JAG2012 

vol. 15 JAGOfficial Magazine of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps 

2012 

Vol. 15 

Official Magazine of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps 

ALSO INSIDE: 

IN THE AFTERMATH 

OF THE F/A 18 CRASH

IRAQ: THE FIRST & 

LAST CHAPTERS OF 

THE LEGAL MISSION

Naval Legal Service Command

Adapts to Best Serve Navy, Clients
2 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

Naval Legal Service Command Adapts to Best Serve 

Navy, Clients: To prepare the JAG Corps to meet the 

challenges that lie ahead, Naval Legal Service Offices 

(NLSOs) were replaced with Defense Service Offices 

(DSOs). There were eight NLSOs headquartered in 

Pensacola, Norfolk, Bremerton, Jacksonville, San Diego, 

Washington, D.C., Naples, Italy, and Yokosuka, Japan. 

These eight NLSOs realigned to become four DSOs, 

and are headquartered in San Diego, Washington, 

D.C., Norfolk, and Yokosuka. The DSOs’ mission is to 

defend service members in military justice proceedings, 

represent them at administrative boards, and provide 

other representational services, including advice on nonjudicial punishment and adverse personnel actions.

The JAG Magazine is an authorized publication for members of the DoD. 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 U.S. Navy. 

Submissions are welcome on all Navy JAG Corps-related topics and, if published, are subject to editing for length and clarity. Written and photographic submissions that show active 

and Reserve judge advocates and legalmen are strongly encouraged. We prefer to receive all written and photographic submissions by e-mail to natalie.morehouse@navy.mil. Images 

should include captions and be unmodified; digital files should measure at least 300dpi at 5x7 inches. All submissions must include the author’s full name, rank, duty contact telephone 

number and e-mail address. Feature articles should be 750 to 1000 words. Accompanying photos should show emotion or action if possible. 

If necessary, send submissions by regular postal mail to: Office of the Judge Advocate General, Attn: Public Affairs Office, 1322 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Bldg. 33, Suite 3000, 

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

4 New Leadership Takes Helm of Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps

6 Naval Legal Service Command Adapts to Best Serve Navy, Clients

7 Mentoring Law Students in Afghanistan

8 Iraq: The First and Last Chapters of the U.S. Legal Mission

10 In the Aftermath of the F/A-18D Crash

12 Questions About Living Donor Program Lead to More Than Legal Support for Sailors, Family

13 ABA Military Pro Bono Project & Operation Stand-By

14 Operating Forward From the Sea 

16 Taking Justice to the Fleet 

18 From the Well to the Helm in Six Weeks

20 DIILS at 20 Years - Advancing the Rule of Law Worldwide 

23 Cyber Law: Challenges, Law, and Billets

COLUMNS INSIDE

ON THE FRONT COVER

FEATURES

25 

26

28

29 

30 

Cmdr. Thomas Leary & Cmdr. Jim Lucci

Lt. Candice Albright with contributions by Information Systems Technician 1st Class Christopher Cookson

Lt. Megan Romigh

Dania Bardavid

Alumni

JAG Corps 2020.1 

Book Review: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Civilians 

Photos From the Fleet 

Cmdr. Doug Velvel

Lt. Stephen Rosenlund

Lt. Carina Podgorski

John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group Legal Department

Lt. Eileen Joy with contributions by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Ryan Mayes

JAG Corps Public Affairs

JAG Corps Public Affairs

JAG Corps Public Affairs
JAG.NAVY.MIL 3

JAGMAGAZINE

JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL

Vice Adm. Nanette M. DeRenzi

DEPUTY JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL,

COMMANDER, NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE COMMAND

Rear Adm. James W. Crawford, III

DEPUTY JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL, 

RESERVE AFFAIRS & OPERATIONS

DEPUTY COMMANDER, 

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE COMMAND

Rear Adm. Janet R. Donovan

COMMAND MASTER CHIEF, 

OFFICE OF THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL,

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE COMMAND

Master Chief Legalman Paul St. Sauver

RESERVE COMMAND MASTER CHIEF,

OFFICE OF THE JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL,

NAVAL LEGAL SERVICE COMMAND

Master Chief Legalman Karen Colaiacovo

PUBLIC AFFAIRS 

Ms. Jen Zeldis

Ms. Natalie Morehouse

EDITORIAL BOARD

Cmdr. Sally Hughes Cmdr. Thomas Leary

Lt. Cmdr. Janelle Beal Lt. Cmdr. Liam Connel

Lt. Cmdr. Michael Bloomrose Lt. Cmdr. Mike O’Regan

Lt. Cmdr. Mary Pohanka Lt. Cmdr. Brent Troyan 

Lt. Robin Crabtree Lt. Lindsay Geiselman

Lt. Joseph Moyer Lt. Lisa Senay

REGION LIAISONS 

Naval Justice School

Lt. Cmdr. Sara DeGroot

Defense Service Office North

Lt. Scott Fisher & Lt. Matt Sonn 

Defense Service Office Southeast

Lt. Jean-Marc Chanoine & Lt. Emily Keiler-Green

Defense Service Office West

 Lt. Ingrid Paige

Defense Service Office Pacific

Lt. Alexandra Nica

Region Legal Service Office Europe, Africa & Southwest Asia

Lt. j.g. Christin Cotten

Region Legal Service Office Hawaii

Katherine Lake

Region Legal Service Office Japan

Lt. Nicholas Inns

Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic

Lt. Joshua Lorenz & Lt. Ryan Kilpatrick

Region Legal Service Office Midwest

Lt. Celena Burkhart

Region Legal Service Office Naval District Washington

Lt. Kyle Elliott

Region Legal Service Office Northwest

Lt. Eileen Joy

Region Legal Service Office Southeast

Lt. Adam Brandon

Region Legal Service Office Southwest

Lt. Barbara Colberg & Lt. Jevon Gibb

JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL

Welcome to the annual issue of the JAG Magazine, a showcase of photos and stories 

from 2012. The content provided in the JAG Magazine, as well as that provided 

on our website and social networking sites, are collaborative efforts by all members of 

the JAG Corps community. We depend on your submissions, and I would like to express 

my sincere appreciation to those who contributed to this issue and online throughout the 

year.

In July, it was my honor to relieve Vice Adm. Houck and assume duties as the 42nd 

Judge Advocate General of the Navy. I’m extremely proud to be leading you. I’ll 

continue to give you my very best every day and will strive to lead with integrity, honesty, 

compassion, and grace. We also welcomed a superb lawyer, extraordinary officer, and 

selfless leader as our new Deputy JAG and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command, 

Rear Adm. Jim Crawford. 

This past year, Rear Adm. Janet R. Donovan assumed duty as the Deputy JAG 

for Reserve Affairs and Operations and Deputy Commander, Naval Legal Service 

Command; Master Chief Legalman Karen Colaiacovo assumed duty as the Reserve 

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the JAG and Reserve Command Master Chief, Naval Legal 

Service Command; and Master Chief Legalman Paul St. Sauver assumed duty as the 

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the JAG and Command Master Chief, Naval Legal Service 

Command. The Navy and the JAG Corps community simply could not ask for a better 

team of proven leaders. 

As we look to the future, traditional legal missions remain, but an increasingly complex 

legal landscape calls for even greater ingenuity and imagination across the board. We 

must embrace difficult fiscal realities, emerging technologies, and evolving capabilities 

that will present new and changing needs for legal solutions. We must continue to bring 

to bear hard work, common sense, creativity, and tenacity to find solutions to our clients’ 

problems. 

This edition of the JAG Magazine highlights examples of that kind of ingenuity and 

hard work in action. The JAG Corps Public Affairs Officer outlines the reorganization of 

Naval Legal Service Command to meet the Navy’s demands for expeditionary services 

while continuing to provide the Navy with quality military justice services. Cmdr. Tom 

Leary and Cmdr. Jim Lucci discuss the first and last chapters of the U.S. legal mission 

in Iraq. Lt. Eileen Joy highlights the collaborative effort to support four special courtsmartial held aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Cmdr. Doug Velvel outlines the challenges 

in the evolving area of Cyber Law. The Special Assistant for Strategic Planning discusses 

the development of JAG Guidance 2013.

The JAG Magazine remains a wonderful resource. However, concentrating on social 

media sites has allowed the JAG Corps community to improve dialogue among our 

members, our clients, our alumni, and potential applicants interested in a career with our 

community. You can keep up with the latest JAG Corps news via the following social 

media sites:

1. Facebook (www.facebook.com/navyjag) 

2. Twitter (www.twitter.com/Navy_JAG) 

3. YouTube (www.youtube.com/NavyJAGCorps) 

4. Wordpress (www.usnavyjagcorps.wordpress.com/)

5. Flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/navyjagcorps/)

Thank you for everything you do for the Navy, our clients, 

and each other. Keep up the terrific work!

Nanette M. DeRenzi

Vice Adm. JAG Corps, U.S. Navy
4 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

This past year, the Navy JAG Corps welcomed 

all new leaders at the top of our global 

law firm, including Vice Adm. Nanette M. DeRenzi, 

Rear Adm. James W. Crawford, III, Rear Adm. Janet R. 

Donovan, Master Chief Legalman Karen Colaiacovo 

and Master Chief Legalman Paul St. Sauver.

“The Navy and the JAG Corps could not ask for a 

better team of qualified officers and proven leaders to 

guide our Corps into the future,” said Vice Adm. James W. 

Houck, the former Judge Advocate General of the Navy.

DeRenzi became the 42nd Judge Advocate General of the 

Navy during a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard July 

20. She had previously served as the Deputy Judge Advocate 

General and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command. 

DeRenzi will serve as the Navy JAG for three years.

“Today is a day for the men and women of the JAG Corps 

to recommit ourselves to service, to each other, and to those we 

serve,” said DeRenzi during the ceremony. “Some may look 

back and long for the time when resources were abundant and 

challenges were traditional and predictable. Not me. This is 

our time and we will embrace the challenges that come with it.”

During the same ceremony, Crawford became the 

Deputy Judge Advocate General and Commander, Naval 

Legal Service Command. He previously served as 

Commander, Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan.

“It is a distinct honor to be standing here today. I’m mindful 

of the honor bestowed upon me today and trust given” said 

Crawford during the ceremony. “[Trust] is the belief in two 

old fashion qualities - consistency and integrity. It is these 

two words that will guide me 

as I begin my watch today.”

In November 2012, Donovan 

assumed her new duties as 

Deputy Judge Advocate 

General (Reserve Affairs and 

Operations). Donovan has 

served in a variety of active duty, 

reserve duty, and active duty for 

special work assignments. She 

most recently served as the Navy 

Reserve Law Program Manager 

and Force Judge Advocate on 

the staff of Commander, Navy 

Reserve Forces Command.

“The Navy legal community 

is privileged to have the 

New Leadership Takes Helm of Navy 

Judge Advocate General’s Corps

benefit of Rear Adm. Donovan’s talent and experience 

to fill this important position,” said DeRenzi.

St. Sauver took the reins as the Senior Enlisted Advisor 

to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy and Command 

Master Chief, Naval Legal Service Command following 

a July 2 ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard.

“Master Chief St. Sauver is uniquely qualified 

to lead the legalman community into the future,” 

said Houck. “[He] knows the Navy and the JAG 

Corps community. Most importantly, he knows 

legalmen. He is a leader who will help us continue 

to shape the future of the legalman community.”

Colaiacovo became the Command Master Chief for the 

reserve component JAG Law Program in December 2012.

“Master Chief Colaiacovo is the best-qualified candidate 

to build upon the past accomplishments of the Reserve 

Legalman program,” said Rear Adm. Steven M. Talson, the 

former Deputy Judge Advocate General (Reserve Affairs 

and Operations) and Deputy Commander, Naval Legal 

Service Command. “She brings 28 years of experience 

to the job, including both sea and shore operational 

time. While on active duty, she served three years aboard 

USS Cape Cod (AD-43) and more recently, deployed 

to Kandahar, Afghanistan for a year as an individual 

augmentee with the Third Naval Construction Regiment.”

Also this year, the JAG Corps said farewell to Houck, 

Talson, Master Chief Legalman Jeffery N. Luthi, and 

Master Chief Legalman Christopher J. Browning.

During these leaders’ tenures, the Corps provided 

counsel on a number of important issues, including the 

repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Military Commissions, 

protection of navigational 

rights and freedoms, 

combating sexual assault, and 

support to Wounded, Ill, and 

Injured Sailors and Marines.

Houck retired after 32 

years of service during 

a traditional change of 

office ceremony, presided 

over by the Chief of Naval 

Operations, Adm. Jonathan 

W. Greenert, in July 2012.

“As his deputy JAG, 

I had the privilege of 

working with Vice Adm. 

