JAG Volume II 2009 JAGMagazine of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps Magazine of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps

Volume II 2009 

Law Students COMpete in 

Navy Moot Court
INSIDE JAG MAGAZINE

5 Sine Qua Non: Without Which it Could Not Be

6 Military Justice Moot Court Competition

8 Annette Pigott: A Gem of the JAG Corps

10 Not Another Day at the Office

12 NAPABA Welcomes JAG Corps to Seattle

13 Legalman to the Commandant of Midshipmen

14 Ethical Decision Making

15 PG School Quotas Continue to Rise

16 NLSO Midlant Builds Military Appreciation Purchase Program

17 

18 Legal Assistance Road Show in Western Iraq

19 Part Three of a User’s Guide to E-Mail

20 2009 Naval Justice School Course Schedule

Features 8

13

10

18

A Conversation with the Vice Commander of Naval Legal 

Service Command
JAG

On the Front Cover

Regular Columns

Fleet News .......................................................................................22

Shipmate Spotlight .........................................................................28 

Book Review: The Fate of Africa ..................................................................29 

JAG Corps 2020 ..............................................................................30 

JAG Corps Alumni ........................................................................33

Milestones .......................................................................................34

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

CAPT Rob Sanders and LCDR James 

Carsten discuss career opportunities 

available in the JAG Corps after visiting 

the Navy recruiting trailer during a 

recess in court proceedings with Region 

Legal Service Office Southeast moot 

court competitor Tom Williams (Texas 

Tech University). Find out more about 

Region Legal Service Office Southeast Region Liaisons Moot Court Competition on page 22!

NAVAL JUSTICE SCHOOL 

Capt Adam Workman

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE North CENTRAL

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE nDW

LT Paul Jenkins

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE EURSWA

LCDR Vaughn Spencer

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE EURSWA

LT Janelle Kuroda

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE pacific yokosuka

CDR Tom Dorwin

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE hawaii

LT Jason Levy

Naval Legal Service Office Central

LCDR Andy House

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE MIDWEST

CDR David Dow

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE MID-ATLANTIC

LTJG Guy Reschenthaler

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE MID-ATLANTIC

LT Chris Fletcher

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE northwest

LT Alan Fowler

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE NORTHWEST

LT Darcy Utter

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE SOUTHEAST

LT Deborah Loomis

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE SOUTHEAST

LN1 Ryan Konop

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE southwest

LTJG Andrea Leahy

REGION LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE southwest

LTJG Jasmine Scott

Judge Advocate General

Vice 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, Naval Legal service command

Rear Admiral Steven M. Talson

Command Master Chief,

Office of The judge advocate general,

Senior enlisted advisor 

Naval Legal Service Command

Master Chief Stephen S. DiStefano

Reserve Command Master Chief, 

Office of The judge advocate general,

Naval Legal Service Command

Master Chief Jeffrey N. Luthi

Editorial Board

LCDR Marc Brewen

LCDR Anne Marks 

LCDR Kim McCann

LCDR Mark Tilford

LT David Fink

LT David Lee

LT Chris Ray

Public Affairs Officer

Ms. Jen Zeldis

Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Ms. Natalie Morehouse

The JAG Magazine is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Comments are not necessarily endorsed by the U.S. Government, DOD, or U.S. 

Navy. This magazine is prepared by the Public Affairs 

staff of the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the 

United States Navy. Address changes and submissions 

may be sent 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.
4

The Judge Advocate General

Department of Defense General Counsel

Feb. 10, 2009, I was sworn in as General Counsel of the Department of Defense. It is a great honor 

for me to return to the Pentagon. 

There are two basic principles that 

will guide me in office. I shared 

them with the Senate during the 

confirmation process and I share 

them with you here:

The first concerns the rule of 

law. Our advice concerning the 

rule of law must remain consistent 

throughout changing and challenging times. Adherence to the 

rule of law permits us to occupy the moral high ground, and 

display the very best of American values. As Justice O’Connor 

wrote in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld: “It is during our most challenging and uncertain moments that our nation’s commitment to due 

process is most severely tested; and it is in those times that we 

must preserve our commitment at home to the principles for 

which we fight abroad.”

The second, which I believe I practiced and encouraged every 

day when I was Air Force General Counsel, is that a collegial 

and collaborative working relationship between civilian and 

military lawyers goes a long way toward timely, effective, and 

quality legal services and legal advice. I respect and admire the 

role military lawyers play and the important contributions they 

make, and I appreciate that, given their training and experience, 

they bring a unique legal perspective to the Department’s mission 

in defending the Nation. The civilian lawyers in the Department 

also play a critical role; many have years of experience, a wealth 

of knowledge, and are the foremost experts in a particular area 

of the law.

I hope to meet as many of you as possible, and I look forward 

to working with all of you as we face the challenges that lie 

ahead. 

Special to JAG Magazine:

Jeh Charles Johnson

Department of Defense General Counsel

This magazine’s theme of 

training and education provides an excellent mechanism 

for looking back on the amazing accomplishments that we 

as a JAG Corps community 

have made in the past three 

years. Education and training are also the areas where 

we must grow in order to continue transforming and moving 

ahead as a community.

Congratulations to the Naval Justice School (NJS) 

for its third Naval Education and Training Command 

(NETC) “Education and Training Excellence Award.” 

This annual competition is designed to recognize commands that demonstrate superior performance in meeting 

NETC’s mission of providing the highest quality training 

to Sailors around the world. NJS has won this award for 

the third time, proving that they have a superior staff and 

curriculum. Well done to the staff!

Formal education at the school house is not the only 

way we cultivate our community. Another essential form 

of training is mentorship. Ms. Annette Pigott, a paralegal specialist to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, is 

a fantastic example of a mentor. Her patient guidance 

and mentorship of every judge advocate who has served 

in the Office of the Vice Chief of the Naval Operations 

has contributed to our community in immeasurable ways. 

In this edition, LT Mary Pohanka uncovers the “Pigott 

effect” through in-depth interviews with Ms. Pigott and 

with those who have benefited from her mentorship.

Effective ethics training is critical to our practice. In 

this era of expanded military involvement in strategic 

decision making, discussions and training in this challenging subject prepare our community to best advise our 

clients. LCDR David T. Lee of NJS wrote “Ethical Decision Making” with this in mind, challenging readers with 

the premise that knowing the correct legal answer may 

not be the same as knowing the “right thing to do.” 

LN1 Harrold Henck from NJS provides an update 

on Legalman education. As the demand for paralegal 

skills grows in the Navy, NJS is developing new ways 

to sharpen the skills of our Legalmen. LN1 Henck discusses NJS’ approach to computer assisted legal research 

and the revised Paralegal Research and Writing course, 

both of which are designed to help our Legalmen become 

more proficient paralegals. 

Recent law school graduate LT Guy Reschenthaler 

provides insights to potential recruits with his article 

recounting his experiences at Officer Development 

School. This story also reminds all uniformed members 

of the Navy legal community about where we all began 

and the basic skills, discipline, and general military 

VADM MacDonald continued on page 5
5

BRUCE MacDONALD

Vice Admiral, JAGC, U.S. Navy

When asked, attorneys and judges will often say 

the most important skill a legal assistant can have 

is the ability to write well. To achieve powerful legal writing, however, one must first be proficient in 

legal research and, second, must also know how to evaluate 

sources applicable to a client’s issues. 

Recognizing the JAG community’s growing demand for 

these skills, the Naval Justice School’s (NJS) revised Paralegal Research and Writing course is designed to help our 

legalmen become proficient paralegals.

“Our legalmen are being called upon to perform increasingly complex tasks, and the Legal Research and Writing 

course will give them the knowledge and comfort level they 

need to confidently conduct their work,” according to LCDR 

Cassie Kitchen, NJS instructor.

The emphasis on legal research and writing reflects NJS’s 

commitment to provide students with the skills they need to 

analyze and solve complex legal problems. The course recognizes that the average Navy legalman will serve in a wide 

variety of roles in his or her career, all of which will require 

effective analytical, research, and communication skills.

Therefore, the new curriculum emphasizes the improvement of research and writing skills in a two-week, 72 

Sine Qua Non: 

By LN1 Harrold Henck 

Naval Justice School Public Affairs hour course. The class is taught to both active and reserve 

legalman by experienced Navy legal community officers 

and chiefs who bring extensive experience and knowledge 

into the classroom.

“The objective of the course is to equip the student with 

the information and skills needed to assist a JAG or SJA with 

basic legal research - finding and briefing cases, locating 

applicable statutes and regulations, and Shepardizing them,”

emphasized LCDR Kitchen.

The workshop-style course is designed to hone the student’s writing and thinking skills by concentrating on basic 

principles of writing and analysis. Students also learn to use 

powerful research tools, including online facilities from LexisNexis as well as traditional book-based methods including 

journals, digests (case summaries), and government documents.

During the course, students first synthesize case law that 

is provided to them and apply the derived rules of law to a 

given fact situation. Students then repeat the synthesis and 

analysis process in a complete memorandum, after researching the law independently to find if it is applicable to the 

issues presented.

“Because our legalmen perform specifically delegated 

substantive legal work for which a JAG lawyer is responsible, we want to ensure that they have the best training possible,” said LCDR Kitchen.

Without Which it Could Not Be

Carefully prepared legal research and writing is the sine 

qua non of the successful case 

knowledge that are at the core of being a Sailor. 

Ms. Jen Zeldis contributes an article detailing the 

progress we have made in getting every judge advocate 

to post-graduate school. This initiative is a critical element of our transformation that we continue to work 

hard to make a reality.

Civilian education and training is an area that we are 

actively working to improve. In the previous edition of 

the JAG Magazine, Ms. Amy Stevens wrote in the JAG 

Corps Civilian column about the basic training requirements for our civilians from a human resources point of 

view. In this edition, she explains the first steps in the 

identification of paralegal training needs. After you read 

her article, I encourage you to send us your ideas and 

input. Civilian education and training is one of my top 

priorities before I leave office.

As always, I am interested in your feedback regarding the JAG Magazine. Please contribute by forwarding 

ideas about potential stories or, even better, volunteering to write an article about something you are doing. 

We hope you find the information in the JAG Magazine 

useful. Tell us the topics that you are interested in and 

the issues with which you are struggling so that we can 

include articles that will be both of interest and useful to 

your practice. Your input is the key to making this magazine a useful source of information. 

VADM MacDonald continued from page 4
6

Navy legal professionals from Region Legal Service 

Office Southeast (RLSO SE) hosted their inaugural 

Military Justice Moot Court Competition at Naval Air 

Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) Feb. 25-27. 

“This competition promotes legal education and awareness 

of the actual issues arising in the military justice systems,” said 

RLSO SE Commanding Officer CAPT Paul Kiamos. “In moot 

court, the ‘case’ is purely fictional – but the experience for law 

students is truly invaluable.”

In an effort to uniquely implement the Navy Judge Advocate 

General’s Corps recruiting guidance, RLSO SE invited six law 

schools from the Southeastern United States to this inaugural 

military moot court competition. 

The competition attracted 18 law students interested in the 

military justice system from the following law schools.

• Florida Coastal School of Law

• Stetson University College of Law 

• Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of 

 Law

• Texas Tech University School of Law

• University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law

• University of Georgia School of Law

“This is a wonderful opportunity for law students to come 

here and participate in a great competition, build camaraderie 

and learn team-building skills,” stated NAS Jax Commanding 

Officer CAPT Jack Scorby Jr. “It’s also a great opportunity for 

us to showcase what the Navy has to offer – and hopefully, some 

of these aspiring lawyers will become Navy JAGs.”

RLSO SE invited six judges to participate in the moot court 

competition. Chief Judge CAPT Daniel O’Toole, Judge CAPT 

Eric Price, and Judge Lt. Col. Vernon Couch from the NavyMarine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington, D.C.; 

former Judge and Commanding Officer of Naval Legal Service Office Southeast, CAPT Kirk Waits; Judge CAPT Moira 

Modzelewski from the Central Judicial Circuit in Norfolk, Va.; 

and Trial Judge CDR Bethany Payton-O’Brien from San Diego, 

Calif. 

In addition to the moot court competition, the students toured 

commands at NAS Jax as well as Naval Station Mayport. They 

also enjoyed significant interaction with RLSO SE command 

Law students build 

skills at moot court 

competition

members and competition military judges. 

“I’ve enjoyed my visit to NAS Jax immensely. Touring the 

flight simulator was golden, it was so much fun!” said Reshae 

Ridley, a law student at Texas Southern University. “Being in the 

Navy environment has given me a great insight into becoming 

a JAG officer. I’ve seen the TV show JAG, but seeing the real 

thing lets me observe the authentic polished and professional 

officers in a real environment.” 

To prepare for the competition, each team was given a problem that was a post-trial argument to the Navy-Marine Corps 

Court of Criminal Appeals. Each team had one month to prepare 

their brief for the moot court competition. Teams were randomly 

assigned as counsel for either the appellee or appellant – so each 

team had to prepare to argue both sides before the court. 

“These students are very bright and exceedingly well prepared. The competition was keen and close. I think it’s very 

important for the future bar to have law students who want a 

career in the Navy with mentoring by senior naval judges and 

lawyers,” stated Chief Judge CAPT Dan O’Toole.

“This is a great opportunity for students to see the military 

justice system and the Navy lifestyle up close. It’s a valuable 

recruiting event for the JAG Corps,” said CDR David Berger, 

RLSO SE executive officer. “It gives us an opportunity to review 

each student’s research and evaluate their ability to make legal 

arguments. It’s an exciting opportunity and we hope to include 

more law schools in the future.” 

The final round of the competition took place at the NAS 

Jax Officers’ Club on Feb. 27 and was followed by the awards 

ceremony. The winner of the overall competition was Florida 

Coastal School of Law. Tom Williams of Texas Tech University 

School of Law, was recognized for best oral argument. 

Military Justice Moot 

Court Competition

By Natalie Morehouse 

Deputy Public Affairs Officer

(From left) Matthew Wildner (Stetson University), Tom Williams (Texas Tech 

University), Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals Clerk LCDR Jim 

Carsten and Chris Tolbert (Texas Tech University) discuss career opportunities 

available in the JAG Corps after visiting the Navy recruiting trailer during a recess 

in court proceedings.
7

Florida Coastal School of Law student James Carson presents his opening statements during the RLSO SE moot court competition held at NAS Jacksonville Feb 26. 

Visiting law students presented arguments in the fictitious case of U.S. vs. Jones to test their representational skills against opposing team members in a bid to win 

top prize in the competition.

Moot court competition law students and Navy Region Legal Service Office Southeast JAG 

officers toured NAS Jacksonville Heritage Park Feb. 25 to learn about naval aviation history.

Commander, Navy Region Southeast RADM Townsend Alexander (far right) and RLSO SE Commanding Officer CAPT Paul Kiamos (far left) congratulate the winning 

RLSO SE Moot Court team from Florida Coastal School of Law. (From left) Neal Buchanan, Kristin Rhodus, Wes Ridout and James Carson took home top honors for 

their briefs and oral arguments.

Florida Coastal School of Law student James Carson 

carefully maneuvers the flight controls of a P-3 simulator 

during a tour of NAS Jacksonville.

Photos by ATAA Adam Thomas
8

The gold standard. Phenomenal. 

World Series Champion. Saintlike. These are only a few of the 

phrases used by past and present judge 

advocates to describe one of the most 

respected and beloved civilian employees 

in the JAG Corps - Annette Pigott. Ms. 

Pigott has served as the Paralegal Specialist for the Office of the Vice Chief of 

Naval Operations (N09D) since 1984, and 

in that time she has become the cherished 

mentor of countless judge advocates. 

Through her patient guidance of nearly 

thirty officers who have come through 

N09D, Ms. Pigott has contributed to the 

JAG Corps in immeasurable ways. Notably, former Navy Judge Advocate General RADM James McPherson regards 

Ms. Pigott as “one of the top three people 

who most influenced [his] career.” 

Ms. Pigott became a legend early in 

her career. After Ms. Pigott had only been 

in N09D (then N09BL) for a few years, 

former Navy Judge Advocate General 

RADM Donald Guter (then CDR Guter) 

found her to be the “corporate memory 

and the expert on all matters.” During his 

time there, he and Ms. Pigott completely 

redrafted the U.S. Navy Regulations, a 

massive undertaking that involved rewriting thousands of pages of regulations 

covering nearly every aspect of Navy life. 

To this day Ms. Pigott remains the official 

By LT Mary Pohanka 

Law Education Program

keeper of the U.S. Navy Regulations, and she is undertaking yet another major revision. 

But to the JAG Corps officers 

who work with Ms. Pigott, she 

is more than just a co-worker. 

Ms. Pigott and RADM Guter, 

for example, trained for and 

ran the Marine Corps Marathon 

together. 

Around the same time, 

another up-and-comer shared 

the N09BL office with Ms. Pigott. Then 

LT James Houck, now RADM Houck, 

describes Ms. Pigott as someone who 

“makes everyone around her look good 

and never, ever, seeks credit for it.” 

RADM Houck also remembers Ms. Pigott’s ability to always help the judge advocates in her office do their jobs better. 

This sentiment is shared by all who have 

worked with her. One officer, CDR Mary 

Reismeier, recalled fearing the rare days 

when Ms. Pigott was on leave. CDR 

Reismeier would hope that nothing unexpected would happen because Ms. Pigott 

was the one who always knew what to do. 

CAPT Kirk Foster held similar trepidations. Soon after he arrived in N09D, his 

deputy needed to take emergency leave. 

Although he told Ms. Pigott to go ahead 

and take her planned leave, she chose to 

stay. Breathing a huge sigh of relief even 

to this day, CAPT Foster admitted that he 

“would have drowned that week without her.” Ms. Pigott’s knowledge, experience, and uncanny intuition not only 

come in handy on a day-to-day basis, but 

also become essential in times of crisis. 

From 1989 to 1992, Judge Ron 

Swanson was extremely grateful to have 

Ms. Pigott by his side as the Navy encountered Tailhook, the first Gulf War, and the 

USS Iowa turret explosion investigation. 

Judge Swanson describes Tailhook and 

the Iowa investigation as “extremely painful and stressful [times] for Navy leadership,” but through it all Ms. Pigott was a 

“steady hand on the rudder.” Ms. Pigott’s 

insight into the heart of the Navy, according to Judge Swanson, enables her to 

“provide support to the VCNO and CNO 

on ... things that make the Navy run.” 

Not many people know that Ms. Pigott 

was the official custodian of several of the 

Tailhook investigation files. According to 

RADM McPherson, Ms. Pigott kept those 

files under very tight lock and key. When 

he needed to look at some of the archives, 

she grilled him on his need to know and 

then closely watched him as he reviewed 

Annette Pigott: 

A Gem of the JAG Corps

Ms. Annette Pigott and VADM Bruce MacDonald during the 2007 

JAG Civilian of the Year award ceremony. 
9

the files. Her tremendous discretion and trustworthiness 

during that tumultuous time 

impressed Judge Swanson the 

most.

Ms. Pigott’s ability to 

remain calm in the face of 

crisis was most apparent one 

day when she was working 

with RADM McPherson. On May 16, 1996, the Chief of Naval 

Operations, ADM Jeremy Boorda, committed suicide. RADM 

McPherson remembers sitting in a meeting with the VCNO 

when the announcement was made. He returned to his office, 

stunned at the news, and Ms. Pigott asked him if he was okay. 

Then she calmly laid out the things they needed to do immediately in the face of the crisis. Ms. Pigott’s “cool, gathered, and 

decisive action really gave a sense of control to a very chaotic 

situation,” recalled RADM McPherson.

Ms. Pigott has yet another unique and extremely valuable skill 

- the ability to find in her monstrous stash of files an example of 

nearly any type of memo or letter ever written in N09D. CAPT 

Denise Stich was amazed at how Ms. Pigott could always dig 

into the files and pull out the precise gem they needed whenever 

they were stuck on an issue. LCDR Flo Yuzon remembers how 

Ms. Pigott would always know where to go when he was not 

sure where to start researching an issue. Ms. Pigott’s memory 

of all the work produced in N09D and knack for finding these 

documents within minutes is unparalleled. This impressive skill 

earned Ms. Pigott the reputation of being the person who saves 

the day every day. 

To many of Ms. Pigott’s colleagues, however, she does more 

than save the day. Although we are taught in the Navy that 

everyone can be replaced, according to CDR Reismeier, there 

is no replacement for Ms. Pigott. CAPT Christopher Morin 

agrees, describing Ms. Pigott as someone who is “as close to 

indispensable as it comes in the Navy.” Many judge advocates 

remember significant tasks they accomplished during their time 

in N09D, and all say it could not have been done without Ms. 

Pigott. LCDR Yuzon recalled the countless hours he and Ms. 

Pigott spent collecting evidence to support the Department of 

Justice in the prosecution of John Walker Lindh and collecting 

documents in support of the 9/11 Commission. CAPT Stich 

remembers Ms. Pigott’s ability to expertly and single-handedly 

run the legislative coordination process for OPNAV. Ms. Pigott 

plays a major role in every 

annual legislative cycle for 

the National Defense Authorization Act. During CAPT 

Foster’s time in N09D, they 

underwent the first ever 

Office of Government Ethics 

review of the OPNAV ethics 

program, and this was a “complete success due in large part to Pigott’s attention to detail and 

zealous preparation and planning.”

But those who have had the fortune of working with Ms. 

Pigott will tell you that what impresses them the most is her selflessness and humility. CAPT Paul Kiamos describes Ms. Pigott 

as the “epitome of excellence without arrogance.” CDR Erin 

Stone, the current judge advocate in N09D, explains: “[Pigott] 

tells the most entertaining stories about her time off, and in just 

about every story, she’s taking care of someone besides herself - 

her mom or her dog or her neighbors or her community. But the 

central point of the story is never about what a great person she 

is. It’s almost like it doesn’t even occur to her what a big part she 

is of so many people’s lives. I don’t think a day has gone by that 

I’m not amazed by her.” CDR Reismeier agrees and adds that 

everyone can be phenomenal for a flash, but Ms. Pigott demonstrates sustained brilliance. 

It is this unusual combination of brilliance and humility that 

makes Ms. Pigott stand out. In fact, she is so well known that 

she has achieved one-name status. According to LT Michael 

Bahar, she is “known far and wide throughout the Pentagon and 

JAG Corps not as the VCNO paralegal, the N09D civilian, or 

even as Annette Pigott, but rather simply as Pigott.” She is of 

such great value to the Navy and the JAG Corps that every judge 

advocate who rotates through N09D receives one key piece of 

advice: don’t be the one who loses Ms. Annette Pigott! 

As for Ms. Pigott’s thoughts on her time in N09D, in true 

Pigott fashion, her favorite thing about working there is that she 

gets to “work with so many great JAG Corps officers.” Never 

one who likes to bring attention to herself, Ms. Pigott prefers to 

make everyone around her look good. There is no doubt that 

Annette Pigott is an invaluable institution in the JAG Corps. She 

is truly a teacher and a mentor to us all. CAPT Foster stated it 

best when he said “anyone who has had any contact with Pigott 

comes away a better person for that experience.” A better person 

indeed, and a better judge advocate.

Ms. Annette Pigott, LT Jim Houck, RADM(Ret.) Don Guter and Ms. Tonya 

Susaraba enjoying dinner in 1988.
10

By LT Guy Reschenthaler

NLSO Mid-Atlantic

Not Another Day at the Office: 

Experience at Officer Development School

The loudspeaker screams, “Enemy vessel spotted!” 

and all on the deck of the “USS Buttercup” grab 

for support as a “torpedo” blasts our port side. A 

scout team led by a fellow judge advocate officer rushes 

below deck. He returns to report damage to water pipes 

and to the port bulkhead. My team grabs the needed tools 

and supplies and then rushes below deck. We are a group 

of five judge advocates. As we rush down, one of us laughs 

and says, “Great, a team of JAGs. Are we going to actually 

fix anything or just argue about it?” 

Upon descent we see nothing but water. There is water 

blasting from the pipes above, gushing from the bulkhead, 

and quickly filling the entire compartment. I take my Juliet 

clamp, made to cover damaged pipes, and place it on a 

pipe overhead. My teammate does the same. We place each 

clamp close to the damaged area, but not directly over the 

gushing hole. On the count of three we simultaneously slide 

the clamps over the holes and hurriedly work to tighten the 

clamps, fighting through water that is now up to our knees 

and spraying at the sides of the clamps. 

When we are done, we join the rest of our team. They 

are repairing the bulkhead with a rubber mat, plywood, and 

several pieces of 2’ X 4’. We place the rubber and plywood 

directly on the hole. As I lean into the plywood, my 

teammates support our quick repair with the 2’ X 4’s. As 

we use sledge hammers 

to sure the “H structure,” 

I realize how high the 

water is rising. I look up 

to find little more than 

two feet remains before 

the entire compartment 

is filled. I know the 

“USS Buttercup” is just 

a training tool, designed 

to resemble a real Navy 

ship and floating in a 

large indoor pool, but 

it seems so real. As I 

watch the water rise, I 

cannot help but feel a 

little panic. 

Just then, the instructor turns on the lights 

and congratulates us. The water drains and we make our 

way to the deck. My teammate laughs, “We did it without a single argument!” Another says, “Sure beats slaving 

away on Westlaw all day.” We are all soaking wet, fighting 

to catch our breath, and in disbelief that our law degrees 

landed us on the deck of the “USS Buttercup.”

That was week four of Officer Development School 

(ODS). Just four weeks previously, I found myself sitting 

in a Newport, R.I., restaurant with a friend, asking him for 

advice. He had graduated from Pitt Law and was placed in 

the class ahead of mine. As we talked ODS survival and 

watched the Steelers crush the Browns, I could not help but 

feel a little nervous about reporting to the barracks later 

that night. My friend told me to lay low, get my work done, 

and catch as much sleep as possible.

He gave me the weekly breakdown of training. “The first 

week, it is all about physical fitness and getting checked out 

by every doctor on the base. You’ll get tons of shots, run 

twice a day, do tons of push ups, and at some point a dentist will examine your teeth. We get our hearing and eyesight checked too. You’ll see.” He attacked another slice 

of pizza, watched the instant replay of a Steelers touchdown, and continued to fill me in. “Weeks two and three are 

boring. You wake up, run, go to chow, and then sit through 

hours of instruction. Week four is fun. You have firefighting training, water survival, and damage ship repair. My 

class is going into week five. I’ll come to your room before 

you leave and tell you what to expect.” I tried to remember 

everything he said as I left to check-in at the barracks.

The next morning 

I was greeted at “zero 

four hundred” by a 

pounding on my door. 

With tips gained from 

my friend, I knew 

this “shock and awe” 

greeting was coming. 

I jumped to my feet, 

made sure my roommate was ready, and 

opened the door. We 

were immediately 

instructed to, “Hit the 

deck and start pushing.” I tried to concentrate on pumping out pushups. I 

Students at Officer Development School go for a morning run in Newport, R.I. was feeling tired, 
11

again, I could not help to think that I was training as a firefighter, putting out real fires, and getting paid for it!

The next day was water survival training. We went 

through an exercise that simulated “jumping ship” in a 

storm during the dead of night. The instructors lined us up 

and we were escorted into the pool room. We took turns 

climbing a ladder to the top of a tower. The room was 

so dark I could barely 

see the person in front 

of me. The sound of 

a lightning storm at 

sea was played on the 

speakers. Periodically 

a strobe light flashed as 

mock lightning. 

We were told to 

“jump!” I crossed 

my arms and legs 

and plunged from the 

platform tower into 

the “ocean.” When 

I emerged I saw my 

team leader holding a 

glow stick. It was the 

only light around and 

I swam toward it. Our 

team found our rescue 

raft and I climbed into 

it; then I helped others 

by pulling them into the 

raft.

Soon this week 

ended, it was time to 

graduate. After weeks 

of practicing, my class 

marched in formation 

during the ceremony. 

