. 

One caveat: the book is long, weighing in at 900 pages 

with footnotes. It took me more than one cross-country 

flight to Naval Justice School to put a dent in it. Despite 

the size, I found Goodwin’s style to be interesting, and 

the subject matter kept me captivated throughout.
 25

RDML Dennis McCoy

JAG Corps Alumni

RDML Dennis F. McCoy is the current President of 

Navy Marine Corps Retired Judge Advocates Association, President, Vice President and Treasurer of the Newport Historical Society, and a trustee of the Newport Public 

Education Foundation. 

RDML McCoy started his Navy career as a line officer 

in the Navy. RDML McCoy served around the world and 

in a variety of different billets.

“My favorite billet was CO of the Naval Justice School,” 

said RDML McCoy. “I had the opportunity to shape the 

young judge advocates coming in. We also were able to 

expand the course offerings to meet the 21st century’s educational needs.”

On Aug. 1, 1990, RDML McCoy was appointed Assistant Judge Advocate General (Civil Law). RDML McCoy 

retired from active duty on July 1, 1992.

CDR Kenneth Ripple was 

nominated by President Ronald 

Reagan in April 1985 to a seat on 

the Seventh Circuit. Currently, 

Judge Ripple sits on the Seventh 

Circuit and is a professor of law at 

the University of Notre Dame. 

Judge Ripple joined the JAG 

Corps in 1968. In 1992, he completed 

his service after both an active and 

reserve JAG Corps career.

Years later, Judge Ripple looks back fondly at his JAG 

Career, “I am very grateful to the JAG Corps for all that 

I learned in those years and for the opportunity to render 

meaningful service to the Country. I still keep up with my 

fellow JAG officers.”

The Navy Marine Corps Retired 

Judge Advocates Association held 

their annual meeting in San Diego, 

Oct. 5-7.

The keynote speaker, RADM Bruce 

MacDonald, presented the current 

state of the Navy JAG Corps. 

“It was very informative,” said 

RDML Dennis McCoy, president of 

the Navy Marine Corps Retired Judge 

Advocates Association. “He told 

us about what a great job the judge 

advocates are doing. He talked about 

San Diego Hosts Navy Marine Corps 

Retired Judge Advocates Association

the IA [individual augmentee] and 

overseas assignments that the young 

judge advocates and legalmen are 

volunteering for.”

There were 92 members 

present for the meeting. The 

association has more than 430 

members. Members are kept 

abreast of current association 

events by e-mail and reports from 

the president.

The next annual meeting will 

be held in Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 

10-12, 2008. 

“During this annual meeting, we 

will plan for the ‘09 event,” said 

RDML McCoy. The 2009 meeting 

By Jen Zeldis

Public Affairs Officer

RADM MacDonald and wife Karen talk 

with CAPT Bill Eoff, JAGC, Ret, at the 

annual retiree association brunch. 

CDR Kenneth Ripple

will be held in San Antonio, Texas.

Spotlight On

Find out what they are doing now! 

Alumni of the JAG Corps describe their current positions and what they did in the JAG Corps.
26

By CAPT Ben Abalos

JAGC Reserve Component

JAGC Reserve Training and Education

Despite the large investment made in ships, systems and 

facilities, people remain the Navy’s most valuable asset. 

Navy leadership believes more must be done to develop our 

people. 

For example, the Department of the Navy’s recently 

updated Human Capital Strategy strives to build on our human 

resources by creating an environment that supports careerlong learning and individual growth opportunities. In his 

“Focus on Execution” guidance for 2007, the Chief of Naval 

Operations lists “developing 21st Century leaders” among his 

three main priorities. This focus is echoed in the Chief of 

Naval Personnel’s “Year of Execution” guidance for 2007, 

which envisions “a Navy manpower, personnel, training and 

education system that targets and attracts the right talent, then 

trains, develops, equips and motivates these men and women 

throughout a career of service.” This same drive to enhance 

and improve learning is in our 

legal community as well. 

RADM Bruce MacDonald 

revealed in JAG Corps 

2020 a vision that includes 

the development of 

“career learning,” a vision 

materializing in the specific 

education and training 

initiatives of the Strategic 

Transformation Execution 

Plan (STEP). Our Reserve 

legal community participates 

doubly in these initiatives, 

benefiting from robust 

training opportunities already 

available and sharing its own 

rich expertise with active 

duty judge advocates and 

Legalmen.