Houck every day,” said 

DeRenzi during the change 

From JAG Corps Public Affairs 

“Today is a day for the 

men and women of the 

JAG Corps to recommit 

ourselves to service, to each other, and 

to those we serve. Some may look back 

and long for the time when resources 

were abundant and challenges were 

traditional and predictable. Not me. 

This is our time and we will embrace 

the challenges that come with it.”

-- Vice Adm. Nanette DeRenzi, 

Judge Advocate General 
JAG.NAVY.MIL 5

of office ceremony. “He was the most visionary leader the 

JAG Corps has ever known. He understood the changing 

nature of warfare, the world’s politics, and the law. He was 

a man of tremendous ambition - not for himself, but for the 

organization he led. He recognized that each member of 

the JAG Corps community provides a vital service, linked 

directly to the success of our Navy and Nation. He worked 

tirelessly to ensure that we had the right people, the right 

training, and the best processes to deliver superb legal solutions 

to our clients wherever and whenever they needed us.”

After 32 years, Talson retired from the Navy during 

a formal ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard in 

November 2012. He spent more than seven years on 

active duty, followed by 25 years of Reserve service.

“Admiral Talson’s future vision of the Reserve forces 

was essential during our JAG Corps realignment and 

improved the seamless integration of the Reserves’ 

support to the active duty,” said DeRenzi. 

Browning retired after more than 25 years of service in 

the Navy. He most recently served as the Senior Enlisted 

Advisor to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy and 

Command Master Chief, Naval Legal Service Command. 

“As the senior enlisted advisor for our community, Master 

Chief Browning demonstrated unparalleled strategic vision and 

leadership,” said Houck. “His direct involvement in the day-today operations of the legalman community positively impacted 

recruitment, training, integration, and operational support.”

Luthi spent more than 20 years in the Reserves, 

the last four as Reserve Command Master Chief. 

“Master Chief Luthi worked tirelessly throughout his 

entire career to take care of Sailors and the JAG Corps,” said 

Talson. “Through his leadership of the reserve component 

– Master Chief provided wise guidance and hands-on 

assistance to make sure we were best serving our clients.”

The Judge Advocate General of the Navy provides 

legal and policy advice to the Secretary of the Navy 

and the Chief of Naval Operations on all legal matters 

from military justice to environmental law. The Judge 

Advocate General also directs a worldwide law firm of 

more than 2,300 attorneys, paralegals and support staff.

Naval Legal Service Command provides 

prosecution, defense, personal representation, legal 

assistance, and other command services to shore 

and afloat commands throughout the world.

Vice Adm. Nanette M. DeRenzi assumed the office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy from Vice Adm. James W. Houck after he retired from the 

position. Rear Adm. James W. Crawford, III relieved DeRenzi as the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy and assumed command of Naval Legal 

Service Command. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor)
6 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

In October, the Judge Advocate General’s Corps 

reorganized the Naval Legal 

Service Command (NLSC) to 

meet the Navy’s evolving demands 

for expeditionary legal services 

support while continuing to provide 

quality military justice services.

“The demand for Navy JAG Corps’ 

services is greater than ever, but the 

nature of our practice has changed 

significantly over the past several 

years,” said Vice Adm. Nanette 

DeRenzi, the Judge Advocate General 

of the Navy. “The Department of the 

Navy and joint forces operate in an 

increasingly complex legal and policy 

environment and expect more from 

our community than ever before.”

To prepare the JAG Corps to meet 

the challenges that lie ahead, Naval 

Legal Service Offices (NLSOs) 

were replaced with Defense Service 

Offices (DSOs). There were eight 

Naval Legal Service Command Adapts 

to Best Serve Navy, Clients

From JAG Corps Public Affairs NLSOs headquartered in Pensacola, 

Norfolk, Bremerton, Jacksonville, 

San Diego, Washington, D.C., Naples, 

Italy, and Yokosuka, Japan. These 

eight NLSOs realigned to become 

four DSOs, and are headquartered 

in San Diego, Washington, D.C., 

Norfolk, and Yokosuka. The DSOs’ 

mission is to defend service members 

in military justice proceedings, 

represent them at administrative 

boards, and provide other 

representational services, including 

advice on non-judicial punishment 

and adverse personnel actions.

NLSOs also transferred the 

mission of providing legal assistance 

services to the nine Region Legal 

Service Offices (RLSOs). Legal 

assistance services include wills 

and powers of attorney, and matters 

involving consumer, family, landlordtenant, and predatory lending law. 

“Sailors and their families will 

continue to receive legal assistance, 

but those services will now be 

provided by the RLSOs,” said Rear 

Adm. James Crawford, Commander, 

Naval Legal Service Command. 

“On most bases, the locations 

where legal assistance services 

are provided remain the same.”

The realignment changed the way 

Sailors receive defense services in 

12 locations around the fleet. These 

12 locations are Everett, Whidbey 

Island, Port Hueneme, Lemoore, 

Corpus Christi, New Orleans, 

Millington, Kings Bay, Guantanamo 

Bay, Newport, Earle, and Sigonella. 

Similar to the way Sailors receive 

personal defense services when they 

are at sea, Sailors requesting defense 

services such as representation for 

courts-martial or administrative 

boards will make initial contact 

with an attorney by telephone 

or other remote communication 

technology, with subsequent in-person 

consultation arranged, if necessary. 

Navy commands retained 

their current staff judge advocate 

support. RLSOs will continue to 

provide court-martial prosecution 

and command legal advice to 

Navy region and installation 

commanders, and tenant commands 

such as ships and squadrons.

As part of the realignment, the 

JAG Corps will refocus on the 

first two years of all new judge 

advocates’ careers by beginning a 

comprehensive training program 

in prosecuting and defending 

cases, providing legal assistance, 

and advising Navy commands. 

“This realignment will improve 

the JAG Corps’ training for new 

accession judge advocates by more 

thoroughly preparing them to meet the 

Navy’s legal needs,” said DeRenzi. 

For a complete list of services and 

contact information of the closest 

legal office, visit www.jag.navy.mil. 

Defense Service Office West provides legal advice and representation to eligible service members 

at courts-martial and administrative proceedings, including enlisted administrative separation boards 

and officer boards of inquiry, in addition to providing advice to service members on defense-related 

topics such as nonjudicial punishment.
JAG.NAVY.MIL 7

In my short time as a Navy judge advocate, I have had many 

interesting experiences on land and 

at sea. One of my most rewarding 

experiences has been mentoring a 

group of young Afghan law students as 

they prepared for the Philip C. Jessup 

Moot Court Competition, commonly 

referred to as “Jessup.” Jessup is a 

prestigious worldwide moot court 

competition based on a fictitious 

international law case designed 

to prepare future lawyers for oral 

advocacy in the appellate courtroom.

While I was on deployment in 

northern Afghanistan, I advised 

high-level U.S. officers on issues of 

operational, fiscal, administrative, 

disciplinary, and human rights law. 

My days were spent reviewing 

project files, briefing my clients, 

preparing legal briefs for other 

staffers, and liaising with the 

police and other entities in the 

U.S. and NATO contingents.

In addition to my uniformed judge 

advocate work, advising the Balkh 

University Law School students 

allowed me to think creatively and 

make an additional impact on the 

local community. It was incredibly 

rewarding to work with these local 

students who are, without a doubt, 

the bright future of their country.

Jessup tests important 

contemporary international law issues, 

such as state responsibility and the 

preservation of cultural property. It 

questions areas in which the law 

does not provide definite answers.

First, law school teams from around 

the world prepare written briefs. The 

Balkh Law School team submitted a 

Mentoring 

Law Students 

in Afghanistan 

By Lt. Megan Romigh,

Region Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic 

brief and then we held practice moot 

sessions in which the students got on 

their feet to argue in front of judicial 

panels comprised of other attorneys. 

In these rounds, we talked about the 

basics of public international law, the 

generalities of their case (advisors 

are not allowed to give substantive 

assistance), and oral advocacy tips. 

My colleagues and I were blown away 

by how polished and knowledgeable 

the students already were. They 

embraced any critique or suggestion 

and never repeated mistakes.

In January 2012, I had the pleasure 

of attending the Afghanistan National 

Jessup Competition. Four teams 

from around the country met in the 

vibrant capital city of Kabul. The 

law school students from Balkh were 

phenomenal. They carried themselves 

as seasoned international attorneys, 

not the fourth-year law students they 

were. I especially liked that they 

wore matching black suits and similar 

ties. To me, they already looked 

the part of national champions.

Balkh and Al-Birouni University 

advanced to the final round, held at the 

Afghan Supreme Court. After a lively 

two-hour round, it was announced 

that Balkh had won the competition. 

My heart swelled with pride. They 

were going to Washington!

Lt. Megan Romigh and Hamayoun Rahimi pose with the Jessup Cup after the 2012 Jessup Moot Court 

Competition at the Supreme Court in Kabul, Afghanistan. Romigh mentored and Rahimi was the advisor 

to the team from Balkh University, which won the competition in Kabul. ( Photo by U.S Embassy Kabul)

After the judges and VIPs left 

the room, three of the students 

asked if I could take a photo of 

them sitting in the Supreme Court 

justices’ chairs, where the Afghan 

justices sit in sessions of court. I 

gladly obliged. Then I told the 

students, “Turn around, and look 

at those chairs—and think of this 

moment twenty years from now 

when you return here as Supreme 

Court justices or government 

officials.” They laughed, but I know 

my words will ring true someday.

Of all the conversations I 

had during my seven months in 

Afghanistan, one sticks out to me. 

The day the competition started, 

one of the competitors approached 

me and asked how long I had been 

in country. He then asked “What 

did you expect when you came to 

Afghanistan?” I thought about it, and 

I said I really had no idea. Hauling 

my gear across the tarmac upon 

arrival at Kandahar Air Field last 

summer, I was a little excited, a little 

scared, and unsure of what exactly 

I would do there. Now, looking 

back, my experience with the law 

school students from Balkh was the 

most rewarding of my deployment, 

and it created relationships that 

I know will last a lifetime.
8 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

On April 9, 2003, as the world 

watched ecstatic Iraqis tear 

down the statue of Saddam Hussein 

in Baghdad’s Firdos Square, I got 

word that my flight into Baghdad was 

set for that night. At that time I was 

serving as the staff judge advocate 

for a Special Operations Task Force 

that was supporting the initial phases 

of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 

Task Force had already conducted 

numerous missions into Iraq from 

our forward staging base, weathered 

the “mother of all sandstorms,” and 

just hours earlier, had established 

a command-and-control node in 

Baghdad. Now we were moving the 

enablers into a better position to support 

what was expected to be a series of 

direct action missions against strategic 

targets in and around Baghdad. 

The nighttime approach into Baghdad 

International Airport was disorienting. 

To minimize the risk of enemy rocket 

attacks, the airfield was completely dark. 

I felt a curious sense of anxiety and 

helplessness as I realized that, despite 

the sophisticated helmet, top-of-the-line 

body armor, and the M-4 slung across 

my chest, my fate was in the hands of an 

Launching 

the Legal 

Mission 

in Iraq

By Cmdr. Thomas Leary,

International & Operational Law Division

Air Force flight crew, whom I had never 

met. I heaved a tremendous sigh of 

relief when that crew landed safely, only 

to be further disoriented moments later 

when my comrades and I were hustled 

into the back of a windowless box-truck 

and quickly whisked to an unknown 

destination. Only after we disembarked 

at an abandoned hangar was I able to 

acquire any sense of spatial awareness.

The conditions at Baghdad 

International Airport were spartan, to 

say the least. During the first three 

weeks of the campaign we had become 

accustomed to the lack of running 

water, showers, and hot food. However, 

the abandoned hangar added another 

unplanned challenge: pigeon droppings. 

We lined the floor with row upon row 

of Army green cots, did our best to 

keep the pigeon droppings out of our 

gear, and were thankful for a quick 

move to the relative luxury of Baghdad 

International Airport’s main terminal. 

There, I worked in the baggage claim 

area – which had been converted into 

the Joint Operations Center – and made 

Gate 23 my home. The hours were 

long, the missions were frequent, my 

sleep schedule was irregular, and the 

legal issues were plentiful. Questions 

regarding the rules of engagement, 

detention and interrogation, fiscal law, 

and the role of civilians and contractors 

on the battlefield served as welcome 

distractions from the fact that none of 

us had showered in weeks! Despite the 

austerity, our morale remained high.

My fondest memory of Iraq remains 

the hopeful eyes of a child. One of our 

operations damaged civilian property 

and resulted in detainees who required 

repatriation. Due to the uncertain 

operational and legal environment, 

the team wanted me along to ensure 

the repatriation and humanitarian 

support were effectuated within the 

appropriate legal authorities. We 

arrived in daylight in a quiet Baghdad 

neighborhood, dismounted our 

Humvees, and proceeded cautiously 

down a street lined with modest 

homes. Soon several young children 

appeared in the doorways and bravely 

approached the heavily armed men 

patrolling their street. A young girl, 

perhaps 8 years old, approached me 

with a purple flower in her hand. 