During the ceremony, 

I reminisced about the 

summer that was now 

coming to an end. I 

graduated from law school, immersed myself in what 

seemed to be endless bar preparation, took the bar exam, 

and then reported to Newport, R.I. While I had many great 

times during training, I recall being lined up in “the pit” – 

a large area on base filled with coarse sand – and having 

instructors hose my class down with freezing cold water 

as we exercised. Even that, in retrospect, seemed to have 

been an absolute blast!

There are a lot of things one can do with a law degree. 

I feel fortunate, very fortunate, to have earned the opportunity to attend ODS. The skills learned, discipline 

acquired, and knowledge gained will help immensely in 

my career as a U.S. Naval Officer.

stressed, and a little confused. When were we going to 

stop? Finally, we were told to get on our feet. Our senior 

chief, filling the role of drill sergeant, introduced himself. 

He screamed, “I don’t care if you’re a doctor, a lawyer, or 

a candlestick maker! You’re all in the Navy and I’m going 

to turn you all into Sailors!”

Over the course of the next several weeks, I found 

myself with doctors, 

lawyers, nurses, chaplains, nuclear instructors, and even one pharmacist. Through long 

morning runs, push 

ups, sit ups, and various 

other physical exercises, 

we were all dropping 

weight, getting toned, 

and appearing more like 

members of the military. Sitting through 

hours of class work, I 

found myself learning 

military history, traditions, and even strategy. 

I constantly reminded 

myself just how lucky I 

was. I was getting paid 

to work out and learn 

about the military. It 

was literally a dream 

come true as I found 

myself immersed in the 

ODS curriculum.

We soon reached the 

Holy Grail of ODS, 

“week four.” It was a 

joyous time when policy 

required that we receive 

six hours of sleep a 

night and suspended the 

morning runs and physical fitness training. We began the week “saving” the “USS 

Buttercup.” The next day we learned how to firefight. 

After sitting through hours of lectures on safety and firefighting techniques (including watching an hour of actual 

footage taken on the USS Forrestal), we donned the heavy 

and cumbersome firefighting equipment. The senior chief 

cranked up an actual fire that seemed to be three stories 

high. We manned the water hose and dashed the fire with 

water. We were then lead into a room designed to resemble 

a ship’s galley. A live fire blasted from the range and we 

grabbed fire extinguishers to combat the flames. I was in a 

full sweat due to the heat and physical exertion. The team 

worked well together and we subdued the flames. Once 

LT Guy Reschenthaler repairing damage to “USS Buttercup” while at Officer Development 

School in Newport, R.I. 
12

The Judge Advocate General’s 

Corps recruited top candidates for the JAG Corps at the 

National Asian Pacific American Bar 

Association (NAPABA) conference 

in Seattle, Wash. Nov. 21-22. Celebrating twenty years of advocating 

and promoting Asian-American law 

students and attorneys, the NAPABA 

conference offered minority law students and attorneys the opportunity to 

hear VADM Bruce MacDonald speak 

at a panel highlighting developments 

in military law. In addition, multiple junior JAG officers participated 

in a moot court event and a panel 

designed to highlight the benefits of 

legal careers in the military.

The ninety minute panel session 

that VADM MacDonald particiNAPABA Welcomes the 

JAG Corps to Seattle

By LT Hunter Abell

NLSO Northwest

pated in, moderated by US Attorney 

Edward H. Kubo, Jr., covered a 

variety of subjects, including the 

constitutionality of the new UCMJ 

Article 120 statute, Rule of Law 

efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, support to military personnel through 

programs like Hawaii’s “Wounded 

Warrior” program, and the importance of effective interagency cooperation in war zones. Appearing with 

three other general and flag officers 

from the Army, Air Force, and Coast 

Guard, VADM MacDonald discussed 

the complex and changing nature of 

interagency work in war zones. 

“One of the greatest challenges our 

JAGs face will be effectively moving 

in the interagency environment,” commented VADM MacDonald. Reinforcing the point, VADM MacDonald 

concluded the panel presentation by 

asking for a show of hands by the 

military officers present who had 

served overseas in an Individual 

Augmentee capacity.

Several junior officers played 

major roles in the convention’s activities. LT Sylvaine Wong, LT Michael 

Hom, and LT Elizabeth Josephson 

represented the Navy at a panel presentation showcasing the benefits of 

a legal career in the military. Each 

officer explained their personal 

experiences and took questions from 

the audience. The audience appreciated hearing the views of junior 

officers who, only a few years ago, 

were themselves studying for the bar 

exam. 

Audience satisfaction with the 

Navy presentations resulted in strong 

interest at the Navy JAG Corps 

recruiting table during the conference job fair. The recruiting table 

saw brisk activity throughout the 

two days of the job fair drawing the 

attention of over two hundred potential applicants. Interest was strong 

enough that some attendees desired 

to complete the senior JAG officer 

accession interview on the spot with 

NLSO NW Commanding Officer 

CAPT Pamela Ball. Law school student Chris Cimafranca participated 

in an interview and remarked, “I 

was a little apprehensive at first, but 

[CAPT Ball] made it very comfortable for me. She taught me more in 

one hour about the JAG Corps than I 

could have found out in a day looking at the website.” Cimafranca also 

attended VADM MacDonald’s presentation, and remarked of the panel 

presentation, “It was an eye opener 

for me. As a law student, it made the 

military much more accessible.” 

LT Sylvaine Wong with Alan Law and Erin Park, students from the University of San Francisco, at the 

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association conference.
13

At the Region Legal Service Office Naval District 

Washington (RLSO NDW) Branch Office Annapolis, 

I have one of the most unique jobs the Navy legal 

community offers – representing the RLSO at the Naval 

Academy. 

The United States Naval Academy’s mission is “to develop 

midshipmen morally... and to imbue them with the highest 

ideals of duty, honor and loyalty...” I am proud to provide 

direct support to this mission. As a member of the legal 

support team to the Commandant of Midshipmen, the 

Commanding Officer of the Naval Academy Support 

Activity Annapolis, and the more than 5,000 midshipmen 

and active duty personnel. This billet provides a wide 

variety of legal aspects to the legalman who wants to 

tackle it all. 

My responsibilities include providing notary services, 

responding to Congressional Inquiries, and providing 

assistance with claims and voting. I am also responsible for 

the preparation of conduct cases for disciplinary matters, 

non-judicial punishment, and administrative separation 

cases. 

Midshipmen are processed under the “performance 

system” at the Academy. The performance system and nonjudicial punishment are similar in that they both are used to 

maintain good order and discipline. The major difference 

is that the initial offense, if serious, has the potential to 

lead to separation from the Academy. Naval Criminal 

Investigative Service, Department of Defense police, and 

security can be utilized to initiate an investigation against 

Legalman to the Commandant of Midshipmen at the 

By LN1 Demieka Wilson

RLSO Naval District Washington

a midshipman. Once the performance office decides to 

send the accused to the Commandant, I prepare a package 

that includes character statements received from fellow 

midshipmen, class standing, grades, and ranking comments. 

Midshipmen are ranked not only by their company officer 

but also by their peers. 

The Naval Academy is a wonderful place to work. The 

Naval Academy’s structure adds to the college atmosphere 

of class work and sports plus the military’s discipline, 

seamanship, and pride of country. Every college has pride, 

but the midshipmen’s pride starts their plebe (freshman) 

year and lasts throughout their lifetime. The Annapolis 

community and alumni sponsor midshipmen by becoming 

“sponsor parents” and opening their homes to add to the 

feeling of family and provide an escape from the rigorous 

day-to-day schedule. 

On the campus grounds you can find the Naval Academy 

cemetery, where flag officers and midshipmen who died 

during enrollment are buried. Also, a statue of Tecumseh, 

“god of the 2.0,” can be found in front of the Bancroft Hall 

dormitory. He is dressed for the occasion to help prepare 

midshipmen for exams or football games. 

This command encapsulates the total force concept. 

Midshipmen are not only taught by civilian professors, but 

also by officers and enlisted with advanced degrees and 

fleet experience. 

The best aspect of this job is that I am surrounded by 

thousands of Sailors honored to wear the uniform and 

who display pride on a daily basis. Annapolis is filled 

with history and so is the Naval Academy; it is the perfect 

place for family and the perfect start for our future naval 

officers. 

United States Naval Academy

Photo: Naval Academy Superintendent VADM Jeffrey Fowler reenlists LN1 Demieka Wilson in the John Paul Jones Crypt located at the U.S. Naval Academy. 
14

Should a submarine on a stealth mission near North 

Korea respond to a distress call at sea if doing so 

would reveal its position? In dangerously severe 

weather conditions, should a commanding officer jeopardize 

the lives of members of a search and rescue team in order to 

rescue a man overboard? 

While legal issues almost always exist in such situations, 

the decision can rest on an ethical assessment that goes 

beyond a strict reading of the law, one that does not lend 

itself to clear answers. Judge advocates have the unique 

privilege of serving as both attorneys and naval officers, and 

their advice can hinge on factors not learned in any substantive legal training. Our JAG Corps leadership has developed 

a program to assist judge advocates and members of the JAG 

Corps community in their leadership roles by fostering a culture of ethical decision making.

The JAG Corps’s first step in this endeavor incorporated ethical decision making into its core curriculum at 

its leadership courses. 

The Senior Leadership 

Course, taught to incoming Naval Legal Service 

Command (NLSC) commanding and executive 

officers, provides initial training by analyzing ethical models and 

the underlying values 

behind every leadership 

decision. The annual 

Commander’s Training Symposium, also for NLSC commanding officers, builds on previous training by providing 

tools for commanding officers to utilize in their own training sessions at their command. 

In addition, the O-4 Leadership Training Symposium 

exposes judge advocates selected for promotion to O-4 to 

ethical decision making. There, discussions involve scenarios that distinguish between the ethical evaluation of a 

course of action and its legality. The JAG Corps also plans 

to incorporate ethical decision making discussions into 

other substantive legal courses. The next step is to conduct 

an Ethical Decision Making seminar at the May JAG Corps 

paralegal and civilian personnel symposium in San Antonio, Texas. All of these efforts aim to assist members of the 

JAG Corps community in their roles as community leaders 

By LCDR David Lee

Naval Justice School

Ethical Decision Making

“Judge advocates have the unique privilege of 

serving as both attorneys and naval officers, 

and their advice can hinge on factors not 

learned in any substantive legal training.”

and complement the substantive legal training already provided.

Some of the most distinguished experts on military ethics 

have conducted training at our courses. Dr. Albert Pierce is 

the Director of the Institute for National Security Ethics and 

Leadership at National Defense University. CAPT(Ret.) 

Rick Rubel and CAPT(Ret.) Elizabeth Holmes teach at the 

Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the U.S. Naval 

Academy. Each brings a wealth of experience on the topic 

of ethical decision making and their diverse expertise, experiences, and styles of teaching have provided students in the 

JAG Corps with a full spectrum of ethical perspectives.

After they receive training from the experts, NLSC commanding officers are tasked with developing and providing 

ethical decision making training to the members of their commands. Using some of the innovative training techniques initially provided by CAPT Rubel and Drs. Pierce and Holmes, 

several NLSC commands have creatively stimulated discussions of ethical decision making. Watching movies such as 

“Twelve O’Clock High,” reading accounts such as Admiral 

Gehman’s article on the USS Cole investigation, or discussing actual case studies such as the Marcus Luttrell story highlight ethical challenges 

faced by service members. Interactive videos 

such as “Last Call” allow 

participants to choose 

a particular course of 

action for the character 

and to observe the potential consequences of poor 

decision making. 

One innovative command combined physical training with ethical decision making training by hiking 

up a local mountain and engaging in a roundtable discussion of ethics at the top. NLSC commanding officers have 

reported very positive feedback from command members 

regarding the training they are provided locally, with most 

people thoroughly enjoying these challenging and thoughtprovoking sessions.

Ethical decision making should prove effective in complementing our legal support to the Navy by ensuring our 

advice goes beyond the strict reading of the law. Knowing 

the correct legal answer may not be the same as knowing the 

right thing to do. In this challenging era of expanded military missions, discussion and training in ethical decision 

making enables judge advocates to better assist our military 

leaders with making the best possible decisions.
15

By Jen Zeldis

Public Affairs Officer

PG School Quotas Continue To Rise

I

n 2006, the Navy JAG Corps made a commitment to 

provide postgraduate legal education to all career judge 

advocates. “I am convinced we will have in place the 

opportunity for every judge advocate to pursue his or her 

career path as a litigator, environmental lawyer, international 

or operational law specialist, or in a new area of the law such 

as information operations or intelligence law,” said VADM 

Bruce MacDonald, the judge advocate general of the Navy. 

“Providing postgraduate education opportunities to our 

middle management JAG personnel will provide them with 

the competency and legal knowledge necessary to provide 

the best legal solutions across the array of issues facing military commanders, senior leaders and service members,” said 

CAPT Dawn Tompkins, the special assistant for transformation. 

Through creative thinking and leadership, the JAG Corps 

developed a way to obtain this goal.

“The eventual goal is to send 20 students to civilian 

schools and 10 to the Army JAG School on an annual basis,” 

said CAPT Mark Hunzeker, the senior officer detailer. The 

30 total billets a year will help the JAG Corps send all career 

judge advocates to postgraduate school.

In addition, leadership has extended the timeframe within 

which judge advocates can fit postgraduate education into 

their career. Instead of targeting only lieutenant commanders for assignment to postgraduate school, more junior and 

senior officers will also be eligible for PG school billets. 

The Army JAG School

The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School 

(TJAGLCS) in Charlottesville, VA is the only ABA-approved 

law school in the military services. TJAGLCS is tuition-free 

for judge advocates and students can obtain an LLM in Military Law or International Law.

“VADM MacDonald was able to secure an increase in 

quotas at TJAGLCS by agreeing to provide an additional 

instructor to the school,” said CAPT Hunzeker. 

For the academic year 2009-2010, the Navy JAG Corps 

will send six students to Army JAG School and will incrementally increase the number of students up to the limit of 

10.

Civilian Institutions

Civilian institutions offer LLMs in trial advocacy, environmental, and international/operational law. For the academic year 

2009-2010, the Navy JAG Corps will send 16 judge advocates to 

civilian institutions. While this is almost double the number the 

JAG Corps previously had, the JAG Corps is striving to obtain a 

total of 20 billets in the future. 

One initiative that is being explored is a memorandum of 

understanding between the Navy JAG Corps and several civilian institutions. This approach could allow the JAG Corps to use 

the same amount of money it currently spends on 16 billets to 

fund 20 billets.

“This year we did a scrub of all of our subspecialty coded billets as part of a zero-based review,” said CDR Rebecca Conrad, 

the JAGC Officer Community Manager. “As a result of this 

scrub, we were able to increase our subspecialty coded billets – 

the ones that ultimately result in quotas, through a formula and 

quota conference process – from 169 to 216. This should result 

in an increase in our civilian PG school quotas.” CDR Conrad 

did caution that an increase in quotas does not necessarily mean 

an increase in funding. The JAG Corps will work to maximize 

the budget each year in order to utilize each quota. 

The Work Ahead

“The investment we will make in affording postgraduate school opportunities to our judge advocates will reap great 

dividends for the Navy and the JAG Corps of the future,” said 

VADM MacDonald.

JAG Corps 2020 reiterated the JAG Corps’ commitment to 

professional excellence and integrity. It reads, “Every member 

of the Navy JAG Corps will meet the highest standards of professionalism and all members will receive the career-long legal 

and military professional education and training necessary to 

best serve naval, joint, and combined force needs.”

CAPT Hunzeker explained this process will take time. “We 

are trying to obtain the quotas and funding so that we can begin 

to create the conditions necessary to achieve that goal in the 

future,” he said.

Last year, the JAG Corps changed the postgraduate education selection process. There is no longer a postgraduate school 

selection board. The slating process determines attendance and 

curriculum for JAG Corps officers. The detailers recommend 

that all officers submit their postgraduate preferences during the 

slating cycle.

“The investment we will make in affording postgraduate school 

opportunities to our judge advocates will reap great dividends for the Navy 

and the JAG Corps of the future,” said VADM MacDonald.
16

Builds Military Appreciation Purchase Program

I

n an effort to make the process of purchasing an automobile more transparent and educational to military personnel 

and their families in the Hampton Roads, Va. area, the Navy 

Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic (NLSO Midlant) partnered 

with local agencies and automobile dealerships to create the 

Military Appreciation Purchase Program (MAPP).

The brainchild of Mr. Dwain Alexander, a NLSO Midlant 

legal assistance attorney, the MAPP provides educational 

resources to service members or their families when they begin 

to negotiate a vehicle purchase at the automobile dealership. 

Military customers can go to the website www.mappva.com to 

find more information and a list of participating dealerships.

Included in the resources are: a notice of buyer’s legal rights 

and a commitment to compliance from the dealership; a special point of contact at the dealership for questions and problem 

resolution; the fair market value of the vehicle being purchased 

as established by the National Automobile Dealers Association 

(NADA), Kelly Blue Book (KBB) or, for new vehicles, the 

Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP); an opportunity 

to have the contract reviewed by a 

legal assistance attorney or other 

party prior to the sale; and the explanation of the warranties and service 

contracts provided with each sale. 

In response to a growing number 

of legal assistance cases resulting 

from car dealerships using abusive 

sales techniques such as misrepresentation and fraud, Mr. Alexander researched the issue. He 

found that the problems were extensive. For example, he found 

evidence of contracts and credit applications being submitted to 

banks with false information. Often, military members paid well 

in excess of the fair market value for vehicles or purchased cars 

that barely ran. Some service members paid for warranties and 

service contracts that were over-priced and ineffective. Others 

were talked into purchasing vehicles even though they did not 

have a license to drive. Mr. Alexander also found evidence of 

unlawful solicitation by car dealerships. Service members who 

were told they got the best deal possible were accepting loans 

at high interest rates because they did not shop for better credit 

terms. Some conduct, such as bank fraud, is criminal. A lot of 

the observed conduct is immoral or unethical and all of the conduct is bad for the service member. 

“Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the Sailors who end 

up in these situations come to see an attorney,” said Mr. Alexander. “Of those, only a few will be able to get out of their original contract. Worse, many of these auto dealers place binding 

mandatory arbitration agreements in their contracts. Binding 

mandatory arbitration agreements block the service member’s 

access to the courts for redress of wrongs and are frequently so 

cost prohibitive that it bars any redress.”

In response to these findings, Mr. Alexander arranged a meeting with the representatives from the Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Dealer Board, the Better Business Bureau, 

and the new and used auto dealer associations. 

“During our discussions, we focused on gathering all the information a service member needed in order to make an informed, 

intelligent decision of where and how to invest his or her money 

in the purchase of a vehicle,” said Mr. Alexander. 

With the service member’s best interest in mind, the group 

came up with the educational materials that would best inform 

military customers. They also wrote an agreement for participating auto dealerships to provide this information to military 

customers prior to the purchase of a vehicle. In return, those 

participating dealerships receive MAPP certification, and the 

program and participants will be advertised to service members 

and their families on military bases in Hampton Roads. 

“MAPP is based upon a Fort Campbell Code of Ethics program,” said Mr. Alexander. “We modified it by including a 360 

review with standardized form disclosures.”

Under the program, MAPP dealerships agree to follow a code 

of ethics and provide disclosures to 

service members and their families. 

The process begins when a service 

member or their immediate family 

member starts to work with a MAPP 

dealership. The military customer 

receives a disclosure statement that 

lists their rights under the program 

and discloses information about the 

financial and legal aspects of the transaction. The document is 

completed, signed, and provided to the military customer before 

he or she signs a Buyer’s Order, Retail Installment Sales Agreement or other contract to purchase. 

The premise of the program is that information is power. An 

informed consumer will have the information to determine the 

vehicle condition and history, the fair market value of the vehicle, and whether a warranty or service contract is needed. With 

the fair market value and an unsigned contract to purchase the 

service member can shop at his bank or credit union for the best 

credit terms based upon their credit worthiness. 

“The dealerships have committed to assist those who protect our nation by reducing the stress, confusion, and harm that 

frequently occurs when an uninformed consumer engages in 

expensive financial transactions,” according to the MAPP mission statement.

“The best way to fight the crime of misinformation is with 

truth and education. The heroes of this program are the dealerships who chose to make a difference to our service members 

through educational material with open and honest disclosures,” 

said Mr. Alexander.

By Jen Zeldis

Public Affairs Officer

“The heroes of this program are 

the dealerships who chose to make a 

difference to our service members through 

educational material with open honest 

disclosures,” said Mr. Alexander.

NLSO Midlant
17

A Conversation with

CAPT Mark Lawton

Vice Commander Naval Legal Service Command & Assistant JAG for Operations and Management

CAPT Mark D. Lawton reported for duty on Aug. 

25, 2008 as the Assistant Judge Advocate General 

(Operations and Management)/Vice Commander, 

Naval Legal Service Command. The JAG Magazine staff 

sat down with CAPT Lawton to talk about his career, what 

that lead him to this position, and his goals at the Office of 

the Judge Advocate General.

JAGMAG: What led you to become an attorney and 

what brought you to join the Navy JAG Corps?

CAPT Lawton: I had actually been interested in joining the Navy for a long time, in part because of family 

tradition. My dad was in the Navy during World War II 

and my brother served as a submariner. While working 

as a law clerk at a law firm in downtown Boston, I visited 

the local recruiting office. The Navy JAG Corps seemed 

to be a good fit, so during my second year of law school I 

applied for a commission. 

JAGMAG: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself 

- your education and past work experiences?

CAPT Lawton: I am a native of Winchester, Massachusetts, and came on active duty in the JAG Corps 

via the student program back in 1985. I went to school 

in Boston, receiving my undergraduate degree from 

Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., in 1982, and 

my law degree from Suffolk University in 1985. While 

on active duty, I graduated from the Naval War College in 1995 and earned a masters degree in international and comparative law from Georgetown University 

Law Center in 1996, courtesy of the Navy JAG Corps.

 I’ve been fortunate enough to have had what I consider 

to be great and challenging assignments throughout the 

course of my naval career. My first assignment following 

graduation from Naval Justice School (where my classmates included CAPTs Mike Boock and Jon Fink) was 

Naval Legal Service Office, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where 

I served as Defense Counsel, Trial Counsel, and Head of 

the Legal Assistance Department and Special Assistant 

U.S. Attorney. From there I went to San Diego, where 

I served as the Staff Judge Advocate for Commander, 

Cruiser-Destroyer Group THREE, a tour which included 

two deployments -- a world cruise with the USS Enterprise 

Battle Group and a deployment to the Persian Gulf with 

the USS Nimitz Battle Group.

In September 1991, I reported to OJAG’s General Litigation Division, where I had the good fortune to work 

for now-retired CAPT Pete Wylie, as well as with Norton 

Joerg, Grant Lattin, Nan DeRenzi, Kirk Foster, Russ Shaffer, and Mike Palmer, all wonderful people and exceptional lawyers. In 1993, out of the blue, I received a call 

from my detailer at the time, then LCDR Hank Molinengo, 

who asked me if I would consider being a detailer. After 

talking it over with my boss in Code 14, I moved over 

to the detailing shop, where I relieved Dave Hayes as 

the lieutenant detailer. From 1996 to 1998, I served as 

Executive Assistant (EA) to RADMs Biff LeGrand and 

Don Guter, after which I reported to Commander, Second 

Fleet/Commander, Striking Fleet Atlantic as Fleet Judge 

Advocate. From there, I reported in August 2000 to Naval 

Justice School where I served as the Executive Officer 

(XO). I served as Fleet Judge Advocate on the staff of 

Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander, JTF-519 

in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii from 2002 to 2005, at which time 

I reported to Naples, Italy as Commanding Officer (CO), 

U.S. Region Legal Service Office, Europe and Southwest 

Asia. 

JAGMAG: Do you think your previous positions 

helped prepare you for your current position?

CAPT Lawton: I would say for the most part, yes, my 

previous positions in the JAG Corps have prepared me for 

duty as an AJAG. For my particular position as the 06/

Vice Commander, my past assignments as a CO, XO, and 

EA, as well as my days in the detailing shop, provided me 

with exposure to and experience with many of the issues 

I deal with on a daily basis here at OJAG. Additionally, 

having just recently served as a CO out in the field, I have 

a good appreciation for the many challenges currently 

being faced by NLSC commands and consider my current 

position to be a great opportunity to continue to work with 

many close friends to tackle these issues. While there are 

many things I like about this new assignment, the thing I 

like most is the opportunity to continue to work with truly 

hard-working and dedicated people, both here at headquarters and throughout the JAG Corps. 

 JAGMAG: What do you hope to accomplish during 

your three year tour? What are your priorities for 

NLSC?

CAPT Lawton: I plan to focus on ways that we, as a 

community, can accomplish the mission more effectively 

and more efficiently. We will also need to continue to provide outstanding support to the war on terror, continue our 

efforts to date in the area of transformation, and take care 

of our people by working to achieve an appropriate lifework balance and supporting their personal and professional growth. When I refer to “our people,” I’m talking 

about everyone -- judge advocates, legalmen, and civilian 

teammates. 

JAGMAG: Can you tell us a little bit about your leadership style?

CAPT Lawton continued on page 18
18

By CDR P. Garrett Triplett 

Al Asad, Iraq

There is sometimes a misconception that “legal assistance” involves the legal assistance 

providers sitting in their offices and 

waiting for clients to come by with 

legal questions. While there is some 

truth to that, legal assistance can also 

make an enterprising young judge 

advocate look like Harm from the 

television series “JAG.” 

Such was the case this past 

summer. I had the opportunity to 

collaborate with the 3rd Marine Air 

Wing (Forward) Staff Judge Advocate’s Office (3rd MAW(fwd) SJA) 

and put on a Legal Assistance Road 

Show. There are quite a few small 

bases in our area of western Iraq. In 

fact, we have camps, battle positions 

(BPs), and combat outposts (COPs) 

in all sorts of out-of-the way places. 

While some of these locations have 

SJAs, the role of the SJA is primarily to advise the command. Legal 

Western Iraq

Legal Assistance Road Show in 

assistance comes second. What a 

ripe opportunity to get out, see how 

the other half lives, and help some 

Marines who could use it most!

We sent a three-person legal team 

to Camp Korean Village during the 

middle of the month and another 

team to Camp Al Qa’im at the end 

of the month. Both trips were exciting and productive. The second trip 

was much more so, because we convoyed to remote locations such as 

COP Gannon and BP Tripoli.

All told, we travelled about 500 

miles on three different types of aircraft and convoy vehicles to make this 

Road Show work. We even spent one 

night on the bed of a five-ton truck 

for good measure. Fortunately, we did 

not have to employ any of our combat 

training as the travel was smooth sailing, if not a little tiring. Regardless, 

it was worth it to get out and make 

a difference to those Marines. It is a 

small price to pay to serve those who 

are making this place as safe as it is 

today. 

CAPT Lawton: I like to empower people, give them the 

tools they need to do their jobs, remove as many impediments as I can, and then get out of the way and let them 

do their jobs. I trust my subordinates to do their jobs, and 

expect them to let me know if/when issues arise that create 

challenges or get in the way of accomplishing their mission I also like to “get out and about” as often as I can, 

not to check up on people, but to get a feel for myself as 

to how things are going, look people in the eye and talk 

to them not only about their jobs, but their lives as well, 

and get to know them as best I can. I look forward to the 

opportunity to do that more and more as an AJAG and 

am delighted that both VADM MacDonald and RADM 

Houck strongly support increased travel opportunities 

and outreach by all of the AJAGs.

JAGMAG: Would you like to offer any advice to the 

legal community?

CAPT Lawton: This is an amazing time to be in the 

JAG Corps. There is so much going on in the way of 

transformation, and all of it is being done with the ultimate goal of making the JAG Corps a better organization 

in which to serve. Recognizing that this is YOUR JAG 

Corps, the community which hopefully all of you will 

be still serving in many years from now, I would urge 

you to take an active role in helping to chart the course 

ahead. Don’t be afraid to speak up, let the leadership 

know what you’re thinking, what concerns you might 

have, or how we might be able to do things better. We 

can’t fix things that we don’t know are broken, and your 

thoughts and ideas are important to us. So, my advice 

would be to speak up, get involved, and take an active 

part in charting the future course of the JAG Corps! 

CAPT Lawton continued from page 17
19

A User’s Guide to E-Mail

The third installment of the e-mail series that provides some rules for communicating through e-mail

By Col Gary Brown, USAF

Senior Legal Advisor, Air Force Inspector General 

Next in the series: Part 4 Timeliness

I

t is not just the automatic aspects of e-mail that can 

wreak havoc. Sometimes, bosses can create havoc all 

by themselves! Some bosses are infamous for asking 

subordinates to provide an honest opinion about a project 

and then forwarding the e-mail to others. This can create 

real problems if the honest input is not altogether complimentary. Word of the subordinate’s criticism can migrate 

through an organization, making him look like a back-stabber or self-promoter. Bosses who forward “honest inputs” 

may find they can no longer get their subordinates to send 

them. I had a boss who made it crystal clear when he asked 

for an opinion whether I could expect the e-mail to remain 

private. He would say something like: “Recognizing your 

reply might be forwarded to ___________________, what 

do you think about ... ?” This was enough to penetrate 

even my thick skull, and I knew to couch any comments in 

diplomatic terms (and provide particularly sensitive supplemental information to him in person). That is not to say it 

is good practice to send negative information by e-mail (see 

my article in the last edition of the JAG Magazine), but if 

the boss is asking for specific details, honesty should be the 

default position.

One final test for e-mail recipients is how they handle 

messages received in error. A Global Address List is a wonderful tool for finding people across the service, but it makes 

it unfortunately easy to click on a similar name and dispatch 

an e-mail in error. Having a common name myself, I have 

received college grades and other personal e-mails intended 

for like-named individuals. My rule is to reply to the sender 

(not to all recipients) that he or she probably was looking 

for another Gary Brown. In nearly every case, the sender 

has been apologetic, and that has been the end of it. 

In addition to how it might reflect on their organization, 

e-mail recipients must worry about an even bigger problem 

– e-mail’s effect on their intelligence.

A 2005 study argued e-mail lowers IQ more than smoking 

marijuana. What practical guidance does this conclusion 

offer? Should we have a “zero tolerance” policy toward 

e-mail? That is probably not necessary. The study concluded the divided attention caused by constantly checking 

e-mail is what causes the drop in intellectual ability. There 

are easy solutions to this that you, the recipient of e-mail, 

control.

 Walk out of your office once in awhile. Get out from 

behind your desk when you have a visitor so you are not 

constantly looking at the computer screen. Unless you 

are really important (e.g., an arbitrageur or commander 

of global thermonuclear forces), your e-mail can probably 

wait 10 minutes. It may be disappointing to think the world 

will actually not spin off its axis if you fail to answer an 

e-mail before the electrons are dry, but it is true. Michael 

Agger, in “The E-Mail Addict,” notes that it takes about 

four minutes to recover mentally from any interruption. So, 

multiply each and every e-mail you check in a day by four 

minutes and you have a significant amount of wasted time, 

just because you constantly check your e-mail!

Another problem is the deleterious effect of electronic 

communications devices on our other communications 

skills. Interactions with live human beings, for the present, 

still merit the place of honor on the communications pyramid. It is easy to lose track of this when there are so many 

options for communicating that do not involve actual faceto-face meetings. Consider the introduction of the BlackBerry® into social discourse.

The BlackBerry is, to date, the most popular iteration 

of the portable device capable of receiving e-mail. Before 

the BlackBerry, important persons could only be reached 

via cell phone. Now, they can instantaneously receive all 

the work e-mail they would otherwise miss until the next 

duty day: unit car wash announcements, policy letters, and 

more!

BlackBerries have created a whole new set of problems 

in human relations. Children have reported their parents 

are thumb typing on the BlackBerry while driving, during 

school meetings, and even in the bathroom – to avoid being 

caught violating the rules the family established to limit use 

of the device! All this so whoever works with Mom or Dad 

does not have to decide if something is important enough to 

merit calling them at home. Send it all! Let Dad or Mom 

decide what is important ... it is not too difficult for them 

to read dozens of irrelevant e-mails and ignore the kids at 

the same time. The Wall Street Journal says the growing 

use of e-mail gadgets is spawning a generation of resentful 

children; it calls them “BlackBerry Orphans.”

So when and how quickly should you respond? See the 

next JAG Magazine for the fourth and final installment. 

Part 3: Dealing with Dangerous Erroneous Messages and E-Mail Overload
2009 Summer Course Schedule

Attorney Courses

20

Basic Lawyer Course (Newport): 26 MAY - 24 JUL, 3 AUG - 2 OCT

Basic Operational Law Training (Newport): 27-31 JUL 

Basic Operational Law Training (Newport) (USMC): 27-31 JUL 

Classified Information Litigation Course (Andrews AFB): 5-7 MAY 

Computer Crimes (Newport): 3-7 AUG

Defending Complex Cases (Newport): 11-15 MAY

Estate Planning (Newport): 31 AUG - 4 SEP

Iraq Predeployment Legal Training (Newport): 6-9 JUL

Law of Military Operations (Newport): 8-19 JUN

Law of Naval Operations (Newport): 14-18 SEP

Legal Officer (Norfolk): 1-19 JUN, 13-31 JUL, 17 AUG - 4 SEP 

Legal Officer (San Diego): 8-25 JUN, 20 JUL - 7 AUG, 17 AUG - 4 SEP 

Reserve Lawyer (Newport): 22-26 JUN, 21-25 SEP

Senior Officer Course (Camp Lejeune): 22-26 JUN 

Senior Officer Course (Millington): 10-14 AUG 

Senior Officer Course (Newport): 15-19 JUN, 27-31 JUL, 24-28 AUG, 21-25 SEP

Senior Officer Course (Norfolk): 14-18 SEP 

Senior Officer Course (Camp Pendleton): 14-18 SEP 

Senior Officer Course (Pensacola): 8-12 JUN, 27-31 JUL, 21-25 SEP

Senior Officer Course (Quantico): 15-19 JUN

Senior Officer Course (San Diego): 1-5 JUN 

Staff Judge Advocate (Newport): 20-31 JUL

Trial Refresher and Enhancement Training (Newport): 10-14 AUG

Naval Justice School
21

Paralegal Courses

Congratulation to Naval 

Justice School for 

receiving the 2008 

Naval Education and 

Training Command 

ExcellenceAward!

Dates and courses may 

change. Go to NKO or 

the NJS page on 

www.jag.navy.mil 

for current offerings.

Legal Clerk (Norfolk): 13-24 JUL, 17-28 AUG 

Legal Clerk (San Diego): 8-19 JUN, 27 JUL - 7 AUG, 17-28 AUG

Legalman Accession Course (Newport) : 11 MAY - 24 JUL

Paralegal Research & Writing (Norfolk): 15-26 JUL 

Paralegal Research & Writing (San Diego): 13-24 JUL

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Millington): 10-12 AUG

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Norfolk): 26-28 MAY, 9-11 SEP 

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (Camp Pendleton): 14-16 SEP

Senior Enlisted Leadership Course (San Diego): 26-28 MAY, 30 JUN - 2 JUL 

Senior Legalman Course (Newport): 27-31 JUL 
22 Fleet News

On Oct. 15 and 16, CAPT Christian Reismeier of OJAG’s 

Criminal Law Division, one of the 

most experienced litigators in the 

JAG Corps, traveled to San Diego to 

offer his unique insight and innovative teaching techniques to the judge 

advocates of Region Legal Service Office Southwest (RLSO SW). 

CAPT Kirk Foster, the commanding officer of RLSO SW, arranged 

the training to enhance the advocacy 

skills of judge advocates assigned to 

trial billets. 

Trial counsel come to the job with 

a wide range of experience, from 

brand new judge advocates right out 

of Naval Justice School to seasoned 

military attorneys serving as military 

prosecutors for the first time. The 

training, designed and delivered by 

CAPT Reismeier, involved a review 

of general trial advocacy techniques 

but also included interactive practical skills exercises and discussions of 

By LTJG Jasmine Scott

RLSO Southwest

RLSO SW Learns From The Best

often overlooked aspects of the military justice process. 

Counsel participated in a challenging game that involved identifying various motions that can be filed at various stages of a proceeding. The game 

involved recognizing and classifying 

burden-shifting motions, motions that 

could result in a dismissal of charges 

if granted, and motions that require a 

higher standard than preponderance 

of the evidence. Correct answers were 

rewarded with points similar in fashion 

to “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”

Training was also provided in the 

role trial counsel play in screening 

CAPT Reismeier discusses a legal motion with LT 

Tom Byrnes.

The legal assistance (LA) department at Naval Legal Service Office 

Northwest (NLSO NW) is taking its 

services on the road. One of NLSO 

NW’s primary command philosophies 

is service to the fleet. Accordingly, the 

LA department has sought to bring its 

services to Navy Region Northwest’s 

sea and shore commands. As part of 

this proactive outreach program, the 

LA department is contacting commands individually to ensure that 

their legal needs are fully met. Civilians, enlisted limited duty personnel, 

legalmen, and judge advocates travel 

to Navy Region Northwest commands 

to provide legal assistance services in 

the command’s own spaces. 

 The NLSO NW Branch Office 

LT Elizabeth Anne O’Connor

NLSO Northwest

cases, drafting charges, and communicating various options to Convening 

Authorities. The various competing 

interests commanders face in dealing with military justice matters were 

explored with a view toward providing timely and effective military justice support.

As a former military judge, CAPT 

Reismeier provided valuable insight 

into how the perspective and role of 

the military judge differs from that 

of counsel and the importance of 

remembering how the limited factual view the judge has of the case 

requires well-written charge sheets 

and motions.

The entire RLSO SW trial shop 

attended the training, including LT Chad 

Bayse, LT Tom Byrnes, LTJG Jasmine 

Scott, LT Craig Warner, and Senior Trial 

Counsel, LCDR Chanda Mullen. The 

trial shop’s paralegal, retired Marine 

Chief Warrant Officer Mr. Brian Duffy, 

also participated, bringing unique 

experience and insight into the discussions and exercises. 

NLSO NW Steps Up Its Outreach Program

Whidbey Island caters its outreach 

efforts to the turnover of deploying 

squadrons. The staff coordinates with 

the squadrons’ legal officers to set aside 

one full day for a pre-deployment brief. 

A legalman and a civilian notary go to 

the squadron to answer questions, execute powers of attorney, distribute will 

packets, and prepare clients for the lawyer’s visit. A week later, a JAG Corps 

officer visits the squadron and meets 

individually with the service members 

and their spouses to review the will 

packets or address their other legal concerns. The judge advocate ensures that 

the squadron’s legal needs are met prior 

to deployment, typically seeing between 

30 and 40 clients in one day. 

As LT Andrew Brown of Patrol 

Squadron ONE states, “The NLSO 

provided valuable answers to all of the 

questions asked of them [in our spaces]. 

The end result, VP-1 left for deployment 

more operationally equipped to execute 

its mission of maritime patrol and reconnaissance.”

The NLSO NW Bremerton office 

takes a similar approach to providing legal 

services to Naval Hospital Bremerton 

(NHB). In order to ensure that service 

members stationed at the hospital are 

able to maintain the hospital’s mission 

to provide medical services to patients, 

a legal assistance attorney travels to the 

hospital once a month to see clients. 

This approach is very well received by 

the service members stationed at the 

hospital. Each month, the appointments 

overflow due to the high volume of 

service members electing this service. 

LT Christopher Baker, the Staff Judge 

NLSO NW Outreach continued on page 27
Fleet News

23

One hundred and thirty-three Sailors and Marines became U.S. citizens during the fifth annual Veterans 

Day citizenship ceremony aboard the 

USS Midway Museum on November 

11, 2008. It was a fitting tribute to all 

veterans including more than 225,000 

American veterans who served during 

the ship’s 47-year career. 

The service members stood proudly 

on the flight deck of the USS Midway

Museum to take the oath of citizenship 

administered by Secretary Michael Chertoff, Department of Homeland Security. 

As a keynote speaker, the Honorable 

Frank Jimenez, the General Counsel of 

the U.S. Department of the Navy, also 

gave a stirring speech about his family 

coming to the United States from Cuba. 

Even before becoming official citizens of this great country, many of 

the service members had already 

deployed overseas. Among those who 

became citizens were highly decorated service members such as Hospitalman Jefferson Talicuran, Naval 

Medical Center San Diego, who 

received a Purple Heart from President Bush in July 2008, and Corporal Henry Maldonado, Marine Corps 

Base Camp Pendleton, who received 

On Oct. 25, 2008, the Naval Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic 

(NLSO Midlant) and Region Legal 

Service Office Mid-Atlantic (RLSO 

Midlant) hosted a Navy Dining Out. 

One hundred and nine guests were 

in attendance. Guests included area 

Navy staff judge advocates, local 

Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and 

Marine Corps judge advocates. An 

officer in the Royal Australian Navy 

was also in attendance. 

The Dining Out was co-sponsored 

by the Commanding Officer, NLSO 

Midlant, CAPT David Wagner and 

RLSO SW Welcomes New American Citizens

By Vicki Alba

Navy Region Southwest

By LT Guy Reschenthaler

NLSO Mid-Atlantic

NLSO, RLSO Midlant Host Dining Out

his second Purple Heart in 2004 for 

his service in Iraq. 

Additionally, Hospital Corpsman 

Patrick Dabuet, Naval Medical Center 

San Diego, became an American citizen after nearly 20 years of service 

in the Navy. Region Legal Service 

Office Southwest (RLSO SW) was 

especially proud of Seaman Marta 

Motyl, who was temporarily assigned 

to Navy Marine Corps Trial Judiciary 

Southwest Judicial Circuit when she 

took her oath. More than 20 service 

members from USS Peleliu, having 

just returned from deployment, also 

took the oath of citizenship.

Joining the new citizens to celebrate the swearing in were presiding 

U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino, President and CEO of the 

USS Midway Museum, RADM (Ret.) 

Mac McLaughlin, U.S. Citizenship 

and Immigration Services (USCIS) 

District Director, District 24, Paul 

Pierre and Commanding Officer, 

RLSO SW CAPT Kirk Foster.

Family, friends, and colleagues 

gathered to join the new Americans 

in their celebration. These new Americans hailed from the following 35 

countries: Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, 

Canada, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji, Germany, Ghana, 

Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, 

Kenya, Mexico, Micronesia, Nepal, 

Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Poland, 

Russia, South Korea, Saint Lucia, 

Senegal, St. Kitts, Thailand, Trinidad 

& Tobago, Venezuela, and Vietnam. 

USCIS, in partnership with RLSO 

SW, worked relentlessly to ensure 

as many eligible, non-citizen service 

members as possible were included 

in this Veterans Day naturalization 

ceremony.

the Commanding Officer, RLSO 

Midlant, CAPT Lindy Bunn. 

CAPT Wagner presided over the 

mess. LT Mitch Eisenberg of 

RLSO Midlant filled the role of 

“Mr. Vice.” 

The festivities, held at the 

Norfolk Yacht Club, included the 

traditional “Parading of the Beef” 

by a bagpiper, numerous toasts, 

and, of course, comical fines. 

The commands hope to make the 

joint Dining Out an annual event, 

perhaps having the role of host 

rotate among all the services. CAPT David Wagner presiding over the mess.
24

By LT Michael Hom

RLSO Mid-Atlantic

Team Leadership Training

Fleet News

24

I

was in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 

weather was unseasonably warm 

and humid. It would have been an 

otherwise nondescript day, if I had 

not been a hundred feet in the air in 

the treetops, tethered to a steel cable. 

“This part of my job was never in JAG 

Corps 2020,” I thought to myself. As 

I braced myself for my zip ride across 

Lake Matoaka, thoughts of the morning’s events raced though my mind.

Region Legal Service Office MidAtlantic participated in a one-day 

leadership training event at the College of William & Mary’s low ropes 

course on Sept. 11, 2008. Normally, I 

would be annoyed by having to leave 

my work, but the prospect of watching 

15 lawyers, tethered together, learning 

to “trust” each other on a ropes course, 

was too good to pass up. I could not 

wait to write the SITREP. 

The day started with all officers, 

Sailors, and civilian employees forming a large circle to play a name game. 

After we all got to know each other 

better, we broke off into groups of 

about ten for the day’s events. Our 

groups were a mix of enlisted members, officers, and civilian employees 

and included one student facilitator 

from William & Mary, who provided 

us with rules of each station. Our task 

was to move from station to station, 

completing various obstacle courses 

and puzzles that required our cooperation and joint effort. We resembled a 

less attractive, but less dysfunctional 

episode of MTV’s “Real World – 

Road Rules Challenge.” 

Our first station tasked our group 

with what looked to be a simple 

mission: use several pieces of cut 

pipe to transport a tennis ball into a 

bucket about 50 feet away, without 

having the ball touch the ground. 

Immediately, everyone started talking 

about what they thought we needed 

to do. Then an interesting dynamic 

happened. The discussion seemed to 

diminish as several of the officers began 

to control the conversation. Several 

minutes and a couple of failed attempts 

later, we accomplished our task. It was 

remarkable to watch our rank structure 

work almost automatically. Realizing 

that some of the junior Sailors in our 

group seemed hesitant to contribute 

their own ideas, the officers made it 

a point to take a step back and let our 

junior Sailors lead for the rest of the 

stations.

At another station, our group was in 

the middle of a triangle, formed by three 

large trees. The trees were connected 

together by a thick rope, about five feet 

high. Our mission was to escape the 

triangle using nothing else besides a 

six-foot length of aluminum pipe. Our 

first thought was to pole vault ourselves 

out of the triangle. Now, did anyone in 

the group actually know how 

to pole vault? No. Did that 

stop us from trying? Heck, 

no. For those who have never 

tried to pole vault, it is much 

more difficult than it looks. 

After 20 minutes of failed 

pole vaulting, we decided 

to put one of our officers, 

LT Mitch Eisenberg, on his 

hands and knees near the 

rope and just use him as 

a step to cross over to the 

other side. It was not as 

sexy as pole vaulting, but it 

worked. This experience taught me that 

sometimes you have to step on people 

to get where you want to go in the JAG 

Corps. Just kidding. It was a reminder 

that sometimes people have to sacrifice 

themselves for the benefit of the group. 

Thanks, Mitch!

Our final evolution of the day was a 

zip line ride across Lake Matoaka. The 

day was a truly great experience. It was 

rewarding to get to know other members 

of the command outside of command 

PT and GMT. We felt a sense of accomplishment whenever we were able to 

work together and accomplish our goals, 

no matter how small. We realized that 

none of us could have completed the 

evolutions alone and that teamwork is 

a beautiful thing when everyone is fully 

engaged. As I soared across the lake, 

through the overcast sky, in my pink 

helmet , I closed my eyes and thought, 

“It’s good to be a Navy JAG.”

“We felt a sense of accomplishment whenever we 

were able to work together and accomplish our 

goals, no matter how small.” 
25

The U.S./Japan 54th Crime Prevention Liaison Council meeting took place on Nov. 13, onboard Fleet Activities 

Yokosuka, Japan. The Council has been meeting on a regular 

basis since 1977 and is an important bilateral exchange of 

information and ideas addressing crime prevention in Kanagawa 

Prefecture. The meeting was hosted by Commander, U.S. Naval 

Forces, Japan (CNFJ) and included senior U.S. Navy personnel 

with cognizance over law enforcement matters and crime 

prevention. 

Senior Japanese government officials from Kanagawa 

Prefecture and the city of Yokosuka attended and gave 

presentations on the status of criminal activity and joint 

prevention efforts. Areas of possible concern and ways to 

improve conditions were suggested consistent with the overall 

goal of reducing or preventing crime and enhancing the 

favorable relationship between U.S. Navy personnel and local 

communities. This was the first meeting of the Council since 

the March 19, 2008 murder and robbery of a Japanese taxi 

driver near the Fleet Activities Yokosuka base. A U.S. Navy 

Sailor is currently being prosecuted for that alleged crime by 

the Yokohama Public Prosecutors Office in Japanese Criminal 

Court. The murder and the recent home porting of USS George 

Washington in Yokosuka were main topics of conversation 

during the meeting. 

By CAPT Lance Cantor

U.S. Naval Forces, Japan

25 Fleet News

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan Hosts Crime 

Prevention Meeting with Government of Japan

CAPT Stuart Belt, commanding officer, Region Legal 

Service Office Japan (Force Judge Advocate, CNFJ), 

CAPT Greg Belanger, commanding officer, Naval 

Legal Service Office, Pacific and CDR Stephanie Smart, 

Fleet Judge Advocate for Commander, Seventh Fleet 

were members of the U.S. delegation, along with senior 

installation officials. CAPT Belt noted that although the 

March 19, 2008 murder was both heinous and extremely 

unfortunate, he was pleased and proud of the cooperation 

between the U.S. and Japan leading to the arrest and 

ongoing prosecution of the accused. He emphasized 

the importance of this type of meeting and of the candid 

exchange of information throughout the year. He continued 

that the Navy has tried to analyze the situation and create 

preventative measures and programs in an effort to do 

everything we can to prevent violent crime in the future. 

Just prior to adjournment, RADM James Kelly, 

Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan, specifically 

thanked the group for all its hard work and stressed that 

the Council’s efforts are vital to the vitality of the U.S./

Japan alliance. He stated that these activities are critical 

in order for the Seventh Fleet to continue its mission of 

ensuring Japan’s security and peace in the region. He 

closed the meeting by thanking the Japanese contingent 

for the greatest relationship between the Navy and its 

homeport community in the world. 

The Force Judge Advocate at Naval Special Warfare Command hosted a Legal Conference on Sept. 23 and 24 

at Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, Calif. The conference 

provided the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) legal community, 

a chance to meet and discuss commonly-encountered issues. 

Approximately 20 judge advocates and legalmen attended 

from NSW component commands on both coasts, including 

several who had recently returned from deployments with 

Navy SEAL teams. The agenda focused on areas of legal 

practice frequently encountered by NSW judge advocates and 

legalmen such as military justice, law of armed conflict, rules 

of engagement, adverse administrative actions, JAGMAN 

Naval Special Warfare Legal Conference

By LCDR Lori McCurdy

Naval Special Warfare Command

RADM James Kelly, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan, addressing the respective delegations and government officials at the Crime Prevention Meeting. 

investigations, ethics, FOIA, and environmental law. 

Attorneys and other subject matter experts came to 

speak from Special Operations Command, Navy Region 

Southwest, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), 

Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and the 

Coast Guard Deployable Operations Group. 

Naval Special Warfare Legal Conference participants. 
2626

JAG and Chicago NJROTC Outreach

Defense and prosecution teams anxiously prepare for opening statements. Mock defense team (left) consisted of (from 

left to right) mock defendant Jennifer Martinez, Patrick Birden-Didona, LCDR Paul Kapfer, and Daniella Castillo. Mock 

prosecution (right) consisted of (from left to right) Nicholas Rivera, LN1 Christie Richardson, and Martha Pita. 

Navy legal professionals from 

Region Legal Service Office Midwest 

(RLSO MW) held a mock trial for 22 

Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) cadets from 

Chicago-area high schools Dec. 22 

and 23.

According to the Commanding 

Officer of RLSO MW, CAPT Tammy 

Tideswell, the two-day event was an 

opportunity for the high school students to learn the fundamentals of a 

courtroom trial.

“I was excited about the prospect of 

working with these earnest and enthusiastic students and showing them the 

opportunities to serve their country 

as both a naval officer and lawyer,” 

CAPT Tideswell said.

RLSO staff members spent two 

days working with the NJROTC students from George H. Corliss High 

School, Hyman G. Rickover Naval 

Academy, William H. Taft High School 

and Whitney M. Young Magnet High 

School.

Each student received 

instruction in courtroom 

procedures to conduct 

the mock courtroom 

trial. They were then 

assigned roles for the 

trial. The cadets assumed 

the roles of the judge, 

prosecutors, defendants, 

jury and witnesses from 

an actual Iowa civil 

court case involving the 

shooting of a suspected 

gang member by a 

police officer. Each student received a reading 

packet they were responsible for reviewing to 

become familiar with the 

case. The cadets were 

assigned a RLSO MW 

staff member who helped 

facilitate the students and 

their roles during the 

By LT Jeffrey Gray

Navy City Outreach, Chicago

mock trial in RLSO’s new state-of-theart court room. 

The mock trial was conceived, “to 

allow these students to have a first-hand 

experience in the courtroom and with its 

procedures,” said LT Elisabeth Gronvall, 

RLSO MW command services department head.

“We wanted to provide a sense of 

authenticity just like a real court, bound 

by the same procedures and rules. This 

helps students to understand exactly 

what role each of the different individuals in the courtroom – judge, attorneys, 

witnesses, jury, bailiff, and court clerk 

– does in the judicial system,” LT Gronvall said. 

Rickover Naval Academy junior, 

Masten Meisels said participating in the 

event “definitely informed me what my 

future Navy options will be. I’m looking 

forward to serving as a naval officer and 

becoming a Navy lawyer in the future. 

I see this as an opportunity and a stepping stone to potentially serving on the 

Supreme Court.”

The idea for the mock trial came from 

two separate events: a visit RLSO MW 

paid to Whitney M. Young Magnet High 

School in March 2008 and a Bureau of 

Navy Medicine outreach event held in 

Sept. 2008 at Naval Station Great Lakes. 

During the March visit to Whitney 

Young, CAPT Tideswell and her staff 

discussed Navy legal career opportunities with students. The effort had such 

an effect that a small group of students, 

led by senior Nicholas Rivera, decided 

to visit RLSO and sit through a murder 

for hire court-martial.

“When we learned that the Navy lawyers in the Judge Advocate General’s 

(JAG) Corps were looking for five students from our school to participate in 

the two day hands-on mock trial during 

the winter school break, we must have 

had close to 20 students sign-up,” Rivera 

said.

The Bureau of Navy Medicine outreach event brought a group of students 

from Chicago to Naval Health Clinic 

Great Lakes and Naval Hospital Corps 

School where faculty and staff members 

provided the students with a chance to 

Fleet News
27

Advocate for Naval Hospital Bremerton, stated, “with nine 

percent of hospital staff now deployed, our personnel 

are more apt to neglect their legal problems, which is 

never a good long-term strategy. LT O’Connor and the 

NLSO have been critical in reaching these Sailors. They 

are making a difference for these clients and sending a 

message to NHB that the JAG Corps is really there for 

them.”

Further, the LA department is now offering a brand 

new legal brief on legal rights regarding children. The 

new brief, entitled “New Parents’ Rights, Responsibilities and Resources,” is a response to a high volume of 

clients misunderstanding the concepts of paternity, child 

support, and child custody. The brief is geared toward 

young, unmarried servicemembers who are pregnant or 

have a girlfriend expecting a child. The pilot brief was 

tested in early November and received a great response. 

The brief first explains legal terms such as paternity, child 

support and child custody and details the court’s processes. 

The brief also exposes the service member to the administrative side of having children in the military. For example, 

the brief teaches servicemembers how to get their children 

on a Page Two, who gets Basic Allowance for Housing 

with dependents, DEERS and TRICARE enrollment, and 

the importance of estate planning. The brief concludes with 

a discussion of the extensive resources provided to service 

members in the Northwest. Initial feedback is positive. 

Plans are underway to bring the legal brief to USS John C. 

Stennis and USS Emory S. Land in the coming months. 

All in all, the LA department at NLSO NW decided that 

a proactive approach to legal assistance is the best way to 

ensure that our service members are getting the services 

they need. So far, the proactive approach is a success. 

learn about Navy health care and opportunities in Navy Medicine. The medical 

event was publicized in the base newspaper and was noticed by CAPT Tideswell 

and her staff. Inspired by what their 

peers in the healthcare profession had 

accomplished, CAPT Tideswell urged 

her staff to create a two-day outreach 

program consisting of an orientation 

session where students would be introduced to elementary concepts of law and 

courtroom procedures, both civilian and 

military.

As an added bonus, the students also 

watched the Naval and military courtmartial themed dramas “Billy Budd” 

(1962) and “A Few Good Men” (1992) 

during movie night at CAPT Tideswell’s 

quarters. By investing time and effort 

into developing such a program for 

young people, CAPT Tideswell hoped 

to light a fire and inspire the students to, 

at the least, pursue a college education and, maybe, pursue a career in the 

legal profession or possibly the Navy 

legal profession.

“I was so impressed with the students. It was fascinating to watch 

them during the two days. They were 

highly motivated and focused during 

the mock trial. It’s a good generation, 

and I’m really proud of these kids,” 

she said.

After briefing the mock trial case LT Elisabeth Gronvall distributes assignment packets to each student who has volunteered to play a role during the 

mock trial. Students spent hours studying the material and learning their role in preparation for mock trial. 

Fleet News

NLSO NW Outreach continued from page 22

27
28

Leadership is one of those things that can make or break an organization. It’s a subtle quality, at times hard to 

define, but you know it when you see it in action. There are a few qualities that all of the leaders in the JAG Corps 

seem to possess: commitment to the legal community, initiative, integrity, perseverance, and professionalism. 

In the JAG Corps many fit the above leadership description. This regular column introduces a few of the JAG 

Corps leaders from Naval Legal Service Command. 

JAG Leaders 

Shipmate Spotlight

28

Would you like to recognize an exceptional shipmate? Submit your command’s 

outstanding member and photos to natalie.morehouse@navy.mil

CDR Caren McCurdy

Region Legal Service Office Southwest’s (RLSO SW) standout leader is CDR Caren McCurdy. As the Southwest Region Environmental Counsel, CDR McCurdy provides support and advice 

to shore installations and the fleet on operational and sustainability issues. CDR McCurdy’s insights 

have earned the respect of subordinates, peers and seniors. She exhibits true superstar qualities, with 

a unique combination of intelligence, good judgment and a sense of humor. In every respect, CDR 

McCurdy is an exceptional role model and a true JAG Corps leader. Although the current position 

does not require supervisory skills, as a former detailer, CDR McCurdy remains dedicated to developing subordinates. CDR McCurdy was instrumental in creating the RLSO SW Mentor Program 

and is routinely sought out by junior judge advocates. Among her many other endeavors, she serves as a JAG recruiter at law 

schools within the area. CDR McCurdy is currently with the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan. 

The Region Legal Service Office Midwest’s Recruit Training Command (RTC) heralds LCDR Paul Kapfer as one of our JAG Corps’ true leaders. As head of RTC Legal Department, 

LCDR Kapfer runs one of the Navy’s busiest staff judge advocate practices. Located in Great 

Lakes, Illinois, RTC is the Navy’s only boot camp. Charged with the “Sailorization” of approximately 40,000 recruits per year, life at RTC offers little down time for LCDR Kapfer and his crew. 

For LCDR Kapfer, it’s all about the 13 officers, enlisted personnel and civilians he supervises 

every day. During his tenure at RTC, he has made their quality of life, both at home and on the 

job, his number one priority. In addition to LCDR Kapfer’s deep commitment to his people, 

he is known for the camaraderie he fosters through office celebrations and good natured joking 

among colleagues. He is also admired for his good old intrusive leadership -- recognizing potential issues in his folks’ personal lives and effectively addressing them before they develop into problems. 

LCDR Paul Kapfer 

United States Navy Ethos

We are the United States Navy, our Nation’s sea power – ready guardians of peace, victorious in war.

We are professional Sailors and Civilians – a diverse and agile force exemplifying the highest standards of service to our Nation, at home and abroad, at sea and ashore.

Integrity is the foundation of our conduct; respect for others is fundamental to our character; decisive leadership is crucial 

to our success.

We are a team, disciplined and well-prepared, committed to mission accomplishment. 

We do not waver in our dedication and accountability to our Shipmates and families.

We are patriots, forged by the Navy’s core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. In times of war and peace, our actions reflect our proud heritage and tradition. 

We defend our Nation and prevail in the face of adversity with strength, determination, and dignity.

We are the United States Navy.
29Book Review

29

By Martin Meredith

Book review provided by LCDR Mark Nevitt

I

f you think a future assignment will 

involve Africa, or if you are interested in learning more about the continent, you should read this book. 

The geographer George Kimble once 

famously said, “the darkest thing about 

Africa has always been our ignorance 

of it.” This book helps shine welcome 

light upon that darkness.

“The Fate of Africa,” published 

in 2005 but already on the Chief 

of Naval Operations’ Professional 

Reading List, is neatly organized 

and divided into 35 chapters. Each 

chapter addresses a particular country or region of Africa. This provides 

a nice roadmap for the reader to begin 

to decipher the different countries, 

regions, and history of this complex 

continent. 

The book is fact-laden and reads at 

times like a history textbook. Do not 

worry; the history is fascinating. The 

author, British historian Martin Meredith, has written extensively on Africa. 

He asserts no personal opinions, letting 

the facts underlying Africa’s problems 

speak objectively and starkly for themselves. For example, Meredith points 

out that half of Africa’s 900 million 

people continue to live on less than $1 

a day, half of all African women are 

illiterate, and over 20 million people 

have died from AIDS in Africa since 

1980. Today, the economic output of 

the entire continent of Africa is less 

than the country of Mexico. 

The Fate of Africa: From the 

Hopes of Freedom to the Heart of Despair A 

History of 50 Years of Independence

Tracing the last 50 years from colonial independence to the present, “The 

Fate of Africa” begins with the initial 

hopeful spirit of independence that the 

continent experienced after World War 

II, as it was freed from the shackles of 

colonialism. It proceeds through the 

numerous despotisms and calamities 

that have led to the present sense of 

despair. The author does an extraordinary job describing the myriad personalities of African leaders from the 

charismatic and courageous Nelson 

Mandela to the ruthlessness of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Uganda’s Idi Amin. The greed and perverse 

personalities of some countries’ leaders are shocking and at times difficult 

to read.

This is an exceedingly frank and 

pessimistic book. While the author 

does discuss the progress that countries 

such as South Africa and Botswana 

have made, he pulls no punches in presenting an unfiltered history of Africa 

and describing how many of Africa’s 

ills have resulted from corrupt African 

leadership. 

This is a tough book to read. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. First, as a 

military officer who is working in the 

European/African area of responsibility, I found this book a terrific starting point to help make sense of Africa’s complicated history and issues 

that it faces. Second, this book adds 

historical perspective to many current events. Readers can view Zimbabwe’s recent violent election, the 

scourge of AIDS in sub-Saharan 

Africa, and the genocide in Darfur in 

a more informed light after reading 

this book. For example, to understand Zimbabwe’s recent violent 

election it may be helpful to know 

about the country’s beginnings as 

Rhodesia that brought Mugabe to 

power. The genocide in Darfur is 

presided over by Sudan’s President 

Bashir, recently indicted by the International Criminal Court. Yet Darfur 

is impossible to understand without 

knowledge of Bashir’s rise to power 

and the history of violence among 

Sudanese ethnic groups. 

The strength of this book is the 

ability to encapsulate and document, in an interesting way, a broad 

subject within one text. Americans rarely learn about the breadth 

of African history and culture in 

school, and this book is a good way 

to attempt to fill this gap. The author 

concludes “The Fate of Africa” with 

a provocative sentence: “Fifty years 

after the beginning of the independence era, Africa’s prospects are 

bleaker than ever before.” Martin 

Meredith presents compelling factual evidence to support this assertion. Perhaps the challenge for all, 

in U.S. Africa Command or elsewhere, is ultimately to prove his 

pessimism wrong. 

Check out Lawyer, Liar, Pants on Fire by former JAG Corps officer Elissa Wellikson. This is 

Ms. Wellikson’s first novel after spending the last 25 years practicing law, first in the Navy and then in 

corporate America. 

Lawyer, Liar, Pants on Fire is the story of Rachel Goodman, a Jewish woman from 

Philadelphia who joins the Navy and is sent to Subic Bay in the Philippines for her first duty 

station after graduating from law school. Interspersed with accounts of military trials are 

descriptions of military life at an overseas duty station; the novel is a witty look at life in the 

military and is loosely based on Ms. Wellikson’s experiences in the JAG Corps.

Read any good 

books lately? Tell 

us about it!

Submit a book review to

natalie.morehouse@navy.mil.
3030

Navy Knowledge Online (NKO)Version 4 was launched Sep. 

27, 2008. The upgrades were primarily for administrators, although 

you may have seen a few changes 

in Communities of Practice page 

layout and content. Hopefully, you 

have also noticed the improved 

search engine, which is now using 

a Google search application. There 

have also been some changes to the 

Library. The Library is no longer 

accessible to users, unless specifically allowed by Community 

Administrators. 

NKO JAG Community Survey 

The NKO JAG Community 

Survey opened on Oct. 1 and closed 

on Dec. 1. Surveys are the most 

useful tool we have available to 

measure your NKO experience. 

Measuring your experience helps 

us to make NKO a useful tool for 

knowledge sharing and community 

collaboration. For those of you who 

took the time to participate in this 

survey, thank you. We value your 

time and opinion, and we want to 

share with you the survey results, 

address some of the frequently documented comments, and describe 

some of the changes resulting from 

the release of NKO Version 4. The 

complete survey results can be 

downloaded from the JAG Main 

Page on NKO.

Although the survey results indicate that most people are at least satisfied with the JAG Community on 

NKO, we certainly recognize that 

there is room for improvement. The 

additional comments submitted by 

you are the most telling about your 

overall NKO experience and what 

we can do to improve it. While it is 

Making NKO Work For You 

impossible to address every comment 

submitted, the more frequent comments are addressed below.

The biggest complaint was the 

NKO Password Requirement. These 

requirements were not generated by the 

NKO developers in an effort to make 

your life miserable. NKO password 

requirements were implemented by 

NETWARCOM Computer Tasking 

Order 08-07 and JTF-GNO 07-015. 

These requirements were based on 

common attack vectors, such as socially 

engineered e-mail (phishing attacks), 

traditional logger username and 

password vulnerabilities (key logging), 

and improper PKI installation. While 

NKO on the “NIPRNET” does not 

contain classified information, NKO 

is the gateway to applications that 

contain your personal information. 

These password requirements were 

necessary not only to protect the 

integrity of government computer 

systems, but also to protect your 

personal information. NKO added a 

CAC-enabled log-on in early 2009. 

For those using passwords, there is 

at least one thing you can do to ease 

your password frustration. If you 

enter your password incorrectly more 

that two times, NKO will require 

you to change your password. If you 

realize your mistake, you can work 

around this issue. When directed 

to create a new password after two 

incorrect entries, click on “Cancel.” 

Then re-enter your username and 

correct password, and you will be 

logged on to NKO. 

One of the other frequently documented complaints was outdated 

information, such as the JAG directory, lineal list, and People Talk. 

The JAG directory and lineal list are 

updated monthly, and efforts are now 

being made to post the People Talk the 

same day it is released. It is important to keep in mind that the JAG 

directory is only as up to date as personnel make it. The JAG directory is 

generated through the JAG Enterprise 

System. If you do not update your 

information in the JAG Enterprise 

System, then the directory will be out 

of date regardless of how often it is 

uploaded to NKO. This also applies 

to your NKO user profile. If you do 

not update your profile, then the NKO 

White Pages will also be out of date, 

making it difficult for people to locate 

you. Changes should be made in 

both the JAG Enterprise System and 

your NKO profile whenever there is a 

change in your information. To verify 

and update your NKO profile, click on 

the “manage profile” link above the 

“my bookmarks” window. 

The third most frequently documented comment expressed is frustration with Navy eLearning, specifically 

that it does not show your course 

progress or update your transcripts 

when you have completed a course. 

In most instances, this is a result of 

a stubborn cookie file. You should 

delete your temporary internet files 

and cookie files before logging into 

NKO every time. This is good for your 

security and your internet browsing 

performance as well as insuring Navy 

eLearning courses will perform at 

their peak. To do this, click on “tools” 

in your browser toolbar, and then 

click on “internet options.” Under the 

“general” tab, click on “delete files” 

and “delete cookies.” As a precaution, 

the best thing to do before you exit 

the course is to print out your results. 

If the course you are taking does not 

have a built-in print function, you can 

take a screen shot of your progress 

by using Ctrl+Print Screen and then 

pasting it into a Word document. You 

JAG Corps 2020

Upgrades and Updates 

By Donna Sayers

Code 65
3131

Special Assistant for Transformation (SAT) Staff

CDR Michael Jaeger

(202) 685-7255 

michael.j.jaeger@navy.mil

CAPT Dawn Tompkins

(202) 685-7701

dawn.tompkins@navy.mil

LCDR Kimberley McCann

(202) 685-5185

kimberley.mccann@navy.mil

JAG Corps 2020

LCDR Anne Marks

(202) 685-5462 

anne.marks@navy.mil

must always make sure your browser 

is configured properly before you 

begin any course on Navy eLearning. 

For browser configuration and other 

useful tips regarding Navy eLearning, visit the NKO Help Desk: https://

wwwa.nko.navy.mil/portal/help/nkonel-helpdesk/home/helpdeskhome.

What’s new on NKO for you?

Some of the other frequent comments included difficulty in navigating 

NKO, the NKO search engine, locating information, and cluttered pages. 

We will continue to make changes to 

the JAG NKO community in an effort 

to alleviate some of this frustration. 

We recently started posting new 

documents, with a date on which 

it was posted. We have also added 

a descriptive title to the link. This 

descriptive title will not only help you 

find what you are looking for, but also 

enhance the new search engine. Additionally, we have added a Site Map 

to each Community of Interest and 

Community of Practice Main Page to 

help you locate information within the 

JAG Community.

Based on user comments, we have 

added two new pages to the community: references and JAG Careers. 

The references page provides direct 

access to DOD, DON, and other 

agency publications, including JAG/

CNLSC Instructions, NAVADMINs, 

ALNAVs, MILPERSMAN, Uniform Regulations, the U.S. Code, and 

the BUPERS Web Connection. The 

careers page provides information to 

users outside the legal community who 

are seeking information on becoming 

a judge advocate or converting to the 

legalman rating. On this page, you 

can also find the most current People 

Talk, People Talk archives, the JAG 

directory, lineal lists, a link to the JAG 

Enterprise System, the Naval Register, 

and information on the military justice litigation career track. We have 

also provided direct links to selection 

board information.

You may have also noticed a 

complete restructuring of the Communities of Practice within the JAG 

community. This change was primarily a result of the release of Version 

4 and restrictions placed on access 

to the library. Once the restructuring 

is completed, you should see some 

improvements in usability throughout the NKO JAG community. This 

will also allow us to build more robust 

communities, arrange pages by categories, and eliminate the clutter. 

One improvement is the creation of 

direct links to most frequently used 

documents. On those pages with a 

lot of information, Ctrl+F will allow 

you to search the page. This restructuring is currently in progress, and 

your patience is greatly appreciated.

Communications

Our legal community is relatively 

small compared to other Navy communities. Your participation and 

feedback have established us as 

one of the larger NKO communities in terms of uploads, downloads, 

and monthly page hits. Your input 

is essential to our ability to build a 

tool that is meaningful to you and 

the accomplishment of your mission. Should you have any comments or suggestions for the NKO 

JAG Community, please do not 

hesitate to contact the JAG Knowledge Manager, Ms. Donna Sayers, 

donna.sayers@navy.mil, or one of 

the Community of Practice content 

managers listed in the box above. 

Your opinion is always valued and 

welcomed.

COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE CONTENT MANAGERS

Military Justice

Trial and Appellate Defense (Code 45)

LT Dillon Ambrose

Prosecution and Appellate Government (Code 46)

Maj Tai Le/ LT Duke Kim

Trial Judiciary (Code 05)

LtCol E. H. (Gene) Robinson

Criminal Law (Code 20)

LCDR Jonathan Stephens

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

LT Mike Maffei

Naval Justice School

Mr. Keith Farney/ Ms. Doris Soares

Civil Law

International and Operational Law (Code 10)

CDR Chris Corvo

Admiralty & Maritime Law (Code 11)

LCDR Ted Cook

Environmental Law (Code 12)

CAPT Jeffrey Luster

Administrative Law (Code 13)

CDR Mary Horrigan

General Litigation (Code 14)

LT David Fink

Claims, Investigations and Tort Litigations (Code 15)

Mr. Hal Dronberger

Legal Assistance (Code 16)

CDR Christine Luster

National Security Litigation and Intelligence Law (Code 17)

LCDR Mark Tilford

Knowledge Manager (Code 65) 

Donna Sayers
JAG Corps Alumni

32

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs the principal military advisor 

to the President, the Secretary of Defense and the National 

Security Council and vested clear authority in the commanders of the combatant commands to accomplish their 

assigned missions. 

“Naval Legal Service Office Norfolk commanding officer and legal counsel for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs 

were my favorite billets,” said CAPT DeBobes. “I liked the 

JCS job because it was the pinnacle of a career and the most 

exciting and challenging job for a uniformed lawyer. I liked 

being a commanding officer because it was terrific opportunity to mentor a bunch of young lawyers and give them the 

opportunity to grow and mature.”

Compliments of the JAG Corps, CAPT DeBobes earned 

an LLM in International Law from George Washington 

University and graduated Summa Cum Laude. He joined 

the JAG Corps in 1963 after graduating from Fordham Law 

School. 

As for alumni advice, CAPT DeBobes said, “Try and 

experience as many varied challenges as possible and look 

to excel everywhere you go. You never know when you will 

have an opportunity to make a significant contribution to our 

Nation.”

CAPT Pete Wylie

CAPT Richard DeBobes

Capitol Hill has retained the talents of CAPT(Ret.) Richard DeBobes for almost the same amount of time as he spent 

in the JAG Corps.

Following a 26-year career in the Navy, CAPT DeBobes 

has worked for the Senate Armed Service Committee (SASC) 

for the past 20 years in a variety of capacities culminating in 

his current position as Staff Director. He has been involved 

with a variety of legal and policy issues ranging from national 

security strategy to the authorization of the use of force. He 

oversees a staff of 19 professional staff members and a like 

number of staff assistants and administrative personnel. He 

explained that one of his committee’s most important functions is to produce the Department of Defense Authorization 

bill; the only authorization bill that is passed by the Congress 

on an annual basis.

CAPT DeBobes transitioned from the JAG Corps to the 

SASC when he was the Legal Adviser and Legislative Assistant to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). In that 

position, he worked on the development and implementation 

of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. The Goldwater-Nichols Act made the 

A simple measure of a mentor’s success is the number of times the mentor is quoted by his or her protégés. Even 

though he retired 15 years ago, by this measure, CAPT (Ret.) 

Pete Wylie’s influence is still apparent today.

CAPT Wylie is currently on staff at the Military Officers 

Association of America (MOAA) as both the Corporate Secretary and the General Counsel. MOAA is the nation’s fourthlargest veterans’ organization, with some 370,000 members.

“The joy of working at MOAA is that, in my second career, 

I get to work on behalf of the same men and women – members of the military family – with whom and for whom I 

worked on active duty,” he said. “Some are now retired, and 

others are still on active duty – but they’re all, by my definition, the greatest group of Americans I know.”

“Being the sole attorney for a multi-million-dollar corporation was somewhat daunting at first, but I had the privilege 

and good fortune to relieve Captain Henry Palau, another 

retired Navy judge advocate, who had been with MOAA for 

some 17 years,” said CAPT Wylie. “Conscientious officer 

and gentleman that he is, he made sure, during our turnover, 

that when he departed I would be ready to handle all aspects 

of the job. In other words, I succeeded in large part because he 

made sure I would succeed. Similarly, the JAG Corps trains 

you to expect the unexpected, and to be ready for it when it 

comes – you’re always training for what might be coming 

down the pike.”

CAPT Wylie received his undergraduate degree from 

Princeton University in 1966 and his law degree from the 

University of Virginia in 1969. He joined the Navy and 

immediately requested assignment to Southeast Asia. He 

reported in August 1970 to the staff of Naval Support Activity, Saigon, and for one year supported Navy and Marine 

Corps units throughout Vietnam as trial and defense counsel, military judge, and claims officer. This was the beginning of a 24-year career of success.

“The most satisfying billets from a legal perspective were 

in OJAG’s Administrative Law Division and the Civil Litigation Division – practicing law in the strict sense of the 

word,” said CAPT Wylie. “From a personnel perspective, 

my two assignments in the Personnel Division top the list; 

putting great people into assignments that fit their skills, and 

helping them develop as officers and attorneys and progress 

in their careers, was wonderfully satisfying. And from the 

perspective of being a naval officer, my ‘operational’ tours 

taught me so much – Vietnam, carrier duty, and being Commander Sixth Fleet’s lawyer. I wouldn’t trade those tours 

for anything.”

The legal work was just as important to CAPT Wylie 

as was the mentoring of the next generation of judge 

advocates. 

“Any success I had as a mentor was due, I suspect, 

to my having taken seriously a lesson I had learned 

from my father,” said CAPT Wylie. “This lesson can 

be summarized as ‘loyalty up deserves loyalty down.’ 

Any leader – military, civilian, it doesn’t matter – must 

CAPT Wylie continued on page 33
33JAG Corps Civilians

By Amy Stevens

Fiscal and Resource Management

For more information or to ask a question about civilian training opportunities, 

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

The last installment of this column in the JAG Magazine focused upon 

basic training requirements from a 

human resources perspective and how a 

particular type of training is justified for 

an employee. OJAG is now preparing 

for an intensive examination of training 

and career development opportunities in 

specific legal roles. 

JAG Corps 2020 identified several 

professional development initiatives 

relevant to this examination. One is 

an emphasis on civilian personnel. 

Training and employee development 

are very important issues. Civilians 

are an immeasurable asset to the success of the JAG Corps. With a better 

understanding of the training process 

and how you and your supervisor can 

identify and request your training, we 

will be able to meet the JAG Corps’ goal 

of maintaining a high performing workforce. This effort requires us to accurately define our civilian training and 

employee development requirements. 

Fiscal and Resource Management was 

tasked with conducting a broad-based 

review of training requirements for all 

civilian positions within the JAG Corps 

community. A working group made up 

of civilian and military personnel will 

identify paralegal training needs. Their 

efforts will focus on: (1) how best to 

use paralegals; (2) the duties required of 

paralegals; (3) the skills and knowledge 

levels needed to perform those duties; 

(4) the training required to achieve those 

skills and knowledge levels; and (5) the 

need for additional paralegals to meet 

future needs. To be comprehensive, we 

“Civilians are an immeasurable 

asset to the success of the 

mission of the JAG Corps.”

will include military paralegal positions in the review.

This review will ensure we are 

aligned with DON policy that requires 

us to select employees for “training and 

development on the basis of needs and 

requirements identified in performance 

appraisals, position function changes, 

formal career program requirements, 

regulation issuances, strategic planning documents, and approved individual and organizational developFocus Group to Conduct 

Paralegal Review

remember that he or she heads a team, and that in 99 cases 

out of 100 it’s the team, not the leader, which gets the job 

done.” Finally, CAPT Wylie was able to offer a few pieces 

of advice to those newest members of the JAG Corps community.

“I think a young judge advocate will succeed if he or 

she conscientiously builds his or her skills, remains open 

to suggestions – having an occasional one-on-one conversation with one’s immediate superior – ‘How am I doing, 

Skipper?’ – will demonstrate both initiative and a desire to 

improve – and learns as much as he or she reasonably can 

about the operational side of the Navy,” said CAPT Wylie. 

“A good lawyer, military or civilian, knows a fair amount 

about his or her client’s business. And being flexible – call it 

a ‘Have blues, will travel’ attitude – will help ensure worthwhile opportunities aren’t overlooked.”

He added, “After the JAG Corps, I think most judge advocates will find personal and professional satisfaction in any 

other field that allows him or her to continue to serve. This 

can involve more service to one’s country or a teaching position, or in any other comparable field of endeavor.”

ment plans” (DON Civilian Human 

Resources Manual, subchapter 410). 

Our effort will attempt to understand 

both the utilization requirements and 

training needs for paralegals across 

the enterprise. Upon completion of 

the zero-based review on paralegals, 

we will expand our studies to other 

positions within the Navy legal community in an effort to understand both 

needs and requirements.

While this issue is given the serious consideration it deserves, 

employees are encouraged to continue identifying any training 

needs that align with the duties and 

responsibilities of their positions. 

Supervisory engagement is critical to success. Supervisors must 

be involved in identifying employee 

training needs. Sources for training 

could include classes provided by 

local Human Resource Offices, local 

community colleges, correspondence 

courses, etc. A highly trained workforce (military and civilian) will only 

serve to enhance the JAG Corps’ ability to meet core mission goals with the 

highest standards of quality and professionalism.

CAPT Wylie continued from page 32
34 Milestones

See your name in print! Submit your command awards 

and photos to natalie.morehouse@navy.mil

LNC Cynthia Baumgardner, 

an individual augmentee at Camp 

Bucca, was awarded her Chief’s 

anchors on Sept. 16, 2008. 

LT Philip Angeli, currently 

deployed to TF 134 in Iraq, was 

promoted by CAPT Marty Evans, 

Legal Advisor, Task Force Legal, 

TF-134, on Nov. 1, 2008.

On Aug. 1, 2008 CAPT Kirk Foster relieved CAPT Carole Gaasch as 

the commanding officer of RLSO SW. Commander, Naval Legal Service 

Command RADM James Houck, was the guest speaker at the ceremony, 

which was held at Breaker’s Beach Deck at Naval Base Coronado.

(From left to right) Chaplain 

Jerry Seely, RADM James 

Houck, CAPT Carole Gaasch, 

and CAPT Kirk Foster. 

LCDR Tony Miani reenlisted LN1 

Shenika Mayes in November at the 

Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. 

CAPT Paul Kiamos awarded LN1 

Cleotis Robinson the Navy Marine 

Corps Achievement Medal for his 

selection as the NLSC and RLSO 

SE Sailor of the Quarter.

LT Adam Moseley, assigned to the 

NLSO SE Branch Office Charleston, 

South Carolina, was selected as NLSC 

Junior Officer of the Quarter for the 

period of July to September 2008. 

VADM Bruce MacDonald presented OJAG Longevity Awards to George 

Koonce, Administrative Office/JAG Personnel Support (Code 60), Michael 

Cole, Legal Assistance (Code 16), and Davina Davis-Norris, Knowledge 

and Information Services (Code 65). The OJAG Longevity Award was created to recognize a civilian employee’s years of service with OJAG. Ms. 

Davis-Norris has worked for OJAG for 20 years. Mr. Koonce has worked 

for OJAG for 15 years. Mr. Cole has worked for OJAG for 10 years.

George Koonce Michael Cole Davina Davis-Norris
35 Photos From The Fleet

LT Carin Cozza is currently embarked on USS Kearsarge where she is 

supporting Operation Continuing Promise. The operation is engaged in 

various humanitarian activities throughout Central and South America. 

LCDR Brandon Keith, LT Justin McEwen, and 

LCDR Collen Shook at Navy Individual Augmentee 

Combat Training. 

LT Albert Cho (right) currently deployed to TF-134 Detainee Assistance Center at Camp 

Bucca, Iraq, was named winner in a lightweight bout at the Camp Boxing Tournament. 

LT Cho deployed from RLSO SW.

The members of TF 134/Combined Review and Release Board in 

Baghdad, Iraq. 

VADM Bruce MacDonald and the Sailors, Marines, and civilians 

assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. The group formed 

up in front of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Headquarters. 

CDR Les Reardanz, an individual augmentee with International 

Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan, stops to talk with 

some children.

Mr. Thomas Banda of Code 65 is currently serving in Afghanistan 

at Camp Phoenix. He is pictured with a CH-47 Chinook in the 

background.
Office of the Judge Advocate General

Public Affairs Office

1322 Patterson Ave., SE, Suite 3000

Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066

TF134 MNFI CRRB, Baghdad basketball team: LT M. Gavin Montague, USN; Capt. Reese Hays, USAF; 

Capt. Adam Workman, USMC; LT Bryan Blackmore, USCG; and LT Justin McEwen, USN.