The reserve legal 

community’s continuing integration into the larger Navy 

enterprise is evident in our access to Navy-wide training. For 

example, through Navy Knowledge Online (NKO) we share 

in General Military Training (GMT), reserves take courses 

that prepare them for the military aspects of our profession 

(Code of Conduct, operational risk management, operations 

security, anti-terrorism/force protection); reserves enhance, 

maintain, and preserve our personal readiness (physical 

readiness, personal financial management, and suicide 

awareness); and build on our leadership and managerial 

capabilities (fleet business course and diversity). Reserves 

participate in these courses anywhere in the world, anytime, 

and in ways that take advantage of the Reserve community’s 

inherent flexibility. 

Many reservists come to their commands already trained 

as experts by virtue of their civilian or prior active duty 

experiences. Reserve LCDR Barb Hanna, Navy Reserve 

Region Legal Service Office Northwest, will soon begin 

teaching the Legal Officer Course while drawing on her 

active duty experience as the Officer-in-Charge, Naval 

Justice School (NJS) Detachment, Norfolk. Likewise, CAPT 

Rymn Parsons, SJA to Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, Reserve 

Component Command, is also a civilian attorney at Naval 

Facilities Engineering Mid-Atlantic Command. He notes that 

“substantive legal training in government ethics, environmental 

law, military personnel law, administrative law and many 

others, as well as in-depth experience in inter-service and 

interagency coordination, 

are tremendous assets for 

combatant commanders 

and supported commanders 

alike.”

Similarly, work through 

NJS is an excellent example 

of Reserve integration into 

Navy legal community 

training as both students and 

teachers. Of reservists who 

support NJS Commanding 

Officer, CAPT Charlotte 

Wise, said, “We love 

them...they are absolutely 

mission essential. For 

us, the integration is 

the teaching and the 

practical application. The 

experience, variety, and 

depth of their expertise are 

hard to match, and they’re always willing to share.” NJS 

Executive Officer, CDR Denise Stich, echoed this sentiment, 

“We could not provide the same quality of instruction in legal 

assistance and military justice if we only relied on active 

component instructors.” 

This high praise is well-deserved. Reserve CDR Matt Lee 

teaches immigration law during the legal assistance portion 

Reserve Component
27

of the Basic Lawyer Course. CDR Matthew Doran played a 

key role in developing a new mock trial scenario on computer 

crimes for the Basic Lawyer Course. CDR Cully Stimson 

spearheaded numerous improvements to the curriculum 

for our advanced military justice courses. Like these three 

commanders, many of our reservists have substantial criminal 

law and litigation expertise both as civilian attorneys and 

judge advocates. They provide mission critical support 

during the trial advocacy portion of the NJS Basic Lawyer 

Course and give our newest judge advocates a positive first 

impression of the JAG Corps Reserve Component.

There are many more opportunities at NJS for reservists. 

LCDR Tracy Clark, NJS Academic Director, has asked 

that former NJS instructors contact her or the School’s 

detachment OICs if they are interested in coming back to 

teach. Reserve members who taught while on active duty or 

who have specialties are encouraged to explore the need for 

their expertise at NJS. 

In addition to NJS, JAG Corps reserves participate 

in training at other teaching commands. At the Yankee 

Operational Law Training Symposium, conducted annually 

in August at the Navy War College, reservists provide 

instruction and attend valuable continuing education courses 

on developing operational law issues. According to CAPT 

Kathleen McTighe, CO of NR NWC (LAW) 401, “the 

continuing tradition of the Symposium is a truly unique 

opportunity for judge advocates to receive focused continuing 

legal education in current operational law issues, and to share 

this opportunity with their colleagues from multiple services 

and distinguished military and civilian OPLAW experts.” 

Experts have included the legal counsel to the Joint Chiefs 

of Staff, an attorney-advisor for the Department of State, 

NWC professors, and many of our own reserve and active 

duty experts. 

However, expanded opportunities for training are not 

limited to reserve attorneys. Reserve Legalmen are getting 

in on new educational prospects as well. NJS, in partnership 

with Roger Williams University, recently earned approval 

from the American Bar Association (ABA) to teach four 

required paralegal courses at the new NJS Legal Accession 

course. The approved courses include: Ethics, Introduction 

to Law, Emerging Legal Technologies, and Legal Research 

and Writing. After successfully completing the Reserve 

Legal Accession course, our new reserve Legalmen will 

have earned ten semester hours of college credit towards an 

ABA-approved paralegal degree through Roger Williams 

University. Furthermore, Roger Williams is currently 

converting its paralegal studies courses into a distancelearning format. In the near future, our reserve Legalmen 

will be able to earn both an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s 

Degree in Paralegal Studies (ABA approval is pending for 

the Associate’s degree). All interested Legalmen should 

contact the Reserve Component Command Master Chief, 

LNCM Tim Ayoub, through their chain-of-command.

 Reserve Legalmen were also able to attend the first 

Legalman Military Law Training Symposium (LN MLTS). 

Over 100 active duty and reserve Legalman attended this 

event, held on Sept. 8 and 9, in Newport, R.I., A similar 

MLTS for Reserve judge advocates was held on both the east 

and west coasts last May and June, respectively. The MLTS 

will continue to be a valuable opportunity to discuss the 

Reserve community vision directly with community leaders, 

to learn of important developments in the Reserve practice, 

to marshal our intellectual talent in breakout sessions, and to 

reunite with colleagues and friends. 

All reservists should watch for future opportunities in 

training and education. While serving with the VTU, CDR 

Brian Hug, Assistant State Attorney in McClean County, Ill., 

frequently checked the NRJAG Web site and read SJA updates 

that relayed announcements of ADSW/ADT opportunities. He 

volunteered for a 30-day ADT that led to a fill as a SELRES 

with the NWC (LAW) unit. In his current unit, NR NWC Law 

401, CDR Hug is an international law attorney, with a current 

portfolio that includes two rules of engagement projects. The 

first project entailed developing, coordinating, and maintaining 

a classified rules of engagement database. The second project 

required him to develop a rules of engagement manual that 

can be used in exercises involving multinational participation. 

In commenting on the strength of reserve participation, CDR 

Hug said, “Reservists bring focus to a project or to a task; 

we’re solely focused on doing that job.” 

Despite some outstanding gains over the last few years, 

there is still much we can do to improve integration of our 

reserve resources into the training environment. In the 

previous issue of JAG Magazine, RADM Norton Joerg posed 

a key question for all in the JAGC community to contemplate: 

“What is the best way to align and integrate for the future?” 

Reservists who interact with and influence education and 

training of the JAG Corps Reserves must evaluate whether 

the training they provide aligns with the Fleet’s need to 

enhance readiness. In other words, is the training relevant 

and significant - providing knowledge, skills, and abilities 

that are currently in demand or are likely to be in the future? 

Reservists who provide direct legal services to commanders 

and to individual Sailors must ask whether they are meeting 

all of the Navy’s established training requirements. Finally, 

all reservists must evaluate their own status to ensure they 

are obtaining the necessary training and experience to be 

prepared to serve, i.e., are we improving our abilities to be 

the right person with the right skills for an assignment at 

the right time? Are we prepared to be a 21st Century judge 

advocate or Legalman? 

Reserve Component
28

September 29, 2007 marked the one-year anniversary of 

the JAG Corps’ blueprint for strategic transformation, JAG 

Corps 2020. Over the past year, working groups and boards 

of advisors across our community have studied the ways 

we do business, brainstormed improvements, and pursued 

the requirements as detailed in the Strategic Transformation 

Execution Plan (STEP) to make those ideas a reality. The 

result is a number of successes across the Transformation 

Focus Areas. 

Core Capabilities - Accountability

One of the most highly anticipated successes of the year 

is in the Core Capability of Accountability. The first Military Justice Litigation Qualification Selection Board convened on Oct. 26. JAGINST 1150.2, signed May 3, outlined 

the criteria for selection as a Military Justice Specialist or 

Expert. The instruction’s sample career track will help grow 

Specialists and Experts, and 1202 P-coded billets requiring 

military justice litigation qualifications will optimally deploy 

their skills. Precept language will recognize those skills in 

promotion boards. This long-awaited litigation career track 

is a leap forward in the Transformation Focus Areas of Professional Development and Efficiency as well. A cadre of 

Military Justice Specialists and Experts will be prepared and 

poised to try our most complex courts-martial. Junior litigators will benefit from the supervision and mentoring of a 

Specialist or Expert in the office. The overall result will be 

more expert and more efficient courts-martial at every experience level. 

Navy JAG Corps Organization

With its future community of expert litigators in mind, 

the JAG Corps stood up Trial Defense Command Southeast 

on Oct. 1. An extension of a pilot program in Europe, this 

stateside initiative shifts the legal assistance practice in the 

Southeast to the RLSO and leaves NLSO Southeast and 

NLSO Central to focus solely on personnel representation 

and criminal defense. The Southeast Working Group 

has shown extraordinary foresight, resourcefulness, and 

persistence in planning for this transition. Internal and 

external satisfaction surveys and CMTIS data will measure 

the effect of this initiative.

Active-Reserve Integration

Two 2007 pilot programs demonstrated the positive impact 

JAG Corps reservists have had integrating with the active 

duty force. First, Tiger Teams of Reserve Legalmen pooled 

their weekend drills to concentrate their time and talents 

when and where they were most needed. The best example 

of this was a Tiger Team who augmented the RLSO at Great 

Lakes during the busy summer months when the number of 

recruits and entry-level administrative separations spiked. 

This concentration of reserve “firepower” allowed the RLSO 

to survive the surge in its workload. 

A second success story was in the Reserve Judge 

Advocate community. Seven reserve JAGs augmented 

the newly-created staff of active duty law clerks at the 

Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals. NMCCA 

requested to extend the reservist support for at least another 

year to continue their progress in reducing the appellate case 

backlog.

To capitalize on the wealth of subject matter expertise in 

the Reserve community and align it with the needs of the 

active duty community, the reservists have identified three 

pillars of practice area specialization. The Three Pillars are 

litigation (civilian and criminal), legal assistance, and an 

umbrella category encompassing admiralty, environmental 

law, national security/intelligence law, “expeditionary law,” 

and operational/international law. Information about reservists’ specialties will be available on JAG Enterprise.

Personnel Policy

The strategic scope of JAG Corps 2020 prompted renewed 

focus on recruiting, mentoring, and diversity across our 

entire legal community. RADM MacDonald signed a new 

Judge Advocate recruiting instruction on April 30. This new 

instruction designated every JAG Corps Commanding Officer 

as a Recruiting Officer with the requirement to develop an 

annual command recruiting plan. We anticipate this action 

will increase the number and quality of applications to the 

JAG Corps. An annual JAG Corps recruiting plan, developed 

by PERS-4416, will consolidate these individual recruiting 

plans. 

Increased diversity in our JAG Corps is an explicit goal of 

this new recruiting instruction. RADM MacDonald broadcast 

his commitment to diversity in a recent JAG TV message. 

CDR Robert Sanders, Special Assistant for Diversity, heads 

the Diversity Steering Group (DSG). With the recruiting 

instruction signed, the DSG’s current focus is on retaining 

members of our community by instituting a new mentoring 

program.

The implementation of NSPS meant this was a year of 

fundamental transformation for civilians in our community. 

Joyce Sherwood was appointed to fill the duties of Director, 

Civilian Personnel. She and her staff from Code 64 at OJAG 

traveled the globe training our personnel on the JAG Corps’ 
29

implementation of this new system. RADM Houck also 

outlined the JAG Corps community goals for NSPS on a 

recent JAG TV message.

Professional Development

The first ever Legalman Training Symposium, May 

21-23, kicked off a revolution in Legalman professional 

development. Naval Justice School, in partnership with 

Roger Williams University, has brought Legalman training 

to the collegiate level. The results of this collaboration are a 

totally revamped Legalman Accession Course and an online 

program of paralegal studies culminating in an associates 

degree.

In June, Naval Justice School graduated its first class of 

Legalmen in three years. Ten new accessions completed 

an eleven-week course, earning ten credits of face-to-face, 

ABA-approved, collegiate-level paralegal instruction. The 

first phase of the course, modeled after RWU’s curriculum, 

included ethics, introduction to law, emerging legal technologies, and research and writing. The second phase focused 

more specifically on the Navy’s practice, covering military 

justice, civil law, and operational law. Twenty-five Legalmen 

are graduates of the new course and serving in the Fleet.

Beyond the schoolhouse is a growing curriculum of 

distance learning. RWU’s programs in paralegal studies 

have been tailored to allow Legalmen to work toward their 

Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees as they change duty 

stations throughout the U.S., at sea, and overseas. Fiftyone Legalmen are enrolled in the program, now in its third 

semester. 

Knowledge Management and Information Technology

Distance Learning is not just for Legalmen. The Navy’s 

legal resources have moved to the Internet, and specifically to Communities of Practice (COPs) on Navy Knowledge Online. These communities have grown exponentially 

over the last year, particularly the Criminal Law and Legal 

Assistance COPs. Military judges use their COP to maintain ongoing, worldwide collaboration. Resources in a wide 

variety of practice areas are up to date and accessible from a 

single, authoritative source. Message boards allow attorneys 

to bounce ideas off colleagues around the world.

Performance Measures and Efficiency

One year after the launch of CMTIS, several new surveys, 

and a new, annual Article 6 inspection, the JAG Corps’ true 

image is starting to come into view. With one year’s worth 

of CMTIS data, we are able to provide empirical data to support what we have known in our “gut” to be true. A primary 

example is the length of time needed to try different types of 

courts-martial. How much longer does it take to try a General Court-Martial than a Special Court-Martial? What if it 

is contested? What if the accused elects members? Thanks 

to one year of CMTIS entries, we now have data-supported 

answers to these questions. Of course, this is only the beginning. As the data entered becomes more accurate, we will 

learn more about the relation between cost and quality of the 

services we provide, what our clients value about our services, and how to allocate our resources more efficiently. 

The JAG Corps deployed a number of surveys in the past 

year. These surveys are a crucial measure of the quality 

of our services and the satisfaction of our command and 

servicemember clients. Global and military justice surveys 

of military judges and trial attorneys provided a baseline 

against which we can measure the progress of our litigators in 

the courtroom. As mentioned earlier in this article, the JAG 

Corps will use surveys to evaluate the Trial Defense Command 

pilot in the Southeast. Surveys measuring satisfaction among 

members of the commands as well as client satisfaction 

with personal representation and legal assistance services 

captured pre-pilot data. Customer satisfaction surveys 

deployed during the pilot and subsequent internal satisfaction 

surveys will allow the JAG Corps to compare before and 

after accurately. Feedback from hundreds of commanding 

officers, executive officers, and command master chiefs on 

our legal support is currently being analyzed. As the value 

of our services is hard to quantify, surveys will continue to 

provide invaluable information regarding our contribution to 

the Fleet and its mission. 

Special Assistant for Transformation (SAT) Staff

LT Anne Marks

(202) 685-5462 

anne.marks@navy.mil

LCDR Joe Hoelz

(202) 685-5185 

joe.hoelz@navy.mil

CDR Mary Horrigan

(202) 685-7255 

mary.horrigan@navy.mil

CAPT Dawn Tompkins

(202) 685-7701

dawn.tompkins@navy.mil
30

Successful Assessment Writing in the 

National Security Personnel System

By Amy Stevens

Fiscal and Resource Management (Code 64)

National Security Personnel System

The Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG) recently 

closed out its first performance cycle under the National 

Security Personnel System (NSPS). As part of the closeout 

process, managers and employees prepared documentation to 

submit to the Pay Pool Panel (PPP) for consideration during 

PPP deliberations. NSPS guidance dictates the PPP review 

each employee’s documentation (which includes approved 

job objectives, a supervisory assessment, a recommended 

rating/pay out, and a voluntary employee self-assessment) 

before finalizing the rating and payout. 

The PPP used this documentation to determine the final 

rating and payout for each employee, so it is a critically 

important opportunity for employees to promote their merits 

and accomplishments throughout the performance period. 

Accordingly, below are important points to remember 

throughout the year so you will be prepared to write your 

self-assessment. 

1. Employee self-assessments are voluntary - why should 

I write a self-assessment?

While self-assessments from employees are entirely 

voluntary, it is strongly suggested that all employees write 

an assessment. The self-assessment is an opportunity for 

employees to assess their achievements and progress during 

the rating cycle. By writing that evaluation, the employee 

is showing personal engagement in his/her own career and 

position within the organization. Conversely, employees 

who do not submit an assessment could be viewed as 

being disinterested in the performance appraisal process. 

Additionally, employees may want to consider the following 

advantages inherent to submitting a self-assessment:

Help Your Rating Official Help You: Employees can 

recap their accomplishments to their rating officials 

(supervisors) to ensure that they are considered for inclusion 

in the supervisory assessment. The employee can assist 

the rating official by describing the accomplishments from 

a management perspective linking them to organizational 

goals.

Future Goal Setting: Employees can use this review 

to identify goals for the next rating period. By assessing 

what they have done, employees can aid themselves in goal 

setting by more clearly delineating future objectives. This 

can be equally important at the interim review period and the 

annual review period.

Maximize Your Reward: Be an advocate for yourself. 

The self-assessment is not a time to be humble. Employees 

should brag about their accomplishments in an effort to 

ensure that the PPP considers all appropriate information in 

their deliberations which will affect their pay. By citing all 

applicable contributions to objective completion and mission 

goals, employees are maximizing their chances of receiving 

increased salary pay outs. 

2. What information should my self-assessment contain?

To answer this question, consider the questions the PPP 

has to ask themselves when reviewing an employee’s rating 

and assessment package. The PPP must know...

•	 What tangible results demonstrate conclusively 

that the job objective was met? Or not met? 

•	 What was the level of accomplishment for 

each job objective? 

•	 Was it met at the Level 3 standard? Above 

or below? Describing accomplishments in an 

effects-based outcomes model, rather than a list 

of tasks. 

•	 Relating accomplishments to overall 

organizational missions and goals.

•	 Providing any necessary context about the 

results.

•	 Explaining any special situations (e.g., 

details, long-term training, participation in task 

force, extended work absences) that affected an 

employee’s ability to meet a job objective. 

For example, an employee could simply list a task 

in the self-assessment, “Maintained accurate division 

calendar.” In contrast, the employee would be describing 

the accomplishment (updated calendar) in an effects-based 

model with the statement, “Maintained accurate division 

calendar in effort to facilitate office communication and 

teamwork while also reducing administrative workload for 

attorneys.” 

In that second statement, the employee demonstrates 

that he/she has completed her job objective (updated 

calendar), describes the effects of doing so (facilitates office 

communication), and relates that task to a larger impact to 

the division as a whole (decreased administrative workload 

for others). 

The rating official may add in the rating official’s 

assessment, “Employee successfully completed job objective. 

As a result, the office that had previously one incident per week 
31

For more information or to ask a question about NSPS, 

please contact Amy Stevens at 202-685-5286 or at amy.stevens@navy.mil

National Security Personnel System

of double-booking meetings had one quarter of no incidents 

of double-booking. Additionally, the attorney administrative 

workload was decreased and attorneys were able to spend an 

average of 30 minutes more per week counseling clients.” 

This rating official assessment successfully addresses the 

key bullets that will answer the PPP questions.

3. How can I best prepare to write my self-assessment?

Employees can prepare the entire performance period to 

write a self-assessment. Keep these ideas listed below in mind 

and make them part of your regular routine at your job.

•	 Know your job objective requirements.

•	 Track your accomplishments and praises 

throughout performance period to use specific 

examples.

•	 Know the expectations (performance indicators/

benchmark standards) of your pay schedule/pay 

band and contributing factors.

•	 Know how your objectives relate to your 

command and the JAG Corps mission and goals.

4. What basic format should my self-assessment follow?

As described in the OJAG and CNLSC Business Rules, 

supervisory and employee assessment must be submitted in 

the basic format: 

Objective 1: Results/accomplishments related to 

achievement of the objective.

Efforts related to assigned contributing factors.

Objective 2: Results/accomplishments related to 

achievement of the objective.

Efforts related to assigned contributing factors.

Objective 3: Results/accomplishments related to 

achievement of the objective.

Efforts related to assigned contributing factors.

This allows the PPP to consider each job independently 

and eliminates the need for the PPP to deduce which specific 

accomplishments relate to which job objective. Employees 

may also follow this more specific model suggested below.

The ORE Method - Objective, Result, Effort:

Objective 1: Briefly restate the objective

•	 Result: What was done and how did it benefit 

or support the command/JAG Corps?

•	 Effort: Address how the contributing factor(s) 

were exhibited in accomplishing the job 

objective? 

Objective 2: Briefly restate the objective

•	 Result: What was done and how did it benefit 

or support the command/JAG Corps?

•	 Effort: Address how the contributing factor(s) 

were exhibited in accomplishing the job 

objective? 

Objective 3: Briefly restate the objective

•	 Result: What was done and how did it benefit 

or support the command/JAG Corps?

•	 Effort: Address how the contributing factor(s) 

were exhibited in accomplishing the job objective?

NSPS assessments take a concentrated level of effort from 

the writer to become great assessments. By studying the 

tips and requirements outlined above, employees can feel 

confident in their ability to present their best to their rating 

officials and Pay Pool Panel members. If you are interested in 

more about NSPS self-assessments, visit http://www.cpms.

osd.mil/nsps/ to review the automated iSuccess Tool that 

allows you to practice writing assessments or review http://

www.cpms.osd.mil/nsps/docs/selfassessmentfactsheet.pdf

for some additional tips.
32

CAPT Mark Deardurff presented LN1 Tiffany Breaux of RLSO 

EURSWA Det Bahrain with a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. LN1 Breaux was recognized for her outstanding job 

in Bahrain for the last year. She is leaving active duty to complete her bachelor’s degree and plans to attend law school.

Awards

LCDR Art Blum 

received the Bronze 

Star for his work as 

the detainee OPS attorney for Multi-National 

Corps Iraq from BGEN 

Joseph Anderson, the 

MNC-I Chief of Staff. 

LCDR Blum’s duties 

required constant helicopter and convoy 

travel. The awards 

ceremony was held on 

the veranda of al-Faw 

Palace, which is the 

headquarters for both 

MNF-I and MNC-I. 

Lisa Hird Chung, Esq. of Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & 

Connaughton presented CDR Johnny Nilsen with 

the Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton Award 

for highest GPA (4.13) in the LL.M. program at the 

University of San Diego. CDR Nilsen will have his 

name inscribed on a permanent plaque on display 

at the law school.

After 35 years of supervisory paralegal 

specialist service, Mrs. Perla Simanowitz of 

RLSO SW retired. Mrs. Simanowitz received 

an award from RLSO SW Commanding 

Officer CAPT Carole Gaasch.

35 years of service JAG receives Bronze Star

High GPA wins JAG 

a place in history

Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal 

presented to Legalman
33

Awards

LN1 Michelle C. Stallings was 

selected as Naval Legal Service Command’s Sailor of the Quarter for the 

period July 1 through Sept. 30. 

The native of Havelock, North Carolina, is currently assigned to Regional 

Legal Service Office, Mid-Atlantic 

(RLSO MIDLANT) and serves as the 

non-judicial punishment and installation hub paralegal for RLSO MIDLANT. She provides legal support to 

Naval Station Norfolk and tenant commands. 

Some of the accomplishments LN1 

Stalling was selected for included her 

work as an advisor for military justice 

By LNCM Stephen S. DiStefano

Command Master Chief

Naval Legal Service Command’s Sailor of the Quarter

investigations, disciplinary review 

boards, NJP procedures, confinement 

issues, JAGMAN investigations, litigation reports, and claims for damage 

to government property. She also conducted legal briefs for Naval Stations 

(NAVSTA) command indoctrination 

program and personally prepared all 

NAVSTA NJP packages and JAGMAN 

investigations. LN1 led the enormous 

tasks of preparing several litigation 

reports, one of which was aimed to 

recoup nearly $2.5 million from a civilian merchant ship company believed to 

have damaged the NAVSTA degaussing range. 

Despite an extremely heavy workload, LN1 Stallings was the Secretary of NAVSTA Norfolk’s First Class 

Petty Officer Association as well as the 

Vice President of the Navy Legalman 

Association. She completed six Navy 

E-Learning courses and assisted a shipmate deployed as an IA by providing 

childcare for her two small children.

LT Justin Henderson received the Navy 

and Marine Corps Achievement Medal 

from CAPT Eric Price.

LT Kathleen Elkins received the Navy 

and Marine Corps Commendation 

Medal from CAPT Eric Price.

BM3 Amanda Pelham received a good 

conduct award from CAPT Stuart Belt.

Mr. Earl Taylor received the 20 years of 

civil service award from RADM Bruce 

MacDonald.

LT David Shull received the Navy and 

Marine Corps Achievement Medal from 

CAPT Marc Laverdiere.

LT Chad Temple received the Navy 

and Marine Corps Achievement Medal 

from RADM Bruce MacDonald and 

CAPT Michael Boock. 
34

Congratulations to all who have received awards! These are only a few who have been recognized throughout the JAG Corps 

during the recent months. If you want to see your name in print, submit your command awards or photos to 

natalie.morehouse@navy.mil

Awards

CAPT Mark Deardurff presided over LCDR 

Davin Rieke’s promotion ceremony. LCDR 

Rieke is the new officer-in-charge for RLSO 

EURSWA Det Bahrain.

LT Ryan Davis was 

selected as Naval Legal 

Service Command’s 

(NLSC) Junior Officer 

of the Quarter for the 

period of July 1 to Sept. 

30. During this period, 

LT Davis’ negotiated 

with regional engineers 

and public works 

officers and oversaw 

the facilities budget for 

fiscal year 2007. This 

was one of the most successful facilities rehabilitation and modernization 

periods in JAG Corps history. LT Davis is also the first non-JAG Corps 

member to receive this honor.

NLSC Junior Officer of the Quarter

“This is a great community where everyone 

wants to be.”

“This was a great experience and better than I 

could have hoped for.”

Ericka Ensign, Code 11

Lauren Hahn, Code 07

“This was a phenomenal 

experience and working 

with high quality people 

was enjoyable.”

“This was a really 

good, eye opening 

experience for me.”

Erin Mullen, Code 14

“How was your experience at JAG?”

Richard York, NLSO

LT Mary Pohanka, SAT

“It was really enjoyable 

and a great place to be 

to learn where the JAG 

Corps is headed.”

 “This was an enjoyable, great networking 

experience.”

Lauren Ogata, Code 16

By Sarah Hayes

Interns of JAG

Public Affairs Intern

Promotion in EURSWA 
 JAGs LCDR Jim Lucci, LCDR Dominic Jones, LCDR 

Melissa Harvison, CAPT Kirk Foster, LT Dave Melson, 

and LCDR Ken Shook at Multi National Force - Iraq.

President George W. Bush with LN1 Penny 

McCleary, RLSO Hawaii, during his visit to the 

island.

Assistant Judge Advocate General, Military Justice, Col 

Edward McCue, cuts the ceremonial first slice of cake for 

the Marine Corps 232nd birthday.

LTJG Ryan Forbes, LTJG Katherine Ray, LTJG Zack 

Prager, the latest graduates from the Basic Lawyer Course, 

attend a social event at the Officer’s Club in Newport. 

CAPT Stu Belt, RLSO Japan, and Mr. Kochi Sekizawa 

at the 20th annual U.S./Japan friendship softball 

tournament.

LN1 Jessica Nicola pictured with the Honorable Donald 

Winter during his recent visit to Afghanistan.

35
The Region Legal Service Office Europe Southwest Asia 

Det Bahrain team after LN1 Tiffany Breaux’s award 

ceremony.

LT Gopi Nadella from RLSO EURSWA Det Sigonella, 

with a baby camel in Djibouti.

LCDR Art Blum and LNC Kim Roman both of 

RLSO EURSWA at the Republican Palace in 

Baghdad TF-134.

LNCM (SW) Dezwaan, NLSO MIDLANT, with a Djiboutian girl during a community project at an orphanage.

LNC Lisa Vrtiska is promoted to the rank of chief 

petty officer by CAPT Robert Blazewick, the 

commanding officer of RLSO Hawaii. 

36

CDR Denise Stich teaches a course at the Naval Justice School.
RLSO Japan donned Santa hats for a SEVENTH FLEET 

Band photo used during their holiday musicals. 

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Joe Campa poses 

with LN1 Thanh Clark, from NLSO SW, during a visit 

to Iraq.

CAPT Hank Molinengo presided over the RLSO MIDWEST 

change of command, during which CAPT Tammy Tideswell 

relieved CAPT Dawn Tompkins as Commanding Officer.

Members of each service, including the JAG 

Corps’ own LN1 Wanda Smylie, pose with 

Mr. Bill O’Reilly in Afghanistan.

LN1 Jessica Nicola displaying her holiday spirit in 

Afghanistan. 

LN1 Wanda Smylie, LN1 Richard Cocklin and LN2 

Jonathan High from CJTF-82 pictured with the Honorable 

Donald Winter during his recent visit to Afghanistan.

37
CAPT Kirk Foster with Australian JAGs in Iraq.

LN1 Rasha Dionne Stewart-Potter and a friendly camel in 

Iraq.

RLSO EURSWA Leadership Training Symposium in 

NSA Naples.

CJTF-HOA SJA staff: Maj Scott Manning, CDR Barry Harrison, LT Andrew Corbin, Maj Robert Ballenger, LN1 Nita 

Holliday, Capt Eve Zamora, and AO2 Sherry Kness.

LTJG Emily Dewey, NLSO NC, and LT Chris 

Colby, OJAG Code 63, recently appeared in the 

McLean Community Players presentation of The 

Secret Garden. 

NAMARA Marines gather for a celebration ceremony in 

honor of the Marine Corps 232nd birthday at the Washington Navy Yard. 

38
39
Office of the Judge Advocate General

Public Affairs Office

1322 Patterson Ave., SE, 

Suite 3000

Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066

LNC Kim Roman, LN1 Carole McCoy, GEN David 

Petraeus and LN2 David Cooper.