Navy JuLY/August 2007

Legal Mentors in Afghanistan
On the cover

INSIDE JAG MAGAZINE

LT Jennie Womble, a JAG Corps 

individual augmentee with the Legal 

Affairs Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan, gives 

her thoughts on the justice system in 

Afghanistan on page 6.

The Meaning of Chief Page 5

Afghanistan Individual Augmentee Page 7

NLSO Pacific Joint Initiatives Page 16 

Navy JAG Receives Letter of Appreciation from IRS Page 11

Admiral Wedan’s Farewell Page 15

Death Benefit Gratuity Page 12

Regular columns

Book Review Page 19

JAG Corps 2020 Page 20

NSPS Page 21

JAG Awards Page 24

Photos from the Fleet Page 26

Legalmen Training Symposium Page 10

Legalman Receives Bronze Star Page 13

 A Diversity of Competencies Page 14

Retired JAG Association Page 18 
BRUCE MacDONALD

Rear Admiral, JAGC, U.S. Navy

Judge Advocate General

The Judge Advocate General

This July/August edition of the JAG Magazine 

centers on the chiefs’ community. First, to the new 

Chiefs, congratulations! You worked very hard 

to achieve this milestone. You have demonstrated your 

dedication to the mission of our Navy and JAG Corps. 

You are assuming positions of increased responsibility 

and accountability, which includes responsibility for 

proactively leading and mentoring your Sailors. I 

expect you to play a greater role in shaping our JAG 

Corps community. You are now a senior member of the 

JAG Corps, and I will look to you for your thoughts and 

comments on our community issues.

Also in this edition, we continue our focus on 

Individual Augmentees (IAs). LT Jeanine Womble 

gives a first-hand account of her role as a legal mentor 

in Afghanistan. I was able to visit LT Womble while 

she was in Afghanistan and I met with the legal advisors 

she mentored. I’ll never forget BGEN Shir Muhammad 

Zazai, the Judge Advocate General of the Afghan National 

Army, asking me please to not take “Ms. Jeanine” away 

because of the amazing work she was doing. This simple 

request spoke volumes about the Navy’s presence in 

Afghanistan, the future of women in the country, and 

the incredible work our IAs are doing around the world. 

I am so proud of each of our JAG Corps members who 

volunteer to serve in an IA assignment. Our community 

continues to have more volunteers than we have IA billets, 

and RADM Houck, RADM Joerg, LNCM DiStefano, and 

I could not be prouder.

Another example of an incredible leader is LNCM 

Marco Ramirez. He is the first Navy legalman to receive 

the Bronze Star. This award represents his significant 

achievements in Iraq. Congratulations and thank you, 

Master Chief, for embodying what the Chiefs’ community 

stands for and going above and beyond what was asked 

of you. Master Chief Ramirez has been selected for the 

Command Master Chief program and our community will 

miss him, but we are honored to share him with the rest 

of our Navy.

As always – thank you for everything you do. Your 

service is meaningful and important!
4

Assistant Deputy Judge Advocate General

NORTON C. JOERG

Rear Admiral, JAGC, U.S. Navy

Assistant Deputy Judge Advocate General

Last month, we saw the first in 

a series of articles focusing on 

active-Reserve integration and 

alignment in the context of JAG Corps 

2020. In that discussion, we talked 

about where our transformation process 

fits into the larger context of Navy’s 

strategic goals. We also took a look at 

where the needs are, and touched on 

how the Reserve component of our 

enterprise is going about helping to 

meet those needs.

It is now time to focus a little bit more 

narrowly. Having a good understanding 

of what our Reserve members bring to 

the fight is important. In this issue, CDR 

Les Reardanz provides an overview of 

our Reserve component’s amalgam of 

experiences and skill sets. 

Even this “high-speed pass” will 

impress you with what a valuable resource 

we have in our Reserve component. In 

CAPT Ben Abalos’ article, he discussed 

how dramatically different the Reserve 

component is utilized today, and the 

strategic imperative to do even more in 

fashioning the right mix of capabilities 

to the requirements at hand. Hopefully 

this will stimulate your thinking about 

what more we can do as an integrated 

community, with each part pulling 

according to its best use. Such thinking 

is at the root of our effort to transform 

our active-Reserve lash-up to capture 

maximum value.

Bottom line, we must use our many 

strengths properly and most effectively. 

With regard to active-Reserve integration 

and alignment, there is a learning 

curve for each part of our community. 

Mutual understanding of requirements, 

strengths, and constraints are central to 

any success we might have in getting 

up that curve to the point where we 

can do effective transformative work. 

Please be conscious of our respective 

roles and capacities, so that we 

miss no opportunity for growth and 

improvement. If our current series of 

articles serves to advance us toward this 

state of mindfulness, they will serve us 

well. I commend them to you.

All the best in all you do. I am proud 

to be sharing with you our good and 

important work.
5

What It Means To Be A Chief

By LNCM (SW/AW) Stephen DiStefano

Senior Enlisted Advisor to TJAG

An important Fall tradition in the U.S. Navy is the 

announcement of the newly selected Chief Petty 

Officers and the month-long training they undergo to 

prepare themselves for advancement to this position of trust 

and authority. For an enlisted Sailor, selection to Chief Petty 

Officer is one of the great accomplishments in a Navy career. 

The average selectee has 13 years of service, has taken on 

challenging assignments, and demonstrated the leadership 

essential to being a Chief Petty Officer. 

I remember the day when I was told that I was selected to 

become a Chief. It was, by far, the greatest moment in my 22 

years of service. With that selection, I knew much more was 

expected of me: greater responsibilities, greater opportunities 

to lead, and, most importantly, being part of a unique group of 

men and women in the greatest Navy in the world.

Chief selectees have many people to thank for their selection. 

Their families, first and foremost, have played a significant role 

in their selection. Because of the families’ dedication to the 

Navy, Chief selectees are able to work long hours demanded 

from their jobs. They also are able to deploy, either onboard 

a ship, with a Seabee battalion, or as an individual augmentee 

with support from a home base. Families have had to deal 

with more frequent and longer separations and have done so 

with flying colors. 

They should also thank the many Chiefs before them who 

have shaped and molded the Chiefs’ 

community. Without them, there 

would be no Chiefs’ mess. I am 

proud of those who came before me, 

for building the greatest tradition in 

the Navy. I thank them for their 

outstanding mentorship, without 

which I would not be in the position 

I am today. 

Most importantly, Chief selectees 

must thank the Sailors who helped 

them achieve this success. No matter 

how you dissect it, the Sailors of the 

command where the Chief is selected 

play a huge part in the process. From 

the most junior Sailor to the leading 

petty officer, from the Chiefs’ mess 

up to the Commanding Officer, it is a 

team effort that launches a first class 

into the role of a Chief Petty Officer.

With selection comes the enormous responsibility to lead 

Sailors. This is an obligation Chiefs must not take lightly, 

especially in a time of great change within our community 

and the Navy overall. There are many challenges in today’s 

Navy that demand leadership. We have junior Sailors in 

harm’s way in support of the Global War on Terrorism. We 

have increased operational tempo. We decreased the Navy’s 

end strength some 50,000 people over the past 5 years, which 

requires more out of our Sailors than I have seen over my 22 

years of service. One result is the expansion of the Chief Petty 

Officer’s role.

In closing, I have included a few words from MCPON Joe 

Campa as he reflected on the 114th birthday of the Navy Chief 

Petty Officer. This is what our new Chiefs will become a part 

of in their new role. More is expected of them; more will be 

demanded from them; they are now the experts and set the 

example.

“On April 1, all Chief Petty Officers, active and retired, will 

celebrate 114 years of deckplate leadership. It’s important 

that on occasions like this we acknowledge the significant 

contributions of the generations of Chiefs who made our mess 

what it is today. 

“Every Chief in the Navy should pause a moment 

to reflect on the strong legacy of leadership that our 

mess is founded on. This is a time to reaffirm our 

commitment to our Navy, our Sailors and each other. 

 “Our Mission, Vision and Guiding Principles were forged in a 

tradition of CPO leadership, a brand of leadership that is unique 

only to those of us who walk the 

deckplates as Chiefs. Those principles 

are the time-honored values that have 

been the characteristics of Chiefs since 

our inception in 1893. They sustained 

our Chiefs when they raised us, and 

they still serve as our heritage to this 

day. It is critical that we maintain that 

heritage as our conscience and the 

soul of our service. 

“Thank you Chiefs. Through 

your leadership of our Sailors, you’re 

keeping that heritage alive. But we 

must continue to press forward. Look 

at your Sailors today and you’ll know 

how you stand as a Chief and the 

impact you have on your command. 

It is through this lens that we can 

only truly see how successful we are 

as a Mess.”
LNC Mark Adams

LNC Margaret A. Bagley 

LNC Michael Billings 

LNC Marissa C. Brown 

LNC Ursula U. Brown 

LNC Lynette A. BrownMcDuffie

LNC Eric J. Gagne 

LNC Madeline M. Grange 

LNC Lucinda Hicks 

LNC Stacy L. Kebe 

LNC Craig E. Lyons 

LNC David Marchetti

LNC Jessica L. Miller 

LNC Denise Mix 

LNC Tammara R. Moore 

LNC Kristi J. Moses

LNC Bonifacio B. Pike

LNC Scott A. Sawyer

LNC Kristine M. Skupnik

 LNC Kyle L. Vaughan

LNC Lisa M. Vrtiska

LNC Chiara M. White

LNC Paul B. Williams

LNC Martha L. Woodley 

LNC Robert W. Woodruff

Congratulations to the 

New Chief Legalmen
7

JAG Corps Individual Augmentee: 

Legal Affairs Unit Afghanistan

By LT Jeanine Womble

Afghanistan Legal Mentor

Editor’s Note: This is the third story 

in a series of first hand accounts by 

members of the JAG Corps on their 

experiences and work as individual 

augmentees. See the March/April 

edition for coverage of Iraq and the 

May/June edition for coverage of the 

Horn of Africa. 

The opportunity to witness a 

country’s struggle to implement 

a new legal system and to 

overcome years of poverty and conflict 

is truly the experience of a lifetime. 

Looking back over my decade of 

experience in the Navy, nothing has 

equaled my experience as a legal 

mentor in Afghanistan. 

The U.S. military is not only engaged 

in “the fight” in Afghanistan, we are also 

mentoring the Afghan military in areas 

ranging from war-fighting, to building 

an effective pay and retirement system, 

to managing an effective supply system 

so soldiers get blankets and parkas in 

winter. As a legal mentor, my job was 

to help the Afghan National Army’s 

(ANA) Judge Advocate General, a 

non-lawyer, Soviet-trained artillery 

officer, and the members of the ANA 

JAG Corps learn how to use their 

newly adopted military justice system. 

Many in the ANA JAG Corps received 

no formal legal training and a few were 

illiterate.

Mentoring was inspiring, humbling, 

infuriating, and frustrating all at the 

same time. Afghanistan is recovering 

from the chaos induced by 30 years 

of war. Issues such as widespread 

corruption, rampant unemployment, 

critical infrastructure problems, 

education, and high infant mortality are 

critical to Afghanistan’s development. 

See MENTOR page 8
8

reversing them).

In addition to trial work, the ANA 

JAG Corps is also addressing policy 

issues including rules of engagement, 

implementation of training on law of 

armed conflict, and ethics regulations.

During my tour in Afghanistan, I 

spent most of each day with my Afghan 

counterparts teaching, listening, 

debating, drinking chai, and talking 

about our families, politics, and how 

to solve the world’s problems. In that 

environment, you quickly remember 

what we all instinctively know—people 

are not as different as we sometimes 

think. Areas of common ground far 

outweighed areas where we failed to 

understand each other.

I was the first non-family-related 

female my Afghan counterparts had ever 

met. In Afghanistan, men do not interact 

with women outside of their own family. 

It is unheard of to go out to dinner with a 

friend and include your spouses. Social 

events are strictly divided by gender, 

and while some of the Afghans said that 

these traditions were out-dated, they all 

universally agreed change in this area 

was a long time off. 

These issues are multiplied by an active 

insurgency and terror groups along the 

border with Pakistan. This gives you a 

snapshot of the problem Afghanistan’s 

people face and the fledgling democratic 

government charged with leading the 

nation into a better future. 

The Afghan military justice system 

is fairly similar to our Uniform Code 

of Military Justice. It is a significant 

change from previous military justice 

systems in Afghanistan. Prior U.S. legal 

mentors were involved in developing 

the military criminal procedure codes, 

setting up the legal departments at 

each ANA Corps, and getting the first 

court-martial completed. While I was 

there, our focus was building on that 

foundation. This included, among 

other things, teaching trial skills, 

developing prosecutors, developing 

an investigative service, and giving 

feedback about trials we witnessed.

We held seminars on how to present 

evidence, make arguments, and 

advocate for a client. In rewarding 

mentoring moments, we got to see these 

skills put into practice at trial. ANA 

defense counsel have become zealous 

advocates and seem to take pride in 

their jobs. Prosecutors, however, are 

still adjusting to their new role. In 

the previous inquisitorial system, 

prosecutors did the investigations, but 

the judge did all of the questioning 

during trial. Old habits die hard for 

judges, and it is hard for the prosecutors 

to assert themselves in this area.

Beyond mentoring at the trial level, 

we also advised trial and appellate level 

judges. Topics such as motions practice 

(a new and novel concept still more 

theory than practice), how to deal with 

violations of criminal procedure, guilty 

pleas, and resolving conflict between 

what they believe is “right” and what 

the law tells them is legal were our most 

common areas of discussion. In every 

conversation with the appellate judges, 

I felt I learned as much, if not more, 

than I could ever teach them. Near the 

end of my tour, I even got to debate 

the judges on an Afghan Supreme 

Court case reminiscent of Marbury v. 

Madison (the appellate judges were 

not happy about the Supreme Court 

taking jurisdiction over their case and 

MENTOR continued from page 7
9

LT Jeanine Womble teaches members of the Afghan National Army about legal issues such 

as how to present evidence, make arguments and advocate for a client.

To my surprise, my gender was a 

non-issue. My Afghan counterparts 

quickly and openly accepted me, 

treating me with respect and as an 

equal. My gender was no more than an 

initial novelty. One official even used 

me as a recruiting tool, telling potential 

recruits, “There are American women 

here fighting for your country, yet you 

still do nothing!” 

To this day I am astonished that 

they readily accepted my, at times, 

very direct style. I am convinced I was 

placed in a completely separate gender 

category somewhere between the 

cultural definition of man and woman. 

This became evident late in my tour. We 

were invited to an engagement party for 

one of our interpreters. The ANA JAG 

asked me whether I was going. When I 

responded in the affirmative, he asked if 

I would be staying on the women’s side 

or the men’s side. Somewhat surprised, 

I asked him what he thought. He said, 

“you are more than welcome to sit at 

our table with us, but you should go to 

the women’s side first so you can see 

what everyone’s wife looks like.”

Gender issues aside, in my opinion 

the true challenge to being an effective 

mentor was much more difficult. On 

a daily basis I had to negotiate the fine 

line between advocating new ideas and 

procedures and forcing elements of 

western jurisprudence on a culture in 

which they did not make sense. It was 

my job to introduce and explain western 

legal concepts, to fight the initial 

negative reaction against the newness 

of those ideas, and to spark debate 

among Afghans about how to best push 

forward the rule of law in Afghanistan. 

I did not feel it was my job to create a 

clone of the American military justice 

system. My mentoring philosophy was 

that our mission is to create a system 

that is fair, transparent, and reasonably 

predictable, and to ensure the resulting 

system works within Afghan culture 

and society. The worst thing a mentor 

can do is to take the position that there 

was only one right way to achieve a 

just result.

I am not sure what the Afghanistan 

legal system will look like in 10 years. 

As the system evolves over time, 

the Afghans will decide. What I am 

sure of is that by getting to know our 

Afghan counterparts, learning about 

them, and sharing both our legal 

knowledge and information about our 

culture and family, mentors develop 

relationships that help shape policy on 

both sides of the equation. Hopefully 

these relationships will help to create 

a stable, prosperous Afghanistan in the 

future.

LT Jeanine Womble with BGEN Shir Muhammad Zazai, the JAG of the Afghan National Army, 

and Deputy Minister Nooristani. 
10

By Ms. Natalie Morehouse

Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Legalman Training Symposium

The first Legalman Training Symposium was held May 

21-23 in Nashville, Tennessee. Two hundred and 

nine members of the global Navy legal community, 

including 19 civilians and 7 reservists, were in attendance. 

In the past, two symposiums were held biannually, one 

on the East Coast and one on the West Coast. This year, 

special efforts were made to bring together the entire legal 

community in Nashville to discuss the latest updates and 

polices affecting our practice. For many it was also a 

chance to exchange ideas and experiences, reunite with old 

colleagues and mentors, and to put faces to names.

The symposium also helped define what it means 

to be a Navy legalman today and in the future. The 

presentations centered on the theme of future educational 

and professional transformation of the legal community. 

RADM MacDonald and LNCM(SW/AW) DiStefano 

explained the professional development plans for the JAG 

Corps of 2020 and the vision of a highly educated paralegal 

community. Leadership has already devised plans to 

streamline the legalman rating to ensure recruitment of 

only the finest Sailors to serve the Fleet as paralegals with 

ABA-accredited degrees. 

CAPT Charlotte Wise, the Commanding Officer of 

Naval Justice School, discussed the introduced of the new 

Legalman Accession Course. NJS recently graduated its 

first Legalman class after nearly three years. During that 

three-year hiatus of legalman accession, NJS created an 

innovative course of study for new legalmen, incorporating 

university paralegal courses with military legal training. 

Working with Roger Williams University, a challenging 

11-week curriculum was established, incorporating 8 weeks 

of paralegal studies courses (10 credit hours) and 3 weeks 

of military justice, civil law, and operational law training.

The guest speakers were as diverse as the legal 

community. There were presentations from officers, 

enlisted, reservists, and civilians. 

The Assistant Deputy Judge Advocate General, RADM 

Norton Joerg, and JAG Reserve Command Master Chief, 

LNCM Tim Ayoub, discussed Reserve integration, proper 

communication, and continued professionalism within 

the community. 

LNCM DiStefano headed a lively joint service board 

alongside U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Maureen 

Lowe, and U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant 

Rafael Urena. 

The Legalman Community Manager, NCCM David 

Adkins, discussed career advancement and met with 

individual legalmen during the symposium.

One of the true highlights of the event was RADM 

MacDonald’s presentation of the Bronze Star medal to 

LNCM Marco Ramirez of Region Legal Service Office 

Mid-Atlantic, for his service as an IA with Task Force 

134 in Iraq. 

“This LN Symposium is symbolic of a new beginning 

for the Legalman community,” said LNCM DiStefano. 

“Our long-held goal of enlisted professionals with 

enhanced paralegal skills is upon us and this Symposium 

has launched this great community into a new era.” 

Legalmen stationed all over the world are briefed by senior Judge 

Advocate General Corps leaders.

LNCM DiStefano headed a lively joint service board alongside Air 

Force Chief Master Sergeant Lowe, and U.S. Marine Corps Master 

Gunnery Sergeant Urena.
11

IRS Recognizes Navy Volunteer 

Income Tax Assistance Program

By LCDR Ted Cook

Code 16 Legal Assistance

The Judge Advocate General of the Navy recently 

received a letter of appreciation from Ms. Ellie 

Cimaglia for support the Navy provided this past 

tax season to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Volunteer 

Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Ms. Cimaglia is 

the Director of Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and 

Communications (SPEC) of the IRS. 

In her letter, Ms. Cimaglia cited the Navy’s continuing 

support for the VITA program. The outstanding work done 

by VITA volunteers throughout the Fleet helps to uphold the 

integrity of our nation’s tax system and enhance the quality 

of life for Sailors and their families.

During this past tax year, the Navy’s VITA program 

prepared returns for over 61,500 personnel, which saved 

those servicemembers more than $8.2 million in preparation 

fees and helped them expeditiously receive over $80 million 

in refunds.

The VITA program is free for all active duty, family 

members, and retirees. 

Under the program, trained volunteer preparers assisted 

eligible clients with completing and electronically filing 

state and federal tax returns. The scope of the program 

ranges from helping single Sailors fill out 1040EZ forms, all 

the way to those eligible VITA clients who own their home, 

own rental property, and operate businesses like home daycare centers.

“The volunteers went through extensive training 

specifically tailored to address common tax issues faced 

by servicemembers and we established quality controls in 

every tax center,” said CDR Jeff Fischer, Tax Counsel for 

the Navy. 

The VITA program saved the average 

person about $140 to $180 in tax preparation 

and filing fees. Additionally, since the vast 

majority of returns were filed electronically, 

Sailors received refunds deposited directly 

into their accounts in as quickly as one 

week. 

The VITA program’s ultimate goal is to 

make Sailors self-sufficient in preparing their 

own taxes; however, CDR Fischer warns 

about too much reliance on tax preparation 

software packages. 

“If a Sailor does not understand the tax 

rules, he or she may fail to apply for an 

available credit or fail to depreciate property,” 

says CDR Fischer. “If discovered this can 

be corrected later, but the Sailor will be out 

of money that rightfully belongs to him or 

her until the fix is made. This is the true 

value of the VITA program, particularly for 

Sailors who are inexperienced in preparing 

their own returns or have questions.”

Preparations are already underway for 

the Tax Year 2007 VITA season. Questions 

about the VITA program can be directed 

to your friendly experts in Code 16, (202) 

685-4642! 

Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Mark Everson speaks with Electronics Technician 3rd Class Dana Alba about the efficiency of the Veteran Individual Tax Assistance 

(VITA) program aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
12

Support Detachment. The primary beneficiary may be 

designated to receive up to 50 percent of the $100,000 

death gratuity in 10 percent increments with the remainder 

to pass under the statutory framework. 

This ability to designate a primary beneficiary is 

authorized through Fiscal Year 2007. Although this 

change is only temporary, it could well be made permanent 

in the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization 

Act.

This change is particularly significant for the 

servicemember who either does not have survivors who 

fit the statutory list of beneficiaries, or who is otherwise 

unsatisfied with the effect of 10 U.S.C. §1477. Although 

the new law does not permit a servicemember to designate 

the recipient of the entire death benefit, it is important for 

servicemembers to know they may exercise their will in 

this area, and legal assistance attorneys should take all 

necessary steps to educate the fleet about this significant 

change. 

Including this information in mobilization and predeployment briefs is an excellent way to advise many 

members about the ability to designate a primary 

beneficiary for the death benefit 

gratuity. Power of attorney and 

will intake interviews are also 

an excellent forum in which 

to explore a client’s intent 

with regard to this and other 

important benefits.

The knowledge to make 

informed decisions about 

available benefits is one of the 

most valuable resources legal 

assistance attorneys bring to 

the Fleet. For the deploying 

servicemember, there is 

comfort in knowing that a judge 

advocate has provided sound 

advice and that personal affairs 

are in order. 

Changes in Death Benefit 

Gratuity Keep Legal Assistance 

Practitioners on Their Toes

By LCDR Greg Dimler

Civil Law Support Activity 108

Benefit gratuity 

questions, concerns, or 

assistance?

Contact the experts in 

Code 16!

(202) 685-4642 

or go to the 

Legal Assistance 

Community of Practice

on Navy Knowledge Online.

Although war-time policies often focus on military 

strategy, time of conflict can also serve as an 

opportunity for lawmakers to reexamine benefits 

and the means by which such benefits are afforded 

to servicemembers. As the benefits and procedures 

for making use of them continue to change, the legal 

assistance attorney must stay informed to be the eyes and 

ears of those served. 

The most recent of such changes was implemented 

in the emergency supplemental appropriation for fiscal 

year 2007, which authorizes immediate, but temporary, 

authority for servicemembers to designate a primary 

beneficiary for the death gratuity authorized by 10 

U.S.C. §1475 (currently $100,000). Formerly, the death 

benefit gratuity was paid in accordance with the statutory 

hierarchy of beneficiaries set forth in 10 U.S.C. §1477, 

which provides a chain of successive beneficiaries similar 

in effect to the intestate laws of many states, beginning 

with the surviving spouse, then 

to the surviving issue, then to 

the surviving parents, and then 

to siblings, and so on. 

The new law allows the 

servicemember to designate a 

primary beneficiary to receive 

up to 50 percent of the $100,000 

death benefit gratuity with the 

remainder to be distributed 

in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 

§1477. 

Servicemembers who wish to 

designate a primary beneficiary 

must execute a NAVPERS 

1070/602 (Dependency Application/Record of Emergency 

Data) at their local Personnel 
13

Legalman Receives Bronze Star

By Ms. Natalie Morehouse

Deputy Public Affairs Officer

During the recent Legalman Symposium, the first 

Bronze Star Medal awarded to a Navy legalman 

was presented to LNCM(AW) Marco Ramirez of 

Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic by the Judge 

Advocate General of the Navy. 

The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to a service 

member who distinguishes himself or herself by heroic 

or meritorious achievement or service while engaged in 

military operations involving conflict with an opposing 

foreign force. 

LNCM Ramirez was honored with the Bronze Star for 

his work as an individual augmentee during Operation 

Iraqi Freedom, leading over 100 personnel at Task Force 

134, Detainee Operations, Multi-National Force–Iraq, 

from January 5 to December 17, 2006. As Senior Enlisted 

Advisor, LNCM Ramirez managed the largest legal office 

in theater.

“LNCM Ramirez distinguished himself and the Navy 

Legal community with outstanding service to the United 

States and the people of Iraq,” reads the award citation. 

The awarding official, Major General John D. Gardner, 

U.S. Army, wrote that “LNCM Ramirez’ attention to 

detail, expert managerial and administrative skills, and 

fearlessness directly contributed to the success of the 

strategic mission.”

LNCM Ramirez traveled on more than 60 ground 

convoys and more than 40 air movement missions 

through hostile territory while in country. He planned 

and successfully executed the relocation of the Combined 

Review and Release Board (CRRB) Liaison Office. The 

immediate benefits of the Liaison Office move included 

the CRRB being able to meet more frequently and 

increase work flow, and the elimination of the need to 

conduct convoys which lowered operational risks for our 

personnel. 

LNCM Ramirez also implemented a program to send 

investigators into the field to train and mentor Iraqi forces 

on proper evidence collection techniques. 

“Master Chief Marco Ramirez did a tremendous job 

in taking care of and mentoring all newly-reporting legal 

personnel to TF-134’s legal office. He was instrumental in 

helping their transition into a challenging environment,” 

said LNCM Stephen DiStefano.

If all of this wasn’t enough to keep him busy, LNCM 

Ramirez contributed to the creation of the Iraq Chief 

Petty Officer’s Association and became the President of 

90 members. 

“What a humbling experience,” said LNCM Ramirez 

about receiving the Bronze Star. “It’s a great feeling to 

know that the chain of command and General Gardner 

felt my year’s contribution in support of Operation Iraqi 

Freedom was worth that level of award.”

LNCM (AW) Marco Ramirez receives the Bronze Star from RADM Bruce MacDonald in a ceremony at the Legalman Symposium. LNCM Ramirez 

is flanked by LNCM (SW/AW) Stephen DiStefano and RADM MacDonald.
14

Throughout the 1990’s, the Reserve 

Component was a hedge against 

uncertainty, the extra help that 

would be needed if and when the big war 

broke out. One weekend a month, and 

for two weeks during the summer, this 

strategic Reserve would come together, 

often with little or no interaction with the 

active force, to drill and ensure readiness 

for massive mobilization. 

Fast forward to 2007. We are now an 

operational Reserve, supporting the Fleet 

in real time, in real world missions. No 

longer do we wait for the clients to come 

to us on a drill weekend; we support them 

whenever and wherever necessary to get 

the job done. We are full participants in 

planning and anticipating requirements. 

This is a necessity: the active force is 

tasked to the maximum in meeting a 

myriad of missions. 

JAG Corps leadership has challenged 

all of us – active and Reserve – to derive 

the maximum mutual benefit from all 

members of the team, to create the best 

active-Reserve integration so that we can 

By CDR Les Reardanz

JAGC Reserve Component

The Reserve judge advocate and legalman communities 

represent an amazing mix of expertise and experience, making 

them an ideal resource for our clients. Recognizing this 

strength, JAG Corps 2020 makes active-Reserve Integration 

(ARI) a transformation centerpiece.

Not only geographically diverse, providing access to 

attorneys in states with little or no active judge advocate 

presence, but also diverse in areas of practice, our Reservists 

are judges, corporate counsel, law firm partners, and officials 

at all levels of government. 

You can find Reserve judge advocates and legalmen 

presiding over state courts in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and 

South Carolina. They fill positions as corporate counsel to 

businesses ranging from a large seafood company to railroads 

to telecommunications entities. And you will find them in 

every type of law firm, all the way from solo practitioners to 

Improving Alignment, Integration with Changing Missions, Perspective

best support the Fleet.

In order to meet that challenge, it is 

important to understand the nature of 

the resources resident in the Reserve 

community. 

The Reserve team consists of 460 

drilling judge advocates, 178 legalmen, 

and approximately 50-70 officers 

assigned to voluntary (non-pay) training 

units. Reservists hail from across the 

country and from a variety of civilian 

occupations, as more fully described in 

CDR Les Reardanz’ article. 

We are organized to support Naval and 

Region Legal Service Offices, the Judiciary, 

the various Headquarters Codes, training 

commands (e.g., Naval Justice School 

and the Naval War College) and have 

Reserve staff judge advocates embedded 

in Reserve Readiness Commands and 

major units throughout the Fleet. 

RADMs MacDonald, Houck, and 

Joerg see exciting opportunities to more 

effectively utilize the talents in the Reserves: 

as reach-back to subject-matter experts; as 

part-time or even full-time providers of 

legal support to active units; as a force that 

can surge individuals with in-demand skill 

sets required by Combatant Commanders. 

In Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Africa, 

Reserve judge advocates and legalmen 

are forward-deployed, providing critical 

advice and support to the operational 

force. 

Simply stated, the goal of activeReserve integration is to employ the 

significant assets resident in the Reserve 

Component to maximum effect. We are 

beyond the days of static organizational 

constructs; all of us must be constantly 

evaluating each mission, each required 

skill set, each person, to determine how 

best to bring the right legal solution 

and support to the issue at hand. Our 

emphasis should be on innovative 

thought, maximization of resources, 

and responsiveness to changing Fleet 

requirements. 

Achieving the right mix of skills, 

knowledge, and experience will require 

continuous evaluation and adjustment 

by all hands. Only through on-going 

and committed partnership will we get 

this right. Share your thoughts with 

leadership, with your command Reserve 

coordinator, or with Reservists already 

supporting your mission. Great ideas 

come from all directions! 

By CAPT Ben Abalos

JAGC Reserve Component

The Reserve JAG Corps – A Diversity of Competencies

partners in prestigious law firms, involved in almost every type 

of law.

Reserve judge advocates and legalmen also play important 

roles in local, state, and federal government. They serve as 

counsel to the CIA, State Department, National Security 

Council, and Department of Justice. Our members fill public 

sector leadership roles in U.S. Attorney’s offices, within DoD, 

and on the local level as elected and appointed government 

officials. A Navy Reserve judge advocate serves as the legal 

advisor to a state Governor. 

You may be wondering, how do I tap into this valuable 

resource? Many of you may already be familiar with the JAG 

Corps’ Enterprise System (JAGPERS), found on the web 

at https://enterprise.jag.navy.mil. This password protected 

database already contains biographical, educational, and 

experience background on all active duty judge advocates. 

We are undertaking an initiative to have all Reservists entered 

See RESERVE JAGC page 15
15

A Farewell to Admiral Wedan

By CAPT Hank Molinengo, AJAG 

Operations and Management

On July 6 at the Washington Navy Yard Catering and Conference Center, 

CAPT Robert “Chip” Wedan, the Assistant Judge Advocate General 

of the Navy (AJAG) from 2003 to 2004, retired after a distinguished 

career that spanned close to 3 decades. In recognition of his service as the 

AJAG, and as specifically approved by the Secretary of the Navy, CAPT Wedan 

was promoted to Rear Admiral (Lower Half). 

Serving as the ceremony’s Presiding Official and Guest Speaker, RADM 

Bruce MacDonald paid special tribute to his colleague and friend. Describing 

how he and Chip had attended a course at the Darden School of Business together, 

RADM MacDonald talked about an energizing presentation about successful 

businesses. Typically, the most successful organizations offer some thing or 

some service that is “rare, unique, and hard to imitate.” RADM MacDonald 

went on to note, “I now realize that Chip’s success is a result of these same 

attributes – he is indeed a rare, unique, and hard to imitate individual. Chip 

has always been the type of person who approaches everything from a slightly 

different angle in life. He is the person described in the Robert Frost poem, 

who, coming upon ‘two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry he could 

not take both,’ took the road less traveled. And as the poem concludes, ‘and that 

has made all the difference.’” 

RADM MacDonald commended RDML Wedan’s outstanding dedication to 

the Navy and his serving wherever and whenever needed. RDML Wedan’s 

vision and leadership were instrumental in developing the JAG Corps’ 

transformation plan for the 21st century. 

Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kohler, U.S. Air Force Director, Defense 

Security Cooperation Agency, awarded RDML Wedan the Defense Superior 

Service Medal for his final active duty tour as Director of the Defense Institute 

of International Legal Studies. 

Proving the point that he is indeed a man “rare, unique, and hard to imitate,” 

RDML Wedan delivered wonderful remarks that were fresh and insightful. Using 

words to build a “monument of commemoration,” RDML Wedan expressed 

his deep appreciation and gratitude for the blessings in his life, symbolized 

by “five remembrance stones of thankfulness” — the special experiences the 

Navy offered; the privilege of working with men and women of valor; serving 

a country worth dying 

for; a family worth living 

for; and for God, as our 

cornerstone. 

After the formal 

promotion, RDML 

Wedan was honored 

with a moving “Flag 

Ceremony” and piping 

ashore.

The entire Corps 

wishes Fair Winds and 

Following Seas to Chip 

and Jo Wedan!

into the JAGPERS database that will facilitate 

identifying subject matter experts across the 

Corps, active and Reserve. We expect to have 

this up and running during the next fiscal year.

Diverse expertise and experience translates 

into more effective and efficient problem solving 

for our Commanders, Sailors, and families. 

By better understanding and identifying the 

competencies resident in our Reserve force, 

we can continually improve active-Reserve 

integration and the seamless alignment 

envisioned in JAG Corps 2020.

Examples:

•	State trial judges in Pennsylvania, Michigan, 

New Jersey, Texas

•	Probate Judge, South Carolina

•	Corporate Counsel, Washington

•	Named Partners in Washington, Illinois, 

Virginia practicing in such areas as maritime, 

corporate, business, and insurance

•	Large law firm partners in New York, 

Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington D.C., San 

Diego, Florida practicing in such areas as 

maritime, transportation, business, real estate, 

general litigation, insurance, employment, 

and professional liability

•	Law firm members throughout the U.S. 

including Colorado, Louisiana, Washington, 

California, Illinois, Michigan practicing in 

such areas as tax, estate planning, business, 

litigation, employment, and real estate

•	U.S. Department of Justice, including multiple 

U.S. Attorney Offices

•	U.S. Department of State

•	U.S. Department of Treasury

•	Social Security Administration

•	Federal Courts

•	Central Intelligence Agency

•	State and Local Government officials 

throughout the U.S., including Washington, 

Illinois, Virginia, California, Colorado, New 

Mexico and Texas

•	Legalmen serving in the full range of legal 

and non-legal roles, from practicing attorneys 

through paralegals to corporate executives 

and other responsible citizens.

And this is just a partial list! Talk to a 

Reserve judge advocate and legalman about 

what he or she does or knows. The result may 

surprise you!

RESERVE JAG continued from page 14

CAPT Chip Wedan is promoted to Rear Admiral in a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard July 6. 
16

Joint Initiatives—Naval Legal Service

Office Pacific’s Force Multiplier

By LT Ian Midgley and Ms. Sarah Courageous

NLSO Pacific

Editors Note: This is the second and final article in a series 

started in the May/June edition of the JAG Magazine about 

Naval Legal Service Office Pacific’s joint initiatives. 

Although only in its early stages, the Western Pacific 

Joint Defense Initiative is already paying dividends. 

Like Hawaii’s joint legal assistance project, the 

impetus for the defense initiative was to maximize efficiency 

through sharing resources. For example, there are 300+ 

Sailors in Chinhae, South Korea, but no Navy defense 

counsel assets located there. The Army, meanwhile, has 

a Headquarters at Camp Zama near Tokyo and a battalion 

sized element on Okinawa, but no Army defense counsel 

stationed anywhere in Japan.

As resource sharing ideas began to emerge, an opportunity 

presented itself to demonstrate how working together might 

reap benefits for all concerned. A Soldier was incarcerated 

in a Japanese prison, 15 minutes from NLSO PAC 

headquarters. The Army initiated administrative separation, 

which ordinarily would require Army Trial Defense Service 

(TDS) counsel to travel from Korea. Since there were no 

telephonic communications available in the prison, the 

detailed Army counsel was unable to speak with his client. 

Rather than have Army counsel travel from Korea ahead of 

time to meet the client and do the administrative board all in 

a single visit, LT Ian Midgley, NLSO PAC’s Senior Defense 

Counsel and a former Army TDS counsel, was assigned as 

the Soldier’s Assistant Counsel.

LT Midgley made initial contact with the 

client, kept him informed about the process, 

and served as a liaison between the 

client and his primary Army counsel. 

At the eventual board, the client was 

represented by an Army lawyer and 

a Navy lawyer working together on 

his behalf, with favorable results. 

The collaboration not only resulted 

in more efficient use of defense 

time and money, but the quality of 

service to the client was significantly 

improved over previous procedures, 

and the spirit of joint cooperation was 

born. 

When the Judge Advocate General of the Navy visited 

Japan in the summer of 2006, he was briefed about the 

initiative and immediately embraced and encouraged it. 

Armed with this support, a draft Memorandum of Agreement 

(MOA) between NLSO PAC and Army TDS Region IV 

was drafted, outlining a plan for sharing resources in the 

AOR. The Marine Corps defense team is also currently 

looking to join this MOA to formalize the level of 

cooperation that already exists between the USMC and 

the Navy.

In addition, in March of this year, CDR Michael Bates, 

NLSO PAC Executive Officer, arranged a meeting with 

his sister service defense counterparts, LTC Michael Black 

(USA), Lt Col Margarete Ashmore (USAF), and LtCol 

Phillip Simmons (USMC). These defense leaders in the 

Western Pacific region met at Yokota Air Base, just west 

of Tokyo. Subjects of discussion included the creation of a 

defense counsel directory to help fellow counsel get a feel 

for their sister service colleagues in the region and to identify 

individuals with subject matter expertise without having to 

reach back to the U.S. for assistance. The finished product 

was distributed to defense counsel throughout Korea, Japan, 

Okinawa, Guam, and Hawaii as a desktop reference. 

Another hot topic of discussion during the initial Joint 

Defense meeting was the sharing of resources other than 

attorney services. At the suggestion of LTC Black, access 

to the Army’s Defense Command Assistance Program 

(DCAP) website will be made available to defense counsel 

of all services in the Western Pacific AOR. Similar to an 

NKO Community of Practice, this access will 

facilitate sharing of information as well as 

provide a question-answer forum with 

near-time feedback from expert 

defense practitioners that avoids 

the need to stay up late or get up 

early because of different time 

zones! 

Training opportunities were 

also discussed at length, and 

there was very strong support 

for developing a means of 

sharing the resources and 

funding each of the services bring 

to the table. Given the extensive 

travel often associated with training 
17

in this part of the world, cheaper 

and less time consuming training 

alternatives hold great promise for 

the future. These include sending 

Navy counsel to Army DCAP 

mobile team training in Korea 

rather than flying them half-way 

around the world to Newport.

Additionally, a Joint Defense 

Conference, taking advantage of 

training funds from each service, 

has been tentatively scheduled for 

November in Yokota, Japan. A 

larger funding pool will allow us 

to import instructors from the U.S. 

to train in Japan rather than fly 

individual counsel to traditional 

defense training courses offered 

in Newport, Charlottesville, and 

Montgomery. If all goes to plan, 

an annual joint defense training 

conference at various venues in 

the Western Pacific AOR will 

provide defense counsel with the 

training and the CLE they need for 

mission success, and offer a superb 

networking opportunity for defense 

counsel throughout the AOR.

With the institution of defense 

command pilots in Europe and 

the Southeast, there is a very real 

possibility that NLSO PAC may 

someday find itself a smaller, defense 

focused command. Established 

and successful relationships with 

defense counsel from sister services 

will prove even more critical to 

mission success in both the short 

and long term. 

This initiative is not just about 

efficiencies, however. Counsel 

are already sharing resources and 

advice about experts and motions 

with one another, and the impact 

this has had on cases equates to 

an improved quality of litigation 

for our individual clients. In a 

force turning ever more “purple,” 

the Western Pacific joint defense 

initiative is already showing that 

increased efficiency and improved 

quality can go hand-in-hand. 

News

Navy Announces 

Management Controls for 

Tuition Assistance, NCPACE

By Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

P ENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) — To ensure the best Sailors continue to have access 

to tuition assistance funding, the Navy has implemented management controls for 

the Tuition Assistance (TA) program and Navy College Program for Afloat College 

Education (NCPACE).

NAVADMIN 161/07, released June 25, stated the new controls will focus on 

three areas: Sailor readiness, career development, and program/fiscal efficiencies.

“Education is, and will continue to be a key factor in the professional and personal 

development of our Sailors,” said Commander Naval Education and Training 

Command Rear Adm. Gary Jones. “We must reward those deserving Sailors by 

enacting policies that take into account performance and career development.”

According to Ann Hunter, Education and Training branch head for Naval 

Education and Training Command (NETC), timing is important to an individual’s 

successful education plan. 

“Historically, Sailors’ chances for success have improved when education is 

introduced at appropriate times within a career,” Hunter explained. “Experience 

tells us that Sailors’ first assignments following initial training are extremely 

challenging. We’ve found that Sailors have a better chance of success in college 

courses if they have completed their warfare and professional qualifications before 

enrolling in college courses. Commanding officers are asked to look closely at all 

TA applications for the proper career timing.”

The following management controls are effective immediately and focus on 

meeting professional development requirements as a prerequisite to TA/NCPACE 

approval: A. Advancement-eligible Sailors must have taken and passed the most 

recent advancement exam. Sailors who are serving out of their rating, and have 

not passed their advancement exam are eligible for TA and NCPACE with approval 

from their commanding officer or officer in charge. B. Sailors must pass the most 

recent physical readiness test, or be medically waived from the test. C. Sailors must 

not be under instruction in initial skills or in a duty under instruction (DUINS) 

training status. D. Sailors who have been awarded any non-judicial or courts-martial 

punishment in the previous six months shall not be authorized TA or NCPACE 

courses. E. Sailors must be recommended for promotion or advancement.

“The cap for TA authorizations remains at 16 semester hours per fiscal year, but 

an approved academic/education plan is required after the fifth course,” Hunter 

said. “Only courses required by the academic/education plan are authorized for 

TA and NCPACE, and TA will no longer be authorized for additional degrees at 

the same or lower education level. Lower division or prerequisite courses may 

be authorized if the courses are part of the degree program and are listed on the 

Sailor’s approved education plan.” 

Navy College Office staff serve as the primary points of contact for off-duty 

education and are responsible for ensuring the implementation of the programs. 

Additional information on the Navy College Program can be found at https://www.

navycollege.navy.mil. 
18

RADM Bruce MacDonald, the 

Judge Advocate General of 

the Navy, will brief the annual 

Retired Navy and Marine Corps Judge 

Advocates Association on the current 

state of the JAG Corps October 5th7th in San Diego, California.

“The association meets on the 

Columbus Day weekend every year,” 

said RDML (Ret.) Dennis McCoy, the 

current president of the Retired Navy 

and Marine Corps Judge Advocates 

Association. “This year, we have also 

arranged for our reception on Sunday 

to take place on MIDWAY.” 

Twenty-seven years ago, RADM 

Don Chapman thought it would be 

beneficial for retired members of the 

Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) 

Corps to be linked by something more 

substantial than a former military 

bond. He created the Retired Navy 

Navy Judge Advocate General to 

Brief Retired Navy Marine Corps 

Judge Advocates Association

and Marine Corps Judge Advocates 

Association.

Today, this association has more 

than 430 members in its ranks. The 

association meets once a year to learn 

about the current state of the JAG 

Corps and discuss any other issues 

affecting its members. 

The association also produces an 

annual report and provides members 

with a directory of both e-mail and 

postal addresses of its members.

“We are always soliciting new 

members,” said RDML McCoy.

RDML McCoy explained most 

newly retired judge advocates go on 

to have very busy second careers. 

The association does not want to lose 

touch with these servicemembers. 

He encourages newly retired officers 

to consider joining immediately, even 

if they do not have time to participate 

in the activities of the association.

“We will keep in touch with them 

and keep them informed,” explained 

RDML McCoy, until the member 

By Ms. Jen Zeldis

Public Affaris Officer

has the time to participate in the 

association’s activities.

The association also provides its 

members a wealth of military and law 

experience by virtue of its membership. 

RDML McCoy is just one example. 

After receiving his Juris Doctor 

degree from the University of North 

Carolina Law School, RDML McCoy 

started his Navy career in 1961. He 

joined the Navy and went to sea as the 

CIC Officer and Legal Officer in USS 

Forrest Sherman (DD 931). 

He traveled the world in the Navy 

and served in several key billets. He 

was on the Chief of Naval Operation’s 

staff, Commanding Officer of the 

Naval Justice School, and completed 

his career as the Assistant Judge 

Advocate General (Civil and General 

Law). 

For more information about the 

Retired Navy and Marine Corps 

Judge Advocates Association, you are 

encouraged to e-mail RDML Dennis 

McCoy at macnewport@aol.com.

For more information about the 

Retired Navy and Marine Corps 

Judge Advocates Association, 

please e-mail 

RDML Dennis McCoy at 

macnewport@aol.com.
19

Book Review

Change to Strange, by Dan Cable

Book review by LT Anne Marks

Read any good books lately?

Tell us about it!

Submit a Book Review to:

natalie.morehouse@navy.mil

Contrary to everything 

we learned in high 

school, the strange 

people win. In his Preface to 

Change to Strange, Dr. Dan 

Cable asserts that a strange 

workforce is what gives an 

organization a “sustained competitive 

advantage.” Why does the Navy JAG Corps care 

about sustaining a competitive advantage? In his book, Dr. 

Cable acknowledges a fleet commander will never seriously 

consider hiring a civilian D.C. law firm. However, the JAG 

Corps routinely competes for the resources against other 

Navy assets. It is imperative that the JAG Corps be able to 

demonstrate the need for finite personnel, taxpayer dollars, 

and other resources.

So why the word “strange”? Dr. Cable defines strange 

as “valuable, rare, and hard to imitate.” He has used an 

arguably negative label for the positive practices of constant 

innovation and niche development. My theory is he chose 

an uncomfortable word because he relies on the belief that 

most organizations cannot bring themselves to abandon the 

comfort of the mainstream. If a company’s eccentricities 

are easy to imitate, then they will become less rare and less 

valuable. 

Dr. Cable explains that the first step for an organization 

seeking to change to strange is to identify exactly what 

will elevate it head and shoulders above its competition. 

That is the desired Organizational Outcome. What factors 

contribute most directly to that outcome? Those are the 

Performance Drivers. Specifically, what unusual actions 

will produce, stimulate, increase, or otherwise effect 

noticeable, positive movement in those performance 

drivers? Those are the Workforce Deliverables. How does 

an organization recruit, hire, 

train, motivate, and retain 

a workforce willing, able, 

and crazy enough to execute 

those deliverables? That is 

the Workforce Architecture. 

Each of the four concepts 

above is a link in a cause 

and effect chain. A strange 

workforce executing 

the specific workforce 

deliverables should turn the performance drivers that yield 

the desired organizational outcome. Greasing this chain 

is an organization’s “special sauce.” An organization 

wants employees who are committed to its valuable, rare, 

nearly inimitable philosophies and practices. How does an 

organization determine the ideal size, shape, and placement 

of its links? Dr. Cable’s answer is measurement tools, or 

metrics. 

Metrics are the calibration instrument and the litmus 

test. According to Dr. Cable, numbers have a motivational 

magic that words do not have. He points out that measuring 

elements of performance numerically gives an employee a 

number, a fixed, visible target, about which to “obsess.” 

For leadership, numbers should deliver some clear, 

concrete information about how workforce deliverables 

affect performance drivers. As organizations calibrate and 

recalibrate their metrics, they may need to modify the links 

in their chain.

Dr. Cable provides numerous real-world examples of 

companies that have implemented highly unusual recruiting, 

hiring, training, supervisory, promotion, retention, and/or 

other practices (from 3M to Harley-Davidson to Whole 

Foods) and attributes some amount of their success to those 

strange practices. However, he requires the reader to take it 

on faith that the metrics would prove the causation between 

the strange workforce and the organization’s success. 

Finally, Dr. Cable takes every opportunity to remind the 

reader of his major caveat of changing to strange. Changing 

to strange involves shunning conventional wisdom and 

committing wholesale to an eccentricity. However, 

strangeness must constantly be measured and refined. Dr. 

Cable offers metrics as the tool but admits they are an 

endless course of trial and error. Followers of JAG Corps 

2020 over the past year will find this book an interesting read 

that allows contemplation 

over what we have done as a 

Corps, why we have done it, 

and where we’re going in the 

future. It’s a fast read that’s 

recommended for our entire 

community.

LT Anne Marks is assigned 

to the Special Assistant for 

Transformation (SAT) Office 

at the Washington Navy Yard.
20

CDR Mary Horrigan

(202) 685-7255 

mary.horrigan@navy.mil

Special Assistant for Transformation (SAT) Staff

Programmers from OJAG’s Code 65 are soliciting 

input for CMTIS Version 2.0. There are two goals for 

the upcoming version. First, to refine the program so that 

it captures additional information necessary to further 

our community’s transformation into a metrics-based 

organization. Second, to provide CMTIS users with a product 

that is more user-friendly and acts as a true case management 

application. To those ends, Code 65 has been soliciting 

input in the form of questionnaires sent to all Naval Legal 

Service Command (NLSC) commands and OJAG Codes. 

However, input is not limited to commanding officers and 

division directors. Each of you is encouraged to submit your 

recommendations through your NLSC chain-of-command 

or, if you work outside of NLSC, directly to CMTIS@jag.

navy.mil. Your recommendations on additional data fields, 

report functions, case tracking, or any other area are welcome 

and invited.

A new Article 6/Legal Office Assessment Program 

will replace the previous Article 6/Command Inspection 

program. Previously, Article 6/Command Inspections 

focused solely on NLSC units. A team of subject matter 

experts, led by the Judge Advocate General Corps Inspector 

General, traveled to commands triennially and conducted 

checklist oriented inspections. Evaluations were largely based 

upon subjective material. Inspected commands received 

grades of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The new Article 

6/Legal Office Assessment Program uses more objective 

criteria in its assessment of both NLSC and SJA offices, such 

as CMTIS results, surveys, reports from headquarters, and 

the on-site inspection. The new annual evaluations will focus 

on performance in the four JAG Corps Core Capability areas: 

Operations, Accountability, Sailor Legal Readiness, and Navy 

Legal Readiness. It will also assess the quality of leadership 

at each office. The new instruction is expected to be signed 

before the end of the fiscal year, and the new inspection 

schedule has already been submitted for approval.

Excellent participation in the Center for Naval 

Analyses (CNA) Workload Diary and Survey. More than 

LCDR Joe Hoelz

(202) 685-5185 

 joe.hoelz@navy.mil 

1100 active duty members of the JAG Corps community and 

344 civilians completed the two-week workload diary; and 

829 active duty members and 318 civilians completed the 

accompanying survey. The Reservist Component is currently 

participating in its portion of the workload diary and survey. 

Analysis of the data has begun and a final report is expected 

in October. 

Using the data from the CNA Workload Diary and 

Survey. After the JAG Corps workload is quantified, the 

number and category (civilian or military, active or reserve, 

officer or enlisted) of people required to do the work will 

be analyzed. Benchmarks will be developed to allocate 

personnel resources within the JAG Corps domain. The final 

task will then be to model manpower and mission tradeoffs 

in terms of levels of service. To do this, a spectrum of levels 

of service will be developed. The high end of the spectrum 

will include a full suite of legal services with the highest 

manpower costs and the lowest level of risk. On the other 

end will be the minimum manpower level to accomplish 

the mission and satisfy statutorily mandated requirements. 

That model will involve the lowest manpower costs but 

the highest level of associated risk. These levels of service 

will help senior leadership decide what type of JAG Corps 

legal community they want, what it will cost, and the risk 

associated with their decision. 

Reports - The market product of CMTIS. The reason 

the JAG Corps spends time inputting data into CMTIS is to 

produce the final product, the reports. It is these reports that 

will guide JAG Corps leadership as they make important 

resourcing, strategic, and cost accounting decisions; and it is 

these reports that will help the practitioners manage their time 

and case load. As CMTIS matures, more and more of these 

reports are available to all levels of the chain-of-command. 

By September, there should be at least 38 reports covering all 

aspects of our practice. A reports tutorial is in development 

to help teach everyone how to best utilize available reports. 

For a full list of reports currently available, log onto CMTIS 

and select the Report function.

LT Anne Marks

(202)685-5462 

anne.marks@navy.mil
21

National Security Personnel System

By Amy Stevens

Fiscal and Resource Services

OJAG recently completed its Mock Pay Pool 

exercises in both the Claims and Non-Claims Pay 

Pool groups. Practicing the application of NSPS 

concepts in a live-action scenario has allowed OJAG to 

identify areas of improvement. Although there are many 

working parts within the NSPS framework, the Mock 

Pay Pools have proven that all personnel (employees, 

rating officials, higher level reviewers, Pay Pool Panel 

members) have similar needs in terms of familiarity with 

NSPS’ basic requirements. Specifically, all personnel 

must fully understand performance expectations resulting 

from being in a specific Pay Band and Pay Schedule, the 

elements of a quality assessment, and the NSPS rating 

methodology.

All employees, upon conversion, are assigned to a Pay 

Schedule and Pay Band. 

Pay Schedule: Grouping of employees with like job roles. 

In OJAG, employees are assigned to either a YB (Technical/

Support), YA (Professional/Analytical), or 

YC (Supervisory) schedule.

Pay Band: Sub-division of the Pay 

Schedule. In most cases, Pay Bands are 1, 

2, or 3. Pay Band 1 is the lowest grouping 

in the spectrum. 

The level at which an employee 

is expected to perform his/her job 

objectives is directly related to his/her 

Pay Schedule and Pay Band, so it will be 

absolutely necessary that all personnel 

know their Pay Schedule and Pay Band 

assignment. Although the salaries of Pay 

Bands may overlap from 1 to 2 and 2 to 

3, the requirements of job performance 

are distinct between each band as 

described in standard NSPS performance 

indicators. When an employee moves 

from Pay Band (1) to a higher Pay Band 

(2), the performance expectations of the 

employee become more challenging. For 

instance, the YB-1 Technician is expected 

to act with supervision on completion of 

objectives whereas the YB-2 Technician 

is expected to complete job objectives 

without supervision. Where the YB-2 

Technician is expected to prioritize his/

her own work, the YB-3 Technician is 

expected to prioritize work for him/her 

and others. 

Performance Indicators: Used to rate employee 

performance on each job objective. These are unique to 

the Pay Schedule and Pay Band.

The same increase in expectations is evident in all Pay 

Schedules. The expectations referenced previously are 

requirements to rate an employee a “3” (valued employee). 

To achieve beyond a “3” on an objective rating, additional 

requirements are set for each Pay Schedule and Pay Band. 

Similar to Performance Indicators setting standards for job 

objective performance, it is also necessary to understand 

the effect of the Benchmark Standard of contributing 

factors as it relates to adjusting the rating of a job objective. 

Again, the Benchmark Standards vary greatly between Pay 

Schedule and Pay Band. 

Benchmark Standards: Used to rate employee 

performance in individual contributing factors assigned 

to each job objective. These are also unique to the Pay 

Schedule and Pay Band.

The YA-1 Analyst (in “Critical Thinking”) is expected 

to recognize obvious issues or problems and solve straightforward problems, the YA-2 Analyst is expected to define 

CAPT Hank Molinengo discusses the NSPS process with Amy Stevens.
22

In that second statement, the employee has demonstrated 

that she has completed her job objective and can relate that 

task to a larger impact to the division as a whole. The 

rating official might then be able to add in the rating 

official’s assessment, “Employee successfully completed 

job objective. As a result, the office that had previously 

1 incident per week 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.” 

Context: The Panel addressed some specific concerns 

for the rating officials to address in their assessments. The 

Panel needed rating officials to provide a productivity 

context so they could make an accurate determination of 

output. If an employee produced 10 actions per week, the 

Panel must have a context to rate it. The rating official 

should mention that 10 actions per week are far greater than 

the 10 per quarter typically processed. Without contextual 

input from the rating official, Panel members were unable 

to determine the employee’s accomplishment as it relates 

to the appropriate performance indicator expectation of 

output. In the case of contributing factors, there were 

many instances identified where the rating official did 

not specifically mention which contributing factor he/she 

determined the employee had exceeded the expectation. 

Lacking that input from the rating official, Panel members 

were forced to interpret the meaning in a very arbitrary 

way. Rating officials must deliver a clear indication to the 

Panel of their intention. 

Communication: All personnel should be aware that 

the Panel will call the rating official in for clarification if 

any questions arise that the Panel cannot answer. This is 

especially true in the case where an employee’s assessment 

and a rating official’s assessment are in contrast to each 

other. 

Having completed our first Mock Pay Pool exercises, we 

recognize we have important areas upon which to focus. 

As employees, rating officials, higher level reviewers, 

and Pay Pool Panel members, our best opportunity for 

success is a firm commitment to studying, practicing, 

and applying NSPS principles in our workforce. We will 

continue to create a culture of accountability and reward for 

performance. Take an active interest in NSPS as it relates 

to you and your command as a substantial investment in 

the future of our JAG Corps and civilian personnel. 

For more information about NSPS, please contact 

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

complex issues and identify and evaluate solutions to 

complex problems. Meeting this “expected” Benchmark 

Standard listed above, the employee’s job objective rating 

will not be adjusted in any way (0). Failing to meet the 

“expected” benchmark in a contributing factor means the 

job objective rating will be adjusted negatively (-1). To 

see the benefit of contributing factors upon job objective 

ratings (+1), the employee must meet elements of the 

“enhanced” benchmark set per Pay Band, Pay Schedule, 

and contributing factor. 

Given this information, all personnel must take an active 

interest in familiarizing themselves with their Pay Schedule, 

Pay Band, Performance Indicators, and Benchmark 

Standards. Use this link to find the Performance Indicators 

and Benchmark standards that apply to you: http://www.

cpms.osd.mil/nsps/documents.html. These will be helpful 

to both employees and rating officials later on when drafting 

annual assessments.

As part of the Mock exercises, the Pay Pool Panel and 

higher level reviewers read the employee and rating official 

assessments that were submitted to the Pay Pool. They 

were able to determine the following common topics to 

address in assessment quality for the next rounds of Pay 

Pool deliberations. 

Format: In the case of both employee and rating official 

assessments, the Panel concluded that it was necessary that 

assessments be divided into paragraphs that addressed each 

job objective individually. This allowed the Panel to make 

an informed decision on each job objective rather than 

trying to interpret which comments related to which job 

objective. 

Results: There was a great tendency to list tasks 

completed rather than listing outputs/results. While it is 

easy to fall into this trap, the assessment should inform the 

Panel of an employee’s contribution to the organization. 

For example, an employee may be assigned to assemble 

a collection of personal calendars within a department to 

produce a division calendar in order that all personnel are 

aware of co-worker’s appointments. This employee would 

be simply listing a task in an assessment if he/she writes, 

“Maintained accurate division calendar.” 

In contrast, the employee would be describing a 

result with the statement, “Maintained accurate division 

calendar in effort to facilitate office communication and 

teamwork while also reducing administrative workload 

for attorneys.” 

National Security Personnel System
23

National Security Personnel System

1. Establish Job Objectives.

•	 Be appropriate to employee Pay Schedule and Pay Band.

•	 Be aligned with mission and strategic goals.

•	 Be specific and results-oriented—what tangible output will the employee produce? 

•	 Create accountability.

•	 Assign contributing factors as a function of the objective rather than the employee.

•	 Do not construct in “Pass/Fail” language.

2. Assess completion of Job Objective.

•	 Employee and Supervisor write results-oriented assessments. (What was produced as a consequence of 

your actions?)

•	 Assessments should contain one paragraph dedicated to each objective.

•	 Address completion of the objective based on results.

•	 Refer to the appropriate Performance Indicators.

•	 Address how the contributing factors affect employee’s completion of objective.

•	 Refer to the appropriate Benchmark Standards.

•	 Employees should track accomplishments in a personal log to assist in drafting the assessment.

3. Rating Officials Rate Each Objective.

•	 Determine if results/outcome were achieved.

•	 Apply Performance Indicator to rate objective (1-5).

•	 Apply Benchmark Standard to rate impact of Contributing Factors on efforts (-1, 0, or +1).

4. Rating Officials recommend overall rating (1-5 based on the average of the job 

objective scores), recommend number of shares, and share allocation (salary 

versus bonus?) to Pay Pool Panel.

5. Appraisal Quality Assurance:

•	 Rating Officials and Higher Level Reviews (in most cases, Division Directors) check appraisals for 

adherence to NSPS guidance and OJAG Business Rules (i.e., has each objective been addressed 

individually? Have Performance Indicators and Benchmark Standards been considered?).

6. Pay Pool Panel:

•	 Reads and understands job objectives as written.

•	 Reviews written assessments.

•	 Consults with the rating official to have any questions answered.

•	 Rates individual job objectives.

•	 Apply Performance Indicator to rate objective (1-5).

•	 Apply Benchmark Standard to rate impact of Contributing Factors on efforts (-1, 0, or +1).

•	 Assigns final rating, share allocation, and share distribution to employee.

7. Final Steps:

•	 Performance Review Authority confirms Pay Pool Results.

•	 OJAG PRA is RADM MacDonald; CNLSC PRA is RADM Houck.

•	 Panel returns results to Rating Officials.

•	 Rating Officials return individual results to each employee.

Checklist for NSPS Employee Rating 

For more information about NSPS, please contact 

Amy Stevens at 202-685-5286 or at amy.stevens@navy.mil.
24

Awards

2007 Col Thomas J. Krauska Award

Each year, the Military Law Section of the State Bar of 

Texas recognizes two outstanding military judge advocates 

at its Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the Annual 

Meeting of the State Bar of Texas. The 

2007 meeting was held in San Antonio, 

Texas on 22 June 2007. This year, the 

awards went to LT Heather L. Cassidy, 

for the Outstanding Young Active Duty 

Military lawyer in Texas. LT Cassidy 

served as Officer in Charge of the Naval

Legal Service Office (NLSO) Central in 

Corpus Christi. In that role, she enriched 

the lives and provided exemplary legal 

assistance and defense services to 

all Naval personnel in South Texas, 

including their families and retirees in 

South Texas. LT Cassidy inspired and 

challenged her staff to set the bar high 

for the legal services they provided to 

the military community in South Texas. 

With unparalleled energy and dedication of purpose to every 

aspect of her work, LT Cassidy exceeded all expectations. It 

was through her personal efforts that the 

fleet Sailors stationed at the three major 

naval installations in South Texas were 

prepared for short notice deployments, 

free from unresolved legal problems that 

would otherwise distract their focus from 

the mission. 

LT Cassidy quickly established herself 

as one of the premier litigators at NLSO 

Central, spending countless hours on 

military justice matters. Her zealous 

advocacy yielded superior results for her 

clients at five Special Courts-Martial, 

three General Courts-Martial, four 

Article 32 hearings, and 41 administrative 

separation boards. 

American Bar Association Recognition

• CDR Kevin O’Neil — winner of the 2007 

Outstanding Military Service Career Judge 

Advocate Award. 

• LCDR Susan McGarvey — winner of the 

2007 Outstanding Young Military Service 

Lawyer Award. 

• LCDR James Benoit — winner of the 2007 

Keithe E. Nelson Distinguished Service 

Award for his article “The Evolution of 

Universal Jurisdiction Over War Crimes” 

54 Naval L. Rev. 259 (2006).

LT Angela 

Rongotes received 

the Bronze 

Star Medal. LT 

Rongotes, the staff 

judge advocate 

(SJA) for Special 

Warfare Group 

TWO, was 

presented with the 

Bronze Star during 

a ceremony May 4 

at the command headquarters in Coronado, CA. The medal 

was awarded for her role in providing stability in a hostile 

environment. She served as a SJA for Navy SEALs in Iraq 

from October 2005 to April 2006. 

JAGs Receive Bronze Star

LT Mike O’Regan, 

the staff judge 

advocate for Naval 

Special Warfare 

Group THREE, 

was awarded the 

Bronze Star July 5 

for his work while 

on deployment to 

Iraq with SEAL 

Team THREE 

from April through 

October 2006. The Bronze Star was awarded by CDR 

Christopher Lonie, the acting Naval Special Warfare 

Group THREE Chief Staff Officer, in a ceremony in San 

Diego, CA.
25

Awards

CDR Ted Y. Yamada was recently 

promoted to Deputy Chief Counsel 

in the Office of Chief Counsel, U.S. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 

in the Department of Homeland 

Security in San Diego. CDR Yamada is 

a member of the Naval Reserve for the 

JAG Corps. 

LCDR Adam Siegfried received 

the Defense Meritorious Service Medal 

and the Combat Action Ribbon. He was 

with TF 134 from December 2006 to 

June 2007 as the Deputy Rule of Law 

Advisor. In that capacity, he worked 

with the Iraqi Government, the State and 

Justice Departments, various NGOs, and 

assorted military commands to promote 

the rule of law in Iraq. Some primary 

projects were expanding Iraqi prison 

capacity, facilitating the training of 

Iraqi prison guards, developing a parole 

system and streamlining the coalition 

detainee processing system. 

CDR Stephanie Carter received the 

Navy and Marine Corps Commendation 

Medal. She was on ADT/ADSW as 

SJA, Naval Hospital Pensacola, filling 

a gapped billet from June 2006 until 

February 2007.

LN1 Kelley Montgomery was 

awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal 

with FMF device, Armed Forces 

Reserve Medal with “M” device, Sea 

Service Deployment Ribbon, and most 

impressive, her third Navy Achievement 

medal in five years. From March to 

October 2006, LN1 Montgomery 

mobilized with Naval Mobile 

Construction Battalion 25 (NMCB25) 

for a seven month deployment to Al 

Anbar Province, Iraq, as independent 

duty Legalman. She handled dozens 

of legal assistance matters, prepared a 

Naturalization and Immigration package, 

did a Line of Duty investigation, assisted 

with a death investigation, prepared 40 

powers of attorney, and sat as recorder 

for disciplinary review boards. Since she 

was with a Seabee unit, she also served 

as a gate guard, roving patrol, and duty 

driver. 

LNC(Sel) Michael Billings

received many awards while assigned 

to U.S. Army 403rd Civil Affairs 

Battalion / Provisional Reconstruction 

Team (PRT) Mosul, Iraq from April 

2006 to March 2007. Awards received 

during active duty period included the 

Army Commendation Medal, Army 

Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign 

Medal, Global War on Terrorism 

Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve 

Medal with “M” device, and Navy 

and Marine Corps Overseas Service 

Ribbon. He was recognized for 

assuming the responsibilities for the 

command’s crucial IT billet ensuring a 

high state of mission readiness of over 

100 information operating systems 

and 55 individual user accounts. He 

also facilitated the layout and full 

installation of a 3.8 meter star topology 

VSAT and 15 additional computers 

systems and VoIP phones to increase 

the PRT’s growing communication 

requirements.

RADM Rick Ruehe, 

Commander, Navy Region 

Mid-Atlantic, receives the 

Navy Reserve Law Program’s 

highest award for a supported 

command, the Hugh Howell 

Award for Excellence. 

Presenting the award to RADM 

Ruehe is CAPT Bill Aramony 

with CAPT Buck Davies, and 

CDR Tom Lambert.

MNC-I 

“Phantom 

Warrior 

of the Day”

On July 4, LT Jason Levy, 

of NLSO Pearl Harbor was 

the Multi-National Corps-Iraq 

(MNC-I) “Phantom Warrior of 

the Day.” 

The Commanding General of 

MNC-I, LTG Odierno, is also the 

CG of III Corps. Each day, the 

CG’s Battle Update Assessment 

(BUA) is broadcast via secured 

video throughout MNC-I and 

to the Division Headquarters 

throughout the theater. At the 

conclusion of the BUA, there is 

always recognition of a member 

of the MNC-I staff who has distinguished him/herself through 

superior service to the mission. 

The recipient is given a seat near 

the CG during the BUA and, at 

the end of the briefing, the COS 

reads a citation of accomplishments while the CG gives the 

recipient his personal coin. The 

Honoree is known as the MNC-I 

“Phantom Warrior of the Day.” 

(“Phantom Warrior” is the battle 

phrase for III Corps which dates 

from WWII). 

LT Levy is an IA assigned to 

the operational law division of 

the MNC-I legal staff. LT Levy 

was recognized for his important 

contributions to several areas of 

the mission, including assisting 

the Iraqi Army SJA develop key 

legal policies on matters such as 

ROE, detainee ops, and the Iraqi 

UCMJ. 
26

Newly promoted LNCM St. Sauver, pinned by CAPT 

Mark D. Lawton and LNCM St. Sauver’s wife

CAPT Wise presiding over Legalman 

graduation from the Naval Justice School

CAPT Kirk Foster leaving to catch the 

“Rhino” to the International Zone

RLSO Hawaii aboard the USS Missouri after the Change of 

Command ceremony

OJAG softball team

RLSO Hawaii Change of Command ceremony, 

CAPT Dwigans was relieved by CDR Conrad
Legalman petty officers with LNCM Leafer and 

LNCM DiStefano

LNCS Layfield, LNC Kidd, LN1 Chism, LNC 

Anderson, and LNCS Servas

Legalmen Alexander, Wilson, Hardin, Williams, 

Clement, and Carr

Attendees of the Nashville Legalman Symposium

LN1 Chism and LN2 Davis

Legalman Chief Petty Officers

Legalman Symposium
Legalmen Cooper, May, and Stallings

LNCM Burnett, LNCM DiStefano, and LN1 Brash 

enjoy the welcome reception

LN2 High, LNCS Primm, Chief Smith, LN2 

Hardin, and LN2 Phillips

RADM Joerg, RADM MacDonald, CAPT 

Wise, LNCM Leafer, and LNCM Ayoub

Legal Assistant Ms. Johnson, LN1 

Eddinger, and LN1 Kreiner

LN1 Brash and LNCM Leafer at the 

welcome reception

Legalman Symposium