She looked up at me with a look of 

trust and optimism, and offered me 

the flower. We had been assured we 

would be “greeted as liberators,” and 

at that moment, it seemed as though 

that promise might be realized. 

As I left the neighborhood that sunny 

April day and departed Baghdad some 

weeks later, there was widespread 

confidence that our Task Force had 

accomplished its mission, and that the 

rest of our forces would soon follow 

with a similar sense of optimism and 

achievement. I sometimes wonder what 

became of that young girl – whether 

she endured the years of insurgency and 

sectarian conflict – and how premature 

my sense of optimism was. That purple 

flower retains its flourish today, and 

I hope the sacrifices of so many of 

our comrades and shipmates helped 

that girl hold on to her spirit during 

the difficult months that followed.

The First and Last Chapters 

of the U.S. Legal Mission 
JAG.NAVY.MIL 9

When I landed in Iraq in 

June 2011, I had a 

sense of déjà vu. Actually it was more 

like ground hog day – because it seemed 

like absolutely nothing had changed 

since I was last there. There were still 

the same ridiculously uncomfortable 

metal chairs at Baghdad International 

Airport’s Sather terminal, the same 

Containerized Housing Units, or CHUs, 

including, I’m sure, the mattresses, and 

the 25 pound dumbbells were exactly 

where I left them 4 years earlier. It gave 

me a reassuring feeling that I knew what 

to expect. 

It didn’t take long though to realize 

that while everything looked the same, 

much had changed. The last time I 

was in Iraq was 2007-2008. It was 

the height of the surge and we were 

operating under various United Nations 

Security Council Resolutions that gave 

us broad authorities. Now, from a legal 

perspective, things were very different. 

U.S. Forces were now operating under 

the Security Agreement as the legal 

basis for our presence, which was a 

much narrower authority than the United 

Nations Security Council Resolutions. 

We had to ask permission from the 

Government of Iraq to do many of the 

Ending the Legal 

Mission in Iraq

By Cmdr. Jim Lucci,

Region Legal Service Office Europe, Africa, 

& Southwest Asia

things that we once routinely did. 

An example of this significant change 

involved detention operations. In 2008, 

we had 25,000 detainees held in the large 

internment facility in Camp Bucca. A 

huge majority of the detainees were 

“security internees” that Coalition Forces 

had captured on the battlefield during 

unilaterally conducted operations and 

who were being held for security reasons. 

However, now Camp Bucca was gone, 

there were only 206 detainees, all of 

whom were being held at the request 

of the Government of Iraq pursuant 

to Iraqi arrest warrants. Operations to 

capture insurgents required the consent 

of the Government of Iraq and usually 

required joint U.S. and Iraqi forces. 

These constraints proved challenging, 

especially when attacks increased in 

the fall of 2011. Due to the tremendous 

efforts from the legal office, U.S. Forces 

had the requisite authorities they needed 

to ultimately transfer responsibility for all 

the detainees to the Government of Iraq 

or to release them within the terms of the 

Security Agreement. 

On October 21, when President 

Obama announced that the US Military 

would completely withdraw from Iraq by 

the year’s end, we still had over 41,000 

troops in country, including 17 lawyers 

on the USF-I staff. We were still a fully 

functioning legal staff providing legal 

support across the spectrum. We had to 

quickly downsize our own office while, 

at the same time, continuing to provide 

legal support to ongoing operations, 

end of mission ceremonies, and to one 

of the biggest operational maneuvers in 

the history of the military. Our Rule of 

Law section was handed over to the DoJ, 

who continued the mission of engaging 

Iraqis. Military justice matters were 

sent to US Army Central Command, 

and many of the non-mission specific 

ethics and administrative law issues went 

back CONUS with the respective units. 

We also set up a rear command post in 

Kuwait with two army lawyers who 

provided legal support to force protection 

operations that continued until all troops 

were safely out of Iraq. By December 

2011, there were just three attorneys left 

on staff, Col. Kevan “Jake” Jacobson, 

the USF-I staff judge advocate, me as 

the deputy and one detainee operations 

attorney who was working on the final 

transfer of our remaining detainees to 

the Government of Iraq. At the end, Col. 

Jacobson and I focused mainly on the 

disposing of all the excess property under 

the Foreign Excess Personal Property 

rules, or FEPP, and the administrative 

law requirements associated with 

disestablishing a Combatant Command 

created Task Force. 

Serving as a deputy staff judge 

advocate at the end of Operation New 

Dawn had some very distinct advantages. 

I had the good fortune to inherit the 

corporate knowledge and processes that 

had been built up over the years from the 

numerous JAGs who had come before 

me. However, most importantly, it gave 

me the opportunity to serve with some 

tremendous judge advocates and to be 

able to see how other services viewed 

the Navy JAG Corps’ contributions 

to the mission. Whether supporting 

operations, establishing the rule of law in 

Iraq, or ensuring that our forces had the 

administrative law support they needed, 

so many Navy judge advocates toiled 

countless hours for months on end to 

help make Iraq a better place. And in 

that regard I can proudly say well done to 

every Navy judge advocate who served 

in Iraq.

I am honored that I was one of 

the last representatives of the Navy 

JAG Corps to serve in Iraq. In the 

end, as we turned over the last of the 

detainees, the last of the equipment 

through FEPP, and even the last of 

the bases, to the Government of Iraq, 

it was clear to me that, thanks to 

the many contributions of the judge 

advocates who had served there 

over the years, the legal mission was 

complete. The only thing left to do 

was fly home.
10 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

At approximately 12:05 p.m. on April 6, 2012, an F/A-18D assigned to the Naval Air Station 

Oceana-based Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 crashed 

into an apartment complex in Virginia Beach, Va. 

The plane landed in the Mayfair Mews apartment 

complex leaving a fiery scene of destruction. Almost 

half of the 64 units in the apartment complex were totally 

destroyed; however, not a single human life was lost.

Both aircrew ejected safely and were transported 

to a local hospital. Five others were also taken to the 

hospital where they were treated and released. 

With national headlines touting the lack of fatalities 

as a miracle, there were still many lives drastically 

affected by the property damage left behind. The 

crash and subsequent fire caused significant property 

damage and displaced more than 130 residents. 

Residents who resided in 27 of the apartment units were 

permanently displaced and forced to find new homes. 

Rear Adm. Tim Alexander, Commander of the Navy's 

Mid-Atlantic Region, immediately responded and 

explained to residents, "We are committed to doing the 

right thing to address the needs of these families, who 

through no fault of their own have endured an incredible 

hardship. We owe it to everyone affected by [the] 

accident to help them get their lives back together."

It was the JAG Corps’ role to ensure affected 

residents were promptly and fairly compensated 

so they could return to a normal life.

Mr. Hal Dronberger, deputy director for the Office of 

the Judge Advocate General’s (OJAG) Claims and Tort 

Litigation Division (Code 15), arrived on scene within 24 

hours of the crash. He mobilized the JAG Corps Disaster 

Response Team consisting of Code 15 staff and Region 

Legal Service Office (RLSO) and Naval Legal Service 

Office (NLSO) MIDLANT attorneys and paralegals. 

“Our response team consisted of seasoned military 

and civilian attorneys and legal staff,” said Dronberger. 

“Due to the coordinated efforts of this diverse group 

of professionals, we were able to immediately respond 

to the concerns of Mayfair Mews residents and 

members of the community. Without the hard work 

and expertise of these individuals, we would not have 

been able to provide this extensive level of support 

and assistance to those affected by the crash.”

On the day after the crash, the disaster response 

team held a community meeting for residents with a 

number of local government officials and police, fire, 

and human services representatives in attendance. 

There, Navy personnel met individually with 

displaced residents, handed out claims packages, and 

In the Aftermath of the F/A-18D Crash

gathered information necessary to provide emergency 

financial support for food and temporary lodging. 

"Following the crash on Good Friday, we recognized 

there was going to be a need to provide immediate 

resources - money for food, shelter, and clothing - to 

the affected residents,” said Cmdr. Frank D. Hutchison, 

staff judge advocate for Commander, Navy Region 

Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA). “Within hours, we had 

asked for and received authority from the Secretary 

of the Navy to expend up to $150,000 in Emergency 

and Extraordinary Expense (EEE) funds.” 

With the assistance of the CNRMA Comptrollers 

and Personnel Support Detachment, checks were issued 

to displaced residents to cover the cost of lodging and 

meals for two weeks within two days after the crash. 

As it became evident that resettling most of the displaced 

residents was going to take over a month, CNRMA 

arranged for additional EEE funds for the residents. For 

those whose residences were totally destroyed, the Tort 

Claims Unit Norfolk made advance payments on the 

claims to be filed. In total, over $450,000 was paid to 

residents to assist them with immediate expenses.

In the days following the crash, the team met with 

affected residents, sometimes multiple times, to explain 

the available resources and start the claims process. 

“In situations such as this, it is important to establish a 

personal connection with those who have just gone through 

the most traumatizing event in their lives,” said Ms. Virginia 

Eilmus, head of the Personnel Claims Unit, Norfolk Disaster 

Response Team. “[They] needed someone to spend time 

with them and explain how to navigate the claims process.”

It was this extra effort that made the process work. 

“We appreciated that the residents were still reeling 

from the disruption of their lives and the narrow, but 

miraculous, escape from physical injury many had 

experienced,” said Dronberger. “It was so important 

to us that everyone was receiving accurate information 

on the claims process and the way forward so that they 

would be able to start returning to their normal lives.”

Being able to keep the residents informed was a top 

priority. A special cell set-up by CNRMA and manned by 

Norfolk NLSO and RLSO personnel was established at the 

Resident Assistance Center. There, residents could obtain 

claims forms, apply for additional EEE funds, and discuss the 

recovery process. Another group of NLSO/RLSO personnel 

manned a Region operated call center. Each resident who 

reported damages was given direct contact information 

to reach a Department of the Navy claims official. 

“The Mayfair Mews residents appreciated the team’s 

personal dedication to each of them, from answering 

simple questions to calling local landlords to help find a 

new apartment that met the financial and personal needs 

From JAG Corps Public Affairs 
JAG.NAVY.MIL 11

of residents,” said Lt. Jean-Marc Chanoine, a member 

of the Disaster Response Team from NLSO MIDLANT. 

“Our team’s enthusiasm, empathy and tireless support 

were appreciated in this time of unexpected challenge.” 

The claims team had multiple follow-on 

communications with residents to assist them 

with filing and processing their claims. 

“We had to get creative in helping the claimants 

establish their claims for proof of ownership and value 

of lost property. Their receipts for purchase of furniture 

and everyday household items like pots and pans and 

sweaters burned up in their apartments,” said Mr. Robert 

Thomas, the Navy tort claims attorney responsible for the 

adjudication process. “We looked at photographs taken 

by children at Thanksgiving. We sat down with interior 

decorators who had worked with the claimants fifteen years 

earlier. We called area furniture and electronics stores 

to see how long they kept sales records. We scrutinized 

videos and pictures taken by fire fighters and remediation 

workers of burned apartments. We personally walked 

through the ruins and stood in units about to be torn down.”

To date, over 60 claims have been filed and 35 have 

been settled. “We aren’t rushing the claimants” said 

Thomas, adding “this has been a very difficult experience 

for the residents, and we are working at their pace.” 

Coordination between the Navy, Virginia Beach officials 

and the remediation contractor was a continuous effort. 

In this regard, Lt. Rob Singer, staff judge advocate for 

NAS Oceana (NASO) excelled. He was NASO's sole 

point of contact to City of Virginia Beach departments 

including Fire, Sheriff's Office, Police, Housing, etc., and 

supported the emergency claim and distribution process 

“Lt. Singer’s personal involvement with each 

resident was singled out numerous times and he 

gracefully transitioned from task to task and from 

one facet of recovery to another,” according to Capt. 

“Goose” Geiss, commanding officer, NASO. “He ran 

the effort for Oceana so I could continue to run these 

installations. He was on autopilot - never requiring 

‘recalibration’ on my long-term desired effects.”

Executing the CNLSC plan to support disaster relief, 

Norfolk based judge advocates and OJAG personnel 

responded quickly and professionally to provide 

support to those numerous personnel impacted by the 

crash. While it was a miracle that there was no loss 

of life; the hard work, long hours and dedication by 

the entire Navy and local community team helped 

the affected residents return to a normal life.

Hal Dronberger, deputy director of Claims & Tort Litigation for the Office of Judge Advocate General (OJAG) briefs affected residents about aide services 

offered by the Navy. The Navy set up a meeting for affected residents April 7, 2012 at Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Training Academy to provide claims 

forms for personal injury or property damage resulting from the crash of an F/A-18D Hornet on April 6, 2012. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist 3rd Class Antonio P. Turretto Ramos)
12 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

the Cookson family accepted and left 

the same day for Washington, D.C.

According to Cookson, his father, 

Cookie, was seen by more physicians 

and nurses at Walter Reed in the first 

60 minutes of his stay than during the 

entire 30 days he spent in the New York 

hospital. As a result, and completely 

out of character for him, Cookie was left 

speechless by all of the attention. When 

he was finally able to find his voice, 

Cookie expressed sincere gratitude for 

his transfer to Walter Reed. During his 

stay, the staff at Walter Reed devoted 

countless hours and resources to his 

treatment, he was surrounded by family, 

and a veterans’ organization brought 

the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders to visit 

him. Cookson said his father was 

overjoyed by his positive experience 

and treatment at Walter Reed.

Sadly, Cookie’s disease had spread 

from his liver and he was diagnosed 

with stage four cancer. The staff at 

Walter Reed determined that the liver 

transplant was no longer viable, but 

suggested Cookie undergo chemotherapy 

in a final attempt to save his life. They 

moved Cookie back to New York, 

close to home, to undergo treatment. 

On August 22, 2011, Cookson spoke 

to his father for the last time. His father 

said to him, “Chris, I am fine. I love you 

and will see you again soon.” Six hours 

later, in the early morning of August 23, 

2011, Cookie passed away. Despite the 

circumstances, Cookson told me the 

assistance his family received from our 

office and BUMED “meant the world 

to him” because he was able to be there 

with his father and see him so happy 

and cared for during his final days.

It was the end of my first week at 

the Naval Legal Service Office 

in Naples, Italy, when Information 

Systems Technician 1st Class 

Christopher Cookson walked through 

my door. The day prior, Cookson 

learned that his father, U.S. Air Force 

retired Master Sgt. Culinary Specialist 

Ronald Alden “Cookie” Cookson, had 

been diagnosed with liver cancer and 

had only two weeks to live if he did 

not receive a liver transplant. Without 

any hesitation, Cookson decided to 

donate part of his liver in the hope of 

saving his father’s life. However, he 

was unsure how this decision would 

affect his career. So, he came to us.

The first thing Cookson said to 

me was, “My father is concerned for 

my career, but of course he gets my 

liver. He is my dad.” I understood his 

position, but it was my job to ensure 

he followed all of the Navy’s rules and 

regulations in order to get his father the 

absolute best outcome and protect his 

Navy career at the same time. After a 

brief discussion about fitness for duty, 

I figured there had to be more to this 

issue. And, since the Naval Justice 

School taught me not to “shoot from 

the hip,” I told him I would look into 

it while he finalized his travel plans.

 After a little bit of research, I found 

BUMEDINST 6300.8A, “Donations, 

Transplants, and Disposition of Organs 

and Tissue.” The instruction states 

that active duty Sailors may serve 

as living-related or -unrelated organ 

donors in the absence of better matched 

volunteer donors. To do so, the Sailor 

must receive written counseling from 

his or her immediate commander and 

a medical officer prior to becoming a 

living donor. Specifically, the Sailor 

must understand that his or her ability to 

remain in the naval service is contingent 

upon a favorable medical evaluation 

after the procedure. In addition, prior 

approval from the Navy Bureau of 

Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) is 

required when a living organ donation 

is to be performed in a non-Army/Navy 

Organ Transplant Service Facility. 

I discussed the requirements with 

Cookson when he returned to our 

office. He understood the risks and 

maintained his determination to assist 

his father. After obtaining the required 

counseling and finalizing his legal 

documents, the only lingering problem 

for him was the necessary approval by 

BUMED. It was a Friday morning in 

Italy, Cookson was scheduled to fly 

out on Sunday to New York, where 

his father was hospitalized, and no one 

on the east coast of the United States 

was awake. Phone calls and emails 

went flying all afternoon between me, 

the local hospital staff and BUMED 

staff judge advocate, Cmdr. Salvatore 

Maida. With Maida’s help, I was finally 

able to put Cookson in touch with the 

Living Donor Transplant Coordinator at 

BUMED, who screened and approved 

his request right over the phone.

With all necessary approvals and 

travel plans in place, Cookson left 

Naples, and arrived safely in New 

York early on Monday morning. To 

his pleasant surprise, BUMED staff 

called him later that morning and 

offered to move his father, a retiree of 

the United States Air Force, to Walter 

Reed National Military Medical Center 

in Washington, D.C., for screening and 

treatment. Grateful for the opportunity, 

By Lt. Candice Albright, Naval Legal Service 

Office Europe, Africa, & Southwest Asia 

with contributions by Information Systems 

Technician 1st Class Christopher Cookson

Questions About Living Donor Program Lead to 

More Than Legal Support for Sailors, Family

In memory of U.S. Air Force retired Master 

Sgt Ronald Alden “Cookie” Cookson.
JAG.NAVY.MIL 13

The ABA Military Pro Bono Project, established in 2008, is an innovative 

collaboration between the military and civilian 

bars designed to expand legal support for activeduty enlisted service members nationwide. 

The Project accepts case referrals from military legal 

assistance attorneys on behalf of junior-enlisted, activeduty military personnel and their families regarding civil 

legal problems; working to place those cases with qualified 

civilian attorneys ready to provide free (pro bono) assistance 

beyond what can ordinarily be provided by military counsel.

The Project is also the platform for Operation 

Stand-By, an ABA clearinghouse designed to link 

military attorneys with local civilian attorneys who 

may provide guidance and expertise in specific 

subject matters to best serve military clients. 

“Active-duty Sailors can only be referred to the 

Program by a legal assistance attorney and should not 

contact the Pro Bono Placement Manager directly,” said 

Cmdr. Andrew R. House, Office of the Judge Advocate 

General’s Legal Assistance Policy Division (Code 16). 

Service members seeking legal assistance should first visit 

a Region Legal Service Office and speak with a military 

legal assistance attorney, and following that consultation, 

the military legal assistance attorney may decide to seek 

Pro Bono Program assistance for the client. The legal 

assistance attorney may also suggest possible courses of 

action for the service member prior to seeking a referral. 

A Sailor, who preferred to remain anonymous for this 

story, used the project to resolve a divorce and child custody 

case. He said, “I am so happy with the legal counsel you 

found for me. I honestly can’t imagine being paired with 

a better attorney. [My attorney] was professional in every 

way, showed a great deal of compassion for my situation, 

and above all, kept my needs, and those of my children, at 

the forefront. I feel that the agreement that was negotiated 

by [my attorney] preserves my rights as a father, and ensures 

I’ll be able to be an integral part of my children’s lives.”

There are several conditions for project eligibility. 

The project is designed to assist more junior service 

members who might have greater difficulty covering 

civilian legal fees, thus, House clarified that the project 

is generally intended for Sailors in pay grades E6 and 

below. However, the servicing military legal assistance 

attorney may refer personnel of higher ranks to the project 

in cases of extraordinary circumstances and need. 

Additionally, the project is generally designed to assist 

in certain types of civil law matters, including landlord/

tenant law, consumer law (including bankruptcy), family 

law, trusts and estates (including probate), guardianship, 

and employment law. Referrals for other civil matters 

may be possible, especially where a client can demonstrate 

significant legal need impacting his or her mission readiness. 

Referral is never guaranteed, for any case. “In order 

to secure a referral, Sailors must demonstrate just cause 

and meritorious claims” said House. Sailors will not be 

referred for assistance in matters where no viable claim 

or action is apparent or inconsequential in nature. 

“It’s a very case-specific, fact-specific program,” said 

House. “The civilian attorneys are volunteers and 

depending on your geographic area there may or may 

not be an attorney available with the relevant expertise 

to assist in the case.” The ABA is working diligently to 

increase the number of civilian volunteers, and House 

explained that roughly 45 percent of all cases referred 

by military legal assistance providers are placed with 

a participating civilian attorney for assistance. 

“As of today, we have placed 514 cases with pro 

bono attorneys. These referred cases represent over 

$2.4 million in billable hours donated by our volunteers 

to our service members,” said Ms. Mary Meixner, 

manager of the ABA Pro Bono Placement Program. 

“It’s a very user-friendly system,” said House, and without 

this program, “hundreds of Sailors would have to pay legal 

fees to get their issue resolved. It is nothing but a win-win.”

In addition to helping military personnel and 

families through the pro bono placement project, the 

Military Pro Bono Project created Operation Stand-By 

to connect military legal assistance attorneys with the 

expertise of local volunteer civilian attorneys.

“Operation Stand-By is a resource to help legal assistance 

attorneys get a better understanding of local practices 

and local law, and how they come together so that we 

can do better for the clients we serve,” said House. 

Volunteer attorneys sign up and agree to take calls 

or emails from military lawyers seeking attorney-toattorney advice on state-specific legal issues so that 

the military attorneys can better serve local clients. 

“Military legal assistance attorneys provide invaluable 

legal help to military families in a range of legal 

matters, but there are instances when these attorneys 

may not have the deep substantive expertise or statespecific legal knowledge necessary to fully advise and 

assist their client,” said Meixner. “Since Operation 

Stand-By was launched in 2011, over 300 attorneys have 

specifically registered with Operation Stand-By.” 

“The amount of effort going into this program is 

impressive,” said House, Office of the Judge Advocate 

General’s Legal Assistance Policy Division (Code 

16). “This is done out of the ABA’s genuine desire 

to do something good for service members.”

By Dania Bardavid,

Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy

ABA Military Pro Bono Project & Operation Stand-By 
14 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

Operating Forward From the Sea

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group 

Three (CSG 3) completed a seven-month 

deployment in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of 

operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom

and Operation New Dawn. With the strike group is a 

legal team comprised of seven legalmen, three judge 

advocates and a Naval Criminal Investigative Service 

agent. Each of these men and women is providing 

expert and essential legal advice to clients ranging from 

the admiral to the newly reported seaman recruit.

The legal team provides mission-essential support to 

the strike group to ensure they operate in accordance with 

international law and maintain good order and discipline 

aboard their ships and squadrons. The team also contributes 

to personnel readiness by providing legal services to over 

6,700 Sailors throughout 18 individual commands.

To allow personnel to experience operations aboard 

different ship platforms, the CSG 3 Commander, Rear 

Adm. Craig Faller, implemented a ‘cross-deck’ program 

to exchange personnel between strike group units. An 

added benefit of this program is that it allows the legal 

staff to assist Sailors aboard other ships in the strike 

group and provide legal assistance to crew members 

who do not have a permanent legal staff on board. 

“Legalmen can either provide direct legal support 

and recommended solutions or seek ‘reach-back’ 

assistance from other legal personnel at shore 

commands,” said Legalman 1st Class Erin Crusan. 

Legalmen Support Carrier Strike Group Operations

Members of the Navy JAG Corps John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSSG) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Legal Departments pose for a group photo 

on the flight deck. Pictured: Lt. Cmdr. David Lee, Legalman 1st Class (SW) Lakisha Baldwin, Chief Legalman (SW/AW) Donald Osborne, Cmdr. Shane Cooper, 

Legalman 2nd Class Giannina Gutierrez, Lt. Matthew Schultz, Legalman 1st Class (SW/AW) Erin Crusan, Legalman 3rd Class (SW/AW) Melissa Ball, Legalman 

3rd Class Kaedi Hunter and Legalman 3rd Class (AW) Gregorio Villalba. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chablis Torrence)

By the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group Legal Department 
JAG.NAVY.MIL 15

of operation,” said Cmdr. Shane 

Cooper, staff judge advocate, CSG 3. 

Before each port visit, legalmen 

research reference material needed 

to draft senior officer present afloat 

guidance, liberty policies and port 

briefs. 

Legalmen 

also have the 

responsibility 

of assisting 

the chain of 

command 

to identify 

potential 

liberty risk 

personnel 

and ensuring the member’s 

chain of command is properly 

informed of their status.

The current deployment of the 

CSG 3 included some historic 

milestones. On Dec. 18, 2011, 

an E-2C Hawkeye from Carrier 

Airborne Early Warning Squadron 

One One Two, operating from USS 

John C. Stennis, flew the final Navy 

aviation mission into Iraqi airspace, 

effectively ending naval aircraft 

support to Operation New Dawn. 

“This day was a particularly 

unique book-end experience to close 

out support to military operations 

During the work-up cycle and 

throughout the deployment, there 

has been significant reach-back 

support from shore-based legal 

personnel to keep the strike group’s 

legal readiness intact. Naval Legal 

Service Offices in San Diego, 

Bahrain and Sigonella, as well 

as Region Legal Service Office 

Southwest, Transient Personnel 

Unit San Diego, and Naval Hospital 

San Diego, have been invaluable 

resources for the CSG 3 legal team. 

Being stationed as a legalman on 

an aircraft carrier or as part of a strike 

group staff presents myriad career 

enhancing opportunities. Many use 

this time to earn enlisted surface 

warfare specialist and enlisted air 

warfare specialist qualifications. 

Additionally, legalmen can make 

a difference and have a significant 

impact, not only by providing Sailors 

with legal support on a larger scale 

but by seeking out collateral duties 

such as a Damage Control Training 

Team member, Command Career 

Counselor, Command Fitness Leader, 

Volunteer Income 

Tax Advisor and 

Command Sponsor 

Coordinator. 

There are also 

opportunities to 

serve as mentors 

for junior Sailors 

seeking guidance 

and advice. 

“One of the perks 

of an operational deployment is 

getting an opportunity to experience 

new cultures by making port calls 

around the world,” said Crusan. 

“We have had the opportunity 

to visit Malaysia, Bahrain and 

Jebel Ali, with other exciting 

ports of call still to come.” 

In addition to the chance for 

some rest and relaxation, though, 

liberty in foreign ports is approached 

as a mission with a purpose. “As 

ambassadors of the U.S., our 

legalmen help to ensure Sailors 

are educated on, and adhere to, the 

governing policies in the given area 

Being stationed as 

a legalman on an 

aircraft carrier or 

as part of a strike group 

staff presents myriad career 

enhancing opportunities.

At the time the story was written, the John C. 

Stennis Strike Group and USS John C. Stennis 

(CVN 74) legal department included: Lt. Cmdr. 

David Lee, Legalman 1st Class Lakisha Baldwin, 

Legalman Chief Donald Osborne, Cmdr. 

Shane Cooper, Legalman 2nd Class Giannina 

Gutierrez, Lt. Matthew Schultz, Legalman 

1st Class Erin Crusan, Legalman 3rd Class 

Melissa Ball, Legalman 3rd Class Kaedi Hunter 

and Legalman 3rd Class Gregorio Villalba.

in Iraq (from the sea) as four of 

the CSG 3 legal team members 

have previously served ‘boots 

on ground’ individual augmentee 

deployments to Iraq,” said Cooper.

The mission of the Navy legalmen 

ranges from direct support to 

personnel to operational support to 

deployed units and is an essential 

element of the overall effectiveness 

of the Fleet. As U.S. Carrier Strike 

Groups continue to deploy around 

the world to protect our freedom 

and support our coalition partners, 

Navy legalmen will continue to play 

an essential role in that process. 

CSG 3 is composed of USS John 

C. Stennis (CVN 74), Carrier Air 

Wing (CVW) 9 (consisting of eight 

aviation squadrons), Destroyer 

Squadron 21 (consisting of four 

destroyers), and Ticonderoga-class 

cruisers USS Antietam (CG 54) 

and USS Mobile Bay (CG 53).

 The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Kidd (DDG 100), USS Dewey (DDG 105), and USS Pinckney 

(DDG 91) are underway in the Pacific Ocean with the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group. (U.S. Navy 

photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Benjamin Crossley)
16 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) convened the first of four courts-martial at s

Boatswain’s Mate Elena Goes (striker), Senior Chief Legalman Rob Nail, Lt. Mike Han

(NIMITZ Mini Judge), Legalman 1st Class Keiana Dukes, Legalman 1st Class Michae

Two defense counsel, one government trial counsel, and a military judge stepped aboard USS Nimitz 

(CVN 68), ready to get underway from Everett, Wash., to San 

Diego, Calif., in June. This underway, however, was different. 

Lt. Patrick Korody, from Region Legal Service Office 

Northwest (RLSO NW), Lt. Mike Hanzel, and I, from 

Naval Legal Service Office Northwest (NLSO NW) 

were aboard to try four courts-martial before the military 

judge, Cmdr. Tom Booker, from the Western Judicial 

Circuit. One case involved an assault and battery, another 

involved the theft of military property, and the final two 

cases involved the wrongful use and possession of Spice.

Courts-martial are not typically held aboard a 

ship. Nimitz Command Judge Advocate Lt. Cmdr. 

Marc Brewen explained that it has been more than 

five years since the previous case was held. 

“The Navy is an expeditionary force -- we do not 

accomplish our mission moored to a pier. These trials 

emphasized the need for thorough preparation, flexibility, 

and the ability to anticipate issues,” said Booker.

“There are three levels of courts-martial; summary, 

special, and general,” explained Legalman 1st Class Michael 

Lightsey. “The four cases to be tried this week are all 

special courts-martial. A summary court-martial requires 

only one officer (can be a non-judge advocate) to serve as 

judge, prosecutor, and defense. A general court-martial, 

on the other hand, is generally reserved for what would be 

considered felony offenses. A special court-martial is often 

compared to a misdemeanor court in the civilian community. 

Regardless if it is a special or general court-martial, an 

accused will be represented by an attorney, and other judge 

advocates will serve as prosecutor and military judge.”

The ability to conduct these courts-martial at sea was 

crucial, in that the military justice system seamlessly meshed 

with the ship’s operational schedule in order to accommodate 

the ship’s operational needs without sacrificing justice. 

The Nimitz was en route to San Diego to pick up the 

air wing. From there it was headed to Hawaii for the joint 

international exercise, “Rim of the Pacific” or RIMPAC. 

Because the JAGs involved could provide the necessary legal 

services while the ship was underway, counsel had ready 

access to all the necessary witnesses without causing any 

significant disruptions to the ship’s work schedule. Sailors 

could be pulled from their work station, testify, and return to 

work rather than be left behind pier-side to testify while the 

ship took part in the exercise. Thus, the crew not involved 

in the case would not have to pick up the slack and work 

extra hours to account for their co-workers left behind. 

Everything went so smoothly that the trials were actually 

completed before the ship left San Diego for RIMPAC. 

“Holding the proceedings aboard the ship resulted 

in significant exposure of the court-martial system to 

members of the crew and promoted the twin aims of 

deterrence and preservation of good order and discipline. 

In one case, more than 30 members of the crew attended 

the proceeding,” said Korody, senior trial counsel. 

The logistics of preparing and conducting courtsmartial at sea presented new challenges to the junior 

counsel involved, but also unique opportunities. 

The professional support from the ship’s legal 

department, led by Brewen, made it all possible. 

The military justice system is very robust,” said Brewen. 

“Behind these four court-martial proceedings was a large 

production requiring the involvement of several departments 

and regional commands. The ship now literally possesses 

a floating federal courtroom. This would not have been 

possible without the tremendous support from Supply, 

Security, Combat Systems and Deck Departments. In addition 

to all the hard work from my legalmen, officers from RLSO 

Taking Justice to the Fleet 

By Lt. Eileen Joy, Naval Legal Service Office Northwest with contributions 

by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Ryan Mayes 

USS Nimitz Holds 

Courts-martial at Sea
JAG.NAVY.MIL 17

NW and NLSO NW and at the Western Judicial Circuit are 

embarked to make these courts-martial at sea possible.” 

The wardroom was also a nice change in environment 

for the shore-based attorneys and the military judge, who 

were now surrounded by various types of officers who were 

all more than willing to share their sea stories. Many of 

the officers also expressed a keen interest in the military 

justice system, having had little 

exposure to it during their career. 

Experiencing daily life aboard the 

ship was invaluable for counsel in 

preparing their cases. It enabled them 

to better understand their clients’ 

experiences, their jobs, and the 

collateral effects that offenses under 

the Uniform Code of Military Justice 

can have on the ship as a whole. 

“From the professional 

development standpoint, these 

trials afforded counsel an 

opportunity to meet their clients on their own turf and 

to investigate and try their cases in an “unhitched” 

environment. No longer were quick answers a phone 

call or keystroke away, but instead counsel had to 

use their imagination and wits to overcome any 

obstacles they may have encountered,” said Booker. 

After the first court-martial adjourned, the pace did 

anything but slow down. The next day two trials were 

docketed, one in the morning and one in the evening. 

The ship’s work schedule proved to be one of the more 

distinct changes from the regular day-to-day office life 

that most judge advocates enjoy. Although starting a trial 

at 1900 would be anything but normal in most locations, 

it fit well with the operational schedule aboard Nimitz. 

“The opportunity to do this kind of thing is important 

because it brings military justice to the fleet, which is 

a big part of our mission,” said Hanzel, senior defense 

counsel. “It also offers us the chance to interact with 

our clients and their commands within their environment 

and lets us know a little bit about what they do and what 

their life is like while deployed. 

Whether you are a trial counsel, 

defense counsel, or a military judge, 

that kind of experience helps you 

to better understand your cases, 

the people involved in them, and 

the impact on their mission.” 

“It was unique to practice in 

front of a packed house in every 

trial, where the audience was 

not made up primarily of legal 

personnel. It created an atmosphere 

that proved educational to both 

sides. The unexpected benefit was that the Sailors 

watching had the opportunity to experience the military 

justice system first-hand in a way that most never see 

unless they are in trouble themselves,” said Hanzel. 

The overall experience made a huge impact on all of the 

counsel involved, and especially me, as my first three courtmartial cases as a defense counsel were conducted during 

a two-day underway span aboard USS Nimitz. The ability 

of RLSO and NLSO Northwest and the military judge 

to collectively provide military justice support to USS 

Nimitz, and to enable ship’s company to see the military 

justice system first-hand, allowed everyone involved to 

fully appreciate the impact of taking justice to the fleet.

sea June 12. Courts-martial are not typically held on board a ship. The legal team and the judge stood for a photo after the court-martial. From left to right: Aviation 

nzel, Lt. Eileen Joy, Lt. Patrick Korody, Cmdr. Lewis T. Booker, Jr. (military judge), Lt. Cmdr. Marc Brewen (NIMITZ Command Judge Advocate), Lt. Adrienne Sadosky 

el Lightsey, and Legalman 3rd Class Pahl Sayesky. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Ryan Mayes)

I

t was unique to practice 

in front of a packed 

house in every trial, 

where the audience was 

not made up primarily of 

legal personnel. It created 

an atmosphere that proved 

educational to both sides.
18 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

“MET?”

“I recommend Go, Sir.”

“N2?”

“I recommend Go.”

“OPS?”

“I recommend a Go, Sir.”

“LEGAD?”...

As the chief of staff worked his way around our small 

group, I waited my turn to give my recommendation of 

either “go” or “no go” for the planned mission of landing 

the French marines on the shores of Caledonia.

Recommending a “go” would commence in less than 

24 hours, the anticipated amphibious operation to engage 

and destroy the terrorist forces on Caledonian shores. 

Recommending a “no go” would mean scratching the 

mission and returning to the planning room. This was just 

one of the many difficult decisions I faced while acting as 

the sole legal advisor for the Combined Task Group (CTG) 

and its supporting forces during Joint Warrior 11-2.

Joint Warrior is a biannual military exercise in which the 

U.S. Navy has the opportunity to train and work alongside 

naval personnel from its NATO allies. The scenario, created by 

the Joint Training Exercise Planning Staff, started as a territorial 

dispute between two rival nations–Caledonia and Dragonia–

that escalated in hostilities at sea, in the air, and on land. 

Led by Commander, United Kingdom Task Group 

(COUKTG), the CTG included the crew of HMS Bulwark 

(L15)–the Royal Navy’s newest amphibious assault, 

command and control ship; Commander, Landing Force 

(the French marines); British and Danish frigates and 

destroyers; two submarines; and USS Arleigh Burke (DDG51). Thirteen nations participated in the two-week exercise 

in the North Atlantic along the shores of Scotland. The 

multi-combat training evolutions and warfare exercises 

included anti-submarine exercises, live fire exercises, 

boardings, and amphibious landing operations.

My role was to serve as the legal advisor for the CTG, who 

commanded the multinational joint task force sent to serve 

as a peacekeeper between the two nations, a protector of the 

international shipping lanes, and a counterforce to piracy 

and smuggling. I devoted a significant amount of time to 

reviewing rules of engagement and providing implementation 

guidance to the commanding officer and the battle staff. I also 

provided direct support to the CTG’s battle staff on matters 

of international maritime law and law of armed conflict. 

The most challenging legal matter was employing NATO 

rules of engagement in coordination with the different British, 

French, and American interpretations of “hostile act” and 

“hostile intent” and their applications of self-defense. This 

was not a problem of a language barrier among the forces, 

but rather it was a challenge in working through the different 

nations’ philosophical differences in the application of 

rules of engagement to the particular operation. I quickly 

perceived how small differences in interpretations and in 

definitions of terms can impact operations at multiple levels, 

including at the tactical level. Working with the operational 

staff planners provided me the unique opportunity to learn 

firsthand the developing and planning stages of a mission. 

In return, this insight and close involvement assisted me 

in incorporating the necessary rules of engagement for 

successful mission accomplishment during the exercise.

Although the battle rhythm on the HMS Bulwark remained 

fairly consistent for most of the ship’s crew, it changed 

From the Well to the Helm in Six Weeks

By Lt. Carina Podgorski,

Region Legal Service Office Southeast

One judge advocate’s 

account of her participation 

in the Joint Warrior Exercise
JAG.NAVY.MIL 19

board HMS Bulwark at the beginning of the exercise, and 

then airlifted off at the end by the largest helicopter I have 

ever seen-- a HTUFT, which stands for “helicopter taken 

up from trade. I watched the French Marines and Royal 

Marines train on the flood deck for their amphibious operation 

while I did “phys” (British shorthand for PT) on the open 

deck above. I hitched a ride on one of the Landing Craft 

Utilities (LCUs) and caught the sun rise as we maneuvered 

out of the HMS Bulwark’s flood deck, across the flat water 

of Loch Eriboll towards shore to drop off an amphibious 

tank nicknamed “the beast.” With so many French Marines 

around, it was easy to brush up on my French, mainly 

“Bonjour” and “enchanté.” Regretfully, I did not have the 

opportunity to greet any Turkish officers with “Merhaba.” 

Any remaining free time was spent either on the 

bridge watching the seas or in the briefing room 

chatting with other British officers on the differences 

in ship life on board British and American vessels. 

Although the crews 

of both HMS Bulwark 

and USS Arleigh Burke 

were equally amiable 

and hospitable, there was 

quite a contrast in dayto-day living between 

the American destroyer 

and the new British 

flagship. HMS Bulwark’s 

spacious passageways 

and ladderwells, roomy 

staterooms, luxurious 

wardroom with adjoining lounge and bar area, and daily 

tea or coffee and biscuits at 1000 and 1600 offered a 

completely different underway experience than my prior 

adventures on USS Arleigh Burke and on a frigate.

Having returned to solid land, sunny Florida, and to my 

normal routine as a trial counsel, I still marvel at all the 

accomplishments and experiences from Joint Warrior. I am 

currently trying to implement the “go/no go” methodology 

with my co-counsels when determining the prosecutorial 

merit of cases that our office receives. The transition 

from the well of the courtroom to the operational setting 

of Joint Warrior was not as difficult as I had expected. 

Instead of applying MREs (this time, military rules of 

evidence), I was applying ROEs; instead of arguing my 

interpretation of a case’s holding before a military judge, 

I was briefing the commanding officer of a multinational 

force task group on the NATO meanings of hostile intent 

and hostile act; and instead of reviewing rules for courts 

martial, I was interpreting or deciphering fragmentary 

orders (FRAGOs) and operation plans (OPLANs). 

To all judge advocates who have the opportunity 

to participate in an exercise like this, my 

recommendation is the same as my reply to the chief 

of staff in the briefing room, “I recommend GO!”

daily for me and the rest of the battle staff as the exercise 

progressed. The Joint Warrior exercise planners quickly 

eroded the fragile relations among the two nations and the 

multinational force, escalating tensions by injecting acts 

of piracy, weapons smuggling, and terrorist acts into the 

scenario. As these incidents occurred, rules of engagement 

requests for warning shots, disabling fire, and boardings 

arrived at a faster pace from our subordinate ships and required 

a faster response time. I was constantly called upon at all 

times of the day and night to brief the commanding officer 

and the battle staff, to monitor “signals” (British term for 

messages) from our ships for rules of engagement requests, 

and to draft my own signals to send out to the fleet. 

One of the most memorable experiences of Joint Warrior 

occurred on the last day of the exercise. On the previous day, 

one of our ships was fired upon by a Dragonian submarine. I 

was called out of my rack at 0400 to meet with the chief of 

staff and the rest of the battle staff. I pulled on my coveralls 

and hustled to the Combat 

Information Center where 

the chief of staff and 

other staff members were 

assembled. The chief of 

staff quickly relayed that 

due to the prior attack, 

the captain wanted to 

engage three Dragonian 

vessels that appeared to be 

maneuvering into targeting 

positions near one of our 

ships. Fortunately for me 

and the rest of the battle staff, the chief of staff recognized 

our foggy state of mind and suggested we reassemble in the 

wardroom lounge for tea and to discuss our options before 

the formal “go/no go” battle brief to the captain. Just as 

calm and collected as if we were sitting down for the daily 

1600 tea and biscuits, the chief of staff asked that infamous 

question posed to judge advocates in the operational law 

arena, “JAG, can we shoot?” In that moment, I knew 

that I was truly out of the courtroom and in the fleet. 

During the six weeks at sea, I was given the opportunity 

to experience, to observe, and to participate in a variety 

of underway activities. I stood watch with the DESRON 

26 staff, monitoring and responding to messages from 

Sixth Fleet and Second Fleet. I observed replenishment 

at sea (RAS); visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) 

training; and mock boardings. I learned about combat 

operation systems and charting ship movement. 

The DESRON 26 staff was particularly helpful in teaching 

me new operational acronyms and ship vocabulary, such as 

FIAC, CCOI, and PIM. I enjoyed a warm, spicy MRE (meal 

ready to eat and not military rules of evidence) and modeled 

the ship’s “battle dress” (British term for flash gear) for a 

day. I watched in awe as USS Arleigh Burke fired rounds 

into the cliffs of Cape Wrath. I was deferentially piped on 

J

ust as calm and collected as if we were 

sitting down for the daily 1600 tea and 

biscuits, the chief of staff asked that 

infamous question posed to judge advocates in 

the operational law arena, “JAG, can we shoot?” 
20 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

DIILS at 20 Years - Advancing 

the Rule of Law Worldwide 

It’s 0700 on a steamy Monday, and the sun is rising above Lake 

Kivu in eastern Congo. Fishermen in 

dugout canoes ply the lake’s waters in 

pursuit of the first catch of the day. The 

merchants of Bukavu, the capital of the 

picturesque South Kivu province, ready 

their wares to be sold on the streets of 

the city center. A team of U.S. Navy 

judge advocates assembles their gear 

for another day with the Congolese 

Army. Before the week is through, 

this team will train over 60 line officers 

and magistrates of the Armed Forces 

of the Democratic Republic of the 

Congo (FARDC) in the rule of law.

They are a mobile training team 

dispatched by the Defense Institute 

of International Legal Studies 

(DIILS). Formed as an offshoot of the 

Naval Justice School (NJS) in 1992, 

DIILS has become a joint activity of 

the Defense Security Cooperation 

Agency. What started two decades 

ago with a single officer working 

out of one office in the NJS building 

is now a 30-member command 

occupying its own facility onboard 

Naval Station Newport, operating 

under a multi-million dollar budget.

At the helm of DIILS during its first 

days was then-Cmdr. Rob Kasper, now 

a retired captain, who took a leave of 

absence from his civilian law practice 

to spearhead the initiative. “Congress 

was looking for a way to condition 

military aid to foreign countries on 

law of armed conflict and human 

rights training,” recalls Kasper. The 

Department of the Navy was up to 

the task, and NJS took the lead.

Mr. Bill Aseltine, who joined DIILS 

near the time of its inception, remembers 

the early years of the organization. Then 

serving on active duty, Aseltine recalls, 

“as an NJS instructor, I became the first 

‘International Operations Officer’ for 

what was then the International Training 

Department of NJS. Since the beginning, 

DIILS focused on knowing our audience. 

We have always followed a three-phased 

approach of assessment, planning, and 

seminar execution.” After leaving active 

duty, Aseltine became the director of 

DIILS’ resident course programs, and has 

served in that role for the last 15 years.

Although it has come into its own as 

a command, DIILS consists of a small 

but capable staff. Each military service 

is represented by one International 

Operations Officer, with the exception 

of the Navy, which has two officers. 

The director is an O-6; a billet that 

rotates among the services. The deputy 

director is always a Navy commander. 

Civilians and contract personnel 

complete the staff, including the special 

assistant for plans, regional program 

directors, resident program personnel, 

curriculum developers, program 

assistants, training specialists, and 

finance and management technicians.

DIILS could not carry out nearly 150 

mobile programs per year relying solely 

on its permanent staff. The Institute 

prides itself on tailoring each team for 

the mission at hand and relies heavily 

on activated reservists and a pool of 

over 700 adjunct instructors. A typical 

mobile training team consists of just one 

DIILS staff member and two to four 

adjuncts. Active-duty officers from the 

service JAG schools and the combatant 

command staff judge advocate offices are 

frequent adjuncts, along with a diverse 

community of reservists, including 

U.S. and state government civilian 

attorneys, judges, criminal investigators, 

inspectors general, and subject matter 

experts from many other communities.

DIILS’ funding is as diverse as its 

programs. From its inception, DIILS 

has enjoyed excellent support from the 

International Military Education and 

Training program and has progressively 

accepted other funding as it expanded its 

legal curriculum in response to evolving 

priorities. These include combating 

terrorism, enhancing the capabilities 

of NATO Partners for Peace, and 

supporting United Nations peacekeeping 

operations in the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo (DRC) and the Sudan. 

In 2008, the Office of the Secretary 

of Defense (OSD) tasked DIILS 

to develop curriculum and deliver 

the human rights and international 

humanitarian law training that is 

required for foreign military units 

By Lt. Stephen Rosenlund, International 

Operations Officer, Defense Institute 

of International Legal Studies
JAG.NAVY.MIL 21

receiving U.S. military assistance under 

the Global Train and Equip Law. 

In 2010, OSD allocated operation and 

maintenance funds to the Institute. These 

funds allowed for a strategic leap in an 

organization that had been accustomed to 

responding to requests for legal engagement from embassies and combatant 

commands. DIILS hired a civilian planner to oversee the finance department 

and develop its own focused annual program objectives. These developments 

brought sustained and flexible programming to support strategic priorities while 

adjusting to evolving circumstances.

DIILS is the epitome of a lowdensity, high-impact resource—a small 

organization with a global footprint. 

Notwithstanding its modest resources, 

DIILS has trained over 37,000 personnel 

from 118 countries through its mobile 

programs since 1992. In fiscal year 2011 

alone, DIILS conducted 130 mobile 

programs in 54 countries, reaching some 

3,755 personnel. In addition, DIILS 

runs nine annual resident courses in 

Newport, which have trained over 1,380 

participants from 131 countries. By any 

measure, DIILS is a dynamic, highly 

productive, and expeditionary unit.

The resident course programs are 

DIILS’ showcase. These courses address 

the international law of military operations, military law development, legal 

aspects of combating corruption and terrorism, rules of engagement, and rules 

for the use of force in stability operations. Courses vary from two to eleven 

weeks in length, and participants come 

from many countries. After spending time in Newport and on field study 

programs—a combination of educational and cultural activities in Boston, 

New York City, or Washington, D.C. 

Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) instructors presenting a class on Operational Law to the Armed Forces of Liberia, July 2011.

DIILS continued on page 22
22 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

DIILS continued from page 21

— participants often leave with an improved appreciation for 

the United States as well as a coveted DIILS certificate. A 

recent addition to the resident program is a three-week course 

designed to introduce legal advisors and operational leaders to 

the principles of the law of armed conflict and human rights.

DIILS has developed into a lead defense security 

cooperation resource for professional legal education, 

training, and democratic rule of law programs for international 

military and related civilian audiences worldwide. From 

humble beginnings, DIILS now enters its third decade as a 

key component of U.S. security cooperation and diplomacy. 

The Institute remains true to its motto “Justice for the Whole 

World” and continues to engage in a strategic dialogue with 

U.S. stakeholders and foreign partners to ensure it consistently 

delivers the highest quality legal training and education.

DIILS instructors are increasingly leaving behind their 

PowerPoint slides in favor of interactive methodologies and 

technologies, such as web-based exercises and audience 

response systems. In addition, the Institute’s curriculum 

library is not “one-size fits all.” Rather, it is designed in 

modules that can be assembled in many combinations to 

accomplish the objectives of each particular mission.

DIILS’ work has always been driven by real-world, realtime events. Its very first mission (in New Guinea) occurred 

in the midst of the Tailhook scandal, and Kasper recalls 

the vigorous class discussions generated in response to 

daily headlines. Since the beginning, “DIILS courses have 

emphasized best practices and a shared desire to make the 

world a better place for our grandchildren,” said Kasper. 

Today’s class discussions often involve the lessons learned 

from global contingency operations and detention issues.

Back in Bukavu, the beautiful surroundings stand in stark 

contrast to the ongoing and tragic history of violence in the 

area. The region, and the country at large, have been wracked 

by over a decade of war, which has claimed the lives of 5.5 

million people — more than any conflict since World War II. 

The prevalence of sexualand gender-based violence 

(SGBV) as a weapon of 

warfare has earned the 

DRC its ugly moniker, the 

“rape capital of the world.” 

The victims of SGBV in 

the DRC are believed to 

number in the millions, 

with nearly one person 

victimized per minute.

With a peacekeeping 

operations grant from 

the Department of State, 

DIILS is helping to 

roll back this cycle of 

violence. Since 2007, 

DIILS teams such as the 

one in Bukavu have trained thousands of FARDC personnel 

in every region of the country on the rule of law, international 

criminal law, and anti-corruption. The law of command 

responsibility, which DIILS presents at every class in the 

DRC, is finally starting to take root. For the first time, the 

FARDC recently prosecuted a group of senior officers in 

a military court for the crime of rebellion. The military 

magistrates who chaired the court and formed the prosecution 

team in the case were graduates of DIILS programs.

Looking to the future, DIILS Director Capt. Rob Sanders 

wants to see the organization replicate those results in other 

parts of the world. Sanders is well-placed to lead DIILS 

into its third decade, having served as an adjunct instructor 

on numerous mobile programs over a ten-year period 

prior to his assignment as the organization’s director. 

Sanders recalls, “One day I flew into the rising sun over 

the Pacific Ocean on a Japanese airline — the same Pacific 

in which my father once served in combat against Japanese 

troops. I was leaving a Pacific Command legal operations 

meeting of over 100 military and civilian members of our 

partner nations and our peer competitor, China, where we 

discussed how to address the region’s 2012 legal challenges.” 

Building partnership capacity to advance the rule of law 

is as much a necessity of 21st Century security cooperation 

as our historical alliances to fight conventional wars.

On a personal level, serving as a judge advocate with 

DIILS is as rewarding as it is challenging. The challenges 

include the physical toll of a life spent mostly on the road, 

often in some of the world’s most austere environments; the 

frustrations of navigating complex bureaucracies; the need to 

master both academic and operational skills; and having to 

perpetually balance between planning the next mission while 

executing the present one. But the rewards of this work are 

perhaps without equal in a judge advocate’s career — sharing 

the law with those who yearn for its rule; forging friendships 

across the globe; unparalleled cultural enrichment; and the 

fulfillment of building a better world for future generations.

Those who have served 

with DIILS over the last 

20 years have changed 

the world in a profound 

way. But the work of this 

organization has only just 

begun. Many more judge 

advocates are destined 

to blaze trails around 

the world, on a mission 

unique in the DoD and 

the service JAG Corps 

organizations. They will 

bear with them one of 

the most powerful tools 

in our military arsenal — 

support for the rule of law.

Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) instructors with members 

of the Czech Helicopter Squadron at the conclusion of a Human Rights and 

International Humanitarian Law seminar, January 2012.
JAG.NAVY.MIL 23

most military strategies, fully integrated into operational plans 

and missions. 

Capt. Stu Belt, Director of OJAG's International and 

Operational law Division, described his recent experience 

as the Fleet Judge Advocate for Commander, U.S. Pacific 

Fleet: "For all of our high end war plans in the Pacific, cyber 

capabilities were always a critical part of the planning process. 

It became more clear during my tour that I needed operational 

law JAGs who could not only provide legal advice in the 

more traditional areas of air and sea operations, but who could 

also identify the salient issues related to cyber targeting and 

authorities in any given operation." But what are those issues?

The Body of Law

The starting point is the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC). 

Though there are no international treaties or agreements 

directly on point that regulate military operations in cyber 

space, in 2011 the U.S. identified its legal position in its 

“International Strategy for Cyberspace.” Specifically, 

How to legally conduct military operations in cyber space has proven to be an enormous challenge. 

Even the most fundamental issue of law - what body of law 

applies to cyber space operations – has been debated. Despite 

the ongoing dialogue among legal scholars and policy makers 

on the applicable legal structure to apply, cyber threats to U.S. 

national security or interests continue to mount. The threats 

are so pervasive, insidious, and full of complex nuances 

that the nation’s long-term health and welfare sometimes 

requires immediate actions despite the murky water that is 

cyber law and policy. It is in this perplexing, unresolved, and 

increasingly crucial operational environment that a Navy judge 

advocate must operate. 

In today’s operational environment, cyber operations are 

seldom stand alone operations from traditional air, land, and sea 

operations. Cyber operations have become mainstream parts of 

Cyber Law: Challenges, Law, and Billets

By Cmdr. Doug Velvel,

Intelligence Operations & Cyber Law Division (Code 18)

Sailors assigned to Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) monitor, analyze, detect and respond to unauthorized activity within U.S. Navy 

information systems and computer networks. NCDOC is responsible for around the clock protection of the Navy’s computer networks, with more than 

700,000 users worldwide. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua J. Wahl)

Cyber continued on page 24
24 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

action is being executed via a server 

in a third state, putting that state’s 

sovereignty at issue, or.... while selfdefense is always available against 

an armed attack, what constitutes an 

armed attack in cyber space? In his 

recent speech, Mr. Koh provided the 

U.S. position that “cyber activities 

that proximately result in death, 

injury, or significant destruction would likely be viewed 

as a use of force” equating to an armed attack. The level 

of destruction required to be a “use of force” or “armed 

attack” is still a matter of active debate. 

Cyber Law Opportunities

An oft-asked question is "how do I get into cyber law?" 

The answer is simple - pursue whatever operational law 

billet is available.

Within the Navy, the only dedicated operational cyber 

billets are at Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet. Navy 

billets in joint commands/offices that are cyber-specific 

in nature include CYBERCOM, the National Security 

Agency and the office of the DoD Deputy General Counsel 

(Intelligence). The work done by Navy judge advocates at 

each of these commands/offices is highly classified, meaning 

little can be discussed here. But the judge advocates at these 

commands are at the cutting edge of our national defense, 

supporting operations with some of the most exciting and 

sophisticated national security legal work in the military. 

But as exemplified by Belt’s experience, any operational 

command, whether joint like a Combatant Command or 

service-specific like Pacific Fleet, either has or will soon have 

a significant cyber operational element. The judge advocate 

who is prepared to handle the spectrum of operational legal 

issues will be the one to whom the commander turns.

the U.S. stated that “[t]he 

development of norms for state 

conduct in cyberspace does 

not require a reinvention of 

customary international law, 

nor does it render existing 

international norms obsolete. 

Long-standing international 

norms guiding state behavior—in times of peace and 

conflict—also apply in cyberspace. Nonetheless, unique 

attributes of networked technology require additional 

work to clarify how these norms apply and what additional 

understandings might be necessary to supplement them.” 

While this U.S. position may be a beginning point in 

the creation of customary international law recognizing the 

application of the LOAC to military operations in cyber 

space, the custom and practice of States is still developing. 

In a September 2012 speech, the State Department Legal 

Advisor, Mr. Harold Koh, reiterated that “the United States 

has made clear our view that established principles of 

international law do apply in cyberspace....in the context 

of an armed conflict, the law of armed conflict applies to 

regulate the use of cyber tools in hostilities, just as it does 

other tools....” He further stated that the “unique attributes 

of networked technology require additional work to clarify 

how these norms apply.”

A Horde of Uncertain Legal Issues

The challenge, of course, lies in addressing the 

“unique attributes.” Most of the legal challenges of cyber 

operations are linked to the application of the LOAC. 

Examples include, inter alia: How can one comply with 

the core LOAC requirement of distinction if cyber effects 

cannot be sufficiently attributed, or....perhaps the cyber 

Cyber operations have 

become mainstream 

parts of most military 

strategies, fully integrated into 

operational plans and missions. 

Cyber continued from page 23
Alumni

JAG.NAVY.MIL 25

Rear Adm. (ret.) Hank Molinengo

David Hayes retired in 2010 and currently works as department 

counsel for the Defense Office of 

Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), the 

largest component of the Defense 

Legal Services Agency. 

At DOHA, Hayes gets involved 

with the litigation and documentation 

for all phases of the security clearance 

review process when a military 

member or contractor has possible security concerns that 

may affect his or her clearance.

“My more than 26 years of experience provided excellent 

background to effectively address day-to-day issues on my 

desk. Litigation, knowledge of the military and other federal 

agencies, people skills, and the requisite security clearances 

are very beneficial to my position,” said Hayes.

Hayes joined the JAG Corps in 1984 while at Suffolk 

University Law School. He met two classmates, Marc 

Laverdiere and Orlando Ruiz-Roque, who were already 

commissioned. They “were tremendous influences” along 

Capt. (ret.) David Hayes with professors Tony Devicco and Tom McMahon, both 

retired Navy JAG Corps captains.

Hayes had many rewarding experiences in the JAG Corps, 

but his tour during Desert Shield/Desert Storm at CruiserDestroyer Group Eight was one of the most rewarding. 

“The legal work involved every aspect of the JAG Corps 

practice plus I had over 40 ships and 10 squadrons in my 

legal portfolio. I still get together with the guys from that 

staff every three months rain or shine,” said Hayes. 

Hayes continues to mentor active-duty judge advocates. “I 

believe your obligation to lead and mentor never goes away,” 

said Hayes. “I have kept in contact with many people, and 

it’s not unusual to get a call out of the blue from someone 

seeking advice or just to talk through a legal issue or personal 

matter. I have always left an open door for everyone and am 

happy to help anyway I can.”

His advice for junior JAG Corps officers? “Jump in 

with both feet and take advantage of every opportunity and 

adventure. Don’t play it safe as there always enough time to 

do the ‘safe’ things later.”

Hayes was born into a Navy family and calls Worcester, 

Mass., his hometown. He earned his law degree from 

Suffolk University Law School, and his LL.M. from 

Georgetown University Law Center. 

academics to become a successful judge 

advocate. Motivation is a strong factor. 

“I wanted to serve my country. I 

wanted to do something more with my life 

than try to get a job at a law firm,” said 

Molinengo. “I was not a good law student. 

I was 94th out 165 at Catholic University 

with a C+ average. I was lucky enough to be accepted.” 

While in the JAG Corps, Molinengo knew that monetary 

issues could prevent law school students from seeking out 

the JAG Corps. One of his proudest accomplishments 

was when he worked on JAG Corps continuation pay in 

September 1999. This allowed judge advocates to pay 

off some of the debt they incurred during law school. 

Molinengo was born in Washington, D.C., and 

graduated from St. John’s College High School in 

1974. He commissioned in the U.S. Navy under the 

JAG Corps Student Program in 1980. A graduate of 

both Catholic University and Catholic University Law 

School, he was awarded an LL.M. in Military Law 

(subspecialty Criminal Law) from The Judge Advocate 

General’s Legal Center and School in 1992.

Spotlight On

Since 2009, Hank Molinengo has worked as the Associate Dean for Administrative Affairs with 

The George Washington University Law School. He 

is responsible for the day-to-day operations involving 

planning, budget, facilities, academic integrity, 

communications, alumni, IT, and career development.

“I’m responsible for all non-academic programs 

at the law school, either as a supervisor or in 

providing services for them,” said Molinengo.

At the time of his retirement, he was the assistant 

judge advocate general (AJAG) of the Navy for 

operations and management. Among other things, 

he supervised operations at the Naval Justice School 

and executed recruiting, retention, work-life balance, 

and other initiatives for the Navy JAG Corps. 

“As the AJAG, I was able to help a lot of people. I 

tried to help Sailors and judge advocates, and I tried 

to make the JAG Corps better,” said Molinengo. 

The best part of his current job is a continuation of 

what he found in the JAG Corps -- a focus on and the 

ability to mentor those just starting a law career. 

As he tells his students now, it takes more than just 
JAG Corps 2020.1

26 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012

As the leaves start to turn their brilliant shades of color this fall season, the Special Assistant 

for Strategic Planning (SASP) team is hard at work 

supporting the development of JAG Guidance 2013, the 

JAG’s annual guidance implementing the vision found 

in Navy JAG Corps 2020.1. This year, we are utilizing 

virtual collaboration to assist in the development of 

JAG Guidance 2013. As we prepared to conduct virtual 

collaboration, we learned of resources and tools already 

available to the Navy military legal community. We are 

sharing that information so 

that you can consider how 

you might be able to utilize 

those resources for your 

daily practice.

In years past, the initial 

drafting for the annual JAG 

Guidance was by the office 

of the Special Assistant 

for Transformation (SAT). 

The Assistant Judge 

Advocates General of the 

Navy then provided their 

views, consulting with a 

wide range of stakeholders. 

The Judge Advocate 

General approved the 

final Guidance. This year, 

the JAG has appointed 

a Strategic Planning 

Virtual Collaboration

Working Group (SPWG), made up of 34 members of 

the JAG Corps Community. They have been tasked 

with drafting the strategies for implementation in 2013. 

They met for a two-day meeting at the Washington 

Navy Yard, and they continue their collaboration in the 

virtual workspace, primarily through the use of milBook. 

milBook is one functional area of milSuite, a DoD-funded 

program developed and funded specifically to enable 

online collaboration by organizations. milBook operates 

similarly to Facebook, and is accessible by persons with 

a CAC card. We have 

established a limited access 

SPWG group on milBook. 

Within this collaboration 

space, SPWG members 

will be able to post ideas, 

start discussions, comment 

on other posted material, 

access all shared reference 

material, and even host realtime virtual conferences... 

all within a CAC-protected 

environment that requires 

no password each time it is 

accessed. 

How did we find 

milBook? We owe a debt 

of gratitude to Capt. (ret.)

Steve Barney, the former 

Naval Legal Service 

SASP Style

Special Assistant for Strategic Planning (SASP) Staff

Capt. Antolin-Jenkins: 

DSN 325-7701/

vida.antolin-jenkins@navy.mil

Cmdr. Tracy Clark: 

DSN 325-7255/

tracy.l.clark1@navy.mil

Cmdr. Lisa Becoat: 

DSN 325-5462/

lisa.becoat@navy.mil 

Lt. Cmdr. Brent Troyan: 

DSN 325-5185/

brent.troyan@navy.mil

Lt. Robin Crabtree: 

DSN 325-5283/

robin.crabtree@navy.mil 

milBook has made it easy for Region Legal Service Office Southeast 

command members to share information in an environment that does not 

allow for a single command shared drive.
JAG Corps 2020.1

JAG.NAVY.MIL 27

Command Inspector General. 

On his return from the Article 6 

inspection of Regional Legal Service 

Office Southeast (RLSO SE), he 

came to SASP to ask us if we were 

aware of RLSO SE’s utilization of 

milBook. We immediately reached 

out to Capt. Richard Giroux, the 

commanding officer of RLSO SE 

to find out more. We discovered 

RLSO SE has a robust presence on 

milBook, using it for everything 

from SJA meeting notes and MilJus 

tracking to collateral duty folders. 

Given their geographic dispersion, 

milBook made it easy for command 

members to share information in 

an environment that does not allow 

for a single command shared drive. 

We have also learned that the newlyappointed professional development officers have formed 

their own milBook group to share best practices– essential 

for start-up positions that will literally impact every JAG 

Corps accession in the next two years. 

In further preparation for JAG Guidance planning, 

SASP met with the Army JAG Corps Knowledge 

Management team to discuss their current use of milBook. 

The Army JAG Corps Knowledge Management Office was 

established just a year ago, and we went to harvest some of 

their experience and insight. We discovered that they have 

established communities of practice on milBook, covering 

broad legal practice areas, e.g., administrative law, legal 

assistance, and international and operational law. 

•	 Admin Law: https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/

jagconnect-army-administrative-law 

•	 Claims: https://www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/

jagconnect-army-claims 

•	 Criminal Law: https://www.milsuite.mil/book/

groups/jagconnect-army-criminal-law 

•	 Environmental Law: https://www.milsuite.mil/

book/groups/army-environmental-law-community-ofpractice

•	 International and Operational 

Law: https://www.milsuite.mil/book/

groups/international-and-operationallaw 

•	 Labor and Employment: https://

www.milsuite.mil/book/groups/

jagconnect-labor-and-employmentlaw 

•	 Law Office Leadership and

Management: https://www.milsuite.

mil/book/groups/jagconnect-armylom 

•	 Legal Assistance: https://www.

milsuite.mil/book/groups/army-legalassistance 

The communities of practice 

are open to all legal practitioners 

in DoD, and they welcome Navy 

practitioners with open arms. To 

participate in the community of 

practice, you need only to visit the URL below, sign up 

for a milBook account when prompted, and then request 

access to each group you would like to peruse. You have 

the option of having notifications about group activity 

sent directly to your email inbox, which enables you to 

maintain situational awareness of ongoing discussions 

without logging into milBook as part of your work 

routine, but also alerting you to discussions that are 

pertinent to your work or to which you feel you can 

contribute. 

As a DoD-funded initiative, milBook is free for you 

and your command to use. milBook is only one portion 

of milSuite, which includes milBlog, milWiki, milTube, 

and Eureka, so there are many best practices to be 

learned. An important limitation to note is that milSuite 

is not approved for personally identifiable information. 

If you have any questions about milBook or its potential 

uses, please feel free to contact any member of the SASP 

team.
28 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012

Book Review

Book by Patrick Lencioni

Book review provided by Lt. Cmdr. Jeanine Womble, International Law (Code 10)

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: 

A Leadership Fable

I

n a recent interview with the Miami 

Heat’s Three Kings (LeBron 

James, Dwayne Wade and Chris 

Bosh) the basketball superstars 

made it clear that the secret to 

their success in capturing the 

NBA national championship was 

embracing an approach similar to 

the one Lencioni explains in this 

book The Five Dysfunctions of a 

Team: A Leadership Fable. The 

three men agreed that the difference 

between their 2011 failure to win 

the championship and victory was 

putting aside their need to be the 

star, being open to each other’s 

critiques and putting the good 

of the team above their personal 

glory. This is Lencioni’s model 

in a nutshell: simple, easy to 

understand, intuitively correct and 

enormously difficult to implement. 

The concept of being a “good 

team player” is so ingrained in our 

work culture, that it has become 

cliché. Why then, are truly 

functional teams so hard to find? 

The author’s thesis is that to be 

an effective team, team members 

need to overcome natural traits of 

self-protection, ego, and aversion 

to conflict with peers. Lencioni 

believes that only teams that 

embrace these traits and create an 

environment in which individuals can 

overcome their natural tendencies 

will maximize their effectiveness. 

Like the Three Kings, members 

of an effective management team 

must put aside their egos, make 

themselves vulnerable to criticism, 

overcome the discomfort of 

confronting a peer’s failure and 

commit wholly to a shared goal.

Having been written a decade 

before the Miami Heat’s 2012 run 

for the National Championship 

(and to make it more palatable to 

a business audience), Lencioni 

illustrates his theory through a 

fictional leadership fable. The book 

begins as Kathryn Petersen, an 

experienced executive, takes over as 

CEO of an underachieving Silicon 

Valley technology start-up. The 

company seemingly has all of the 

right components for success, a 

great product, plenty of capital and 

a talented leadership team, and yet 

is falling behind its competitors. 

The CEO quickly realizes that 

the company’s progress has been 

hampered by ineffective teamwork. 

The book uses the CEO’s efforts 

to reform her team to introduce the 

reader to the five dysfunctions. 

The fable is an effective device for 

demonstrating the author’s approach 

to teamwork. As we are introduced 

to the author’s theories, we are 

also witness to the team members’ 

reactions and over-reactions, their 

resistance to change and the methods 

the new CEO uses to address these. 

The use of the fable as a teaching 

tool is the most effective element 

The concept of 

being a “good 

team player” is 

so ingrained in 

our work culture, that it 

has become cliché. Why 

then, are truly functional 

teams so hard to find? 

of the book. I 

immediately and 

painfully empathized 

with the characters and recognized the 

dynamics present within this team.

As cliché as it sounds, the 

solution, whether it be basketball 

or business, begins with trust. 

Admitting that “trust” is one of the 

most overused words in English 

language, Lencioni demonstrates 

that his definition differs from 

conventional usage. Instead of trust 

as predictability (e.g., I know I can 

assign you a task and you will do 

it well and on time because you 

have demonstrated that capacity 

before), he advocates for teams to 

create a deeper trust. In the author’s 

vision, team members believe that 

their peers have good intentions 

and that each team member has 

placed the good of the team before 

their own personal success. With 

this foundation, the members can 

abandon their need to be guarded or 

dishonest with each other. While this 

type of statement is easy to dismiss 

as touchy-feely babble, isn’t that 

what the Three Kings had to do in 

Miami? They each had to believe 

that when the other critiqued their 

play or failed to pass the ball that 

it was for the good of team not an 

individual’s personal good. Had 

any one of them not made that leap 

of faith, ego would have gotten 

in the way of victory. Likewise, 

as simple as the notion seems, 

Lencioni’s scenario illustrates that 

it is just as hard to develop that 

trust in a professional setting. 

Lencioni’s book falls a little 

short when it comes to tips on real-
Civilians

JAG.NAVY.MIL 29

Read any great books 

lately? Submit your 

book review to 

natalie.morehouse@navy.mil.

world application. While the fable 

itself demonstrates a way to put the 

author’s theory into action, and the 

last chapter discusses each dysfunction 

in more detail outside the context 

of the fable, I was left with more 

questions than answers. A team that 

implemented Lancioni’s principles 

would be undeniably effective. But, 

the teams that are most likely to buy-in 

to his approach are the ones facing the 

direst consequences for the failure to 

do so. In the fable, the company’s 

very survival is at stake. Likewise, 

in military units where the failure to 

trust, engage in constructive conflict, 

and hold each other accountable can 

result in not only mission failure 

but death, a teamwork model closer 

to Lencioni’s is often evident. 

In naval aviation, by necessity 

a flight crew must trust each other, 

engage in constructive conflict, 

and hold each other accountable 

for individual failures. The flight 

crew’s goal is not only achievement 

of a mission objective but a safe 

return to the ship. In a headquarters 

setting, where nothing so grim as 

death, bankruptcy, or even loss of a 

national championship looms, leaders 

are likely to encounter considerable 

resistance to Lencioni’s approach. 

That said, the leader who is willing 

to endure a little snickering from 

their team and embrace the risk of 

making themselves vulnerable to 

their subordinates’ critique could 

reap considerable dividends in 

mission accomplishment. I plan 

to put Lencioni’s principles into 

action and you should consider his 

approach for strengthening your 

trial team, division or department.

The Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG) launched Civilian Personnel Management Services (Code 66) in April 2012 to ensure 

civilian workforce interests are addressed and well-represented at the 

headquarters level.

Code 66 performs classification/position management, administers 

training, manages time and attendance/payroll, oversees performance 

management, and coordinates with Human Resource Offices worldwide. 

The department is composed of four civilians with experience in civilian 

personnel matters.

Within Code 66's first year, they will play an integral role in many 

ongoing and new projects. These include: Defense Service Office 

realignment, civilian tuition reimbursement, telework policy revision, 

pilot civilian mentoring program, time and attendance policy revision, 

total force billet mapping, civilian award policy updates, redesign of the 

OJAG civilian website, and the Department of Navy's Human Resource 

Service Delivery reorganization. Code 66 also provides advice to the 

JAG Corps' Civilian Advisory Panel regarding their various initiatives 

including the Civilian Personnel Management Manual Quick Guide. 

When published, this reference will provide new supervisors a 

consolidated guide that highlights the most pressing issues and focus 

areas of which a quality manager of civilians ought to be aware. 

Code 66 looks forward to the exciting opportunities that lay ahead for 

the OJAG and NLSC civilian corps and is eager to see them realized. 

Civilian Personnel 

Management Services

Civilian Personnel Management Services (Code 66) personnel Megan Kidwell, Erica 

Williams, and Nathaniel Greathouse. (not pictured: Amy Stevens)
Photos From The Fleet 

30 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

Legalman 1st Class David Forrest reviews a voter registration form for Information Systems 

Technician 1st Class Richard Skees aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. 

Eisenhower (CVN 69). Dwight D. Eisenhower is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility 

conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions 

as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

Seaman Sabrina Fine)

Capt. Andrew Henderson thanks his crew and 

family for their hard work and support during 

his tour as commanding officer of Region 

Legal Service Office Southwest. (U.S. Navy 

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd 

Class(SW/AW) Rosalie Garcia)

Cmdr. John Mills, executive officer, Region Legal Service Office Southwest, surprises Legalman 2nd Class Shanna Todd with a frocking to Legalman 1st Class.
Photos From The Fleet 

JAG.NAVY.MIL 31

Command Master Chief Paul St. Sauver lies across the arms of Lt. Sara Neugroschel, Lt. Benjamin Christen, Lt. Darren Myers, Lt. Adam Inch, Lt. Geoffrey 

Gillespie and Vice Adm. Nanette DeRenzi during a recent visit to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. 

Legalman 2nd Class Tanya Belna notarizes 

paperwork for a client in the Region Legal 

Service Office at Naval Air Facility Atsugi. (U.S. 

Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

3rd Class Kegan E. Kay)

Navy judge advocate lieutenants Jenny Myers, Dave Dziengowski, and John Lovastik atop a 

mountain peak in Dehsabz, Kabul while attending the Rule of Law Field Support Officer (ROLFSO) 

Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan. 
Photos From The Fleet 

32 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012 

Lt. j.g. Ryan Aikin enjoying the view from aboard 

USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) as the ship passed 

through Puget Sound and Elliot Bay, with U.S. 

Coast Guard ships and Canadian Navy ships in 

the distance.

Vice Adm. Nanette DeRenzi and Command Master Chief Paul St. Sauver visit Combined Joint Interagency Task Force - 435 Joint Legal Center at the 

Detention Center in Parwan Province, Afghanistan. Combined Joint Interagency Task Force – 435, in partnership with the Government of the Islamic 

Republic of Afghanistan and U.S. interagency and international partners, conducts detention, corrections, judicial sector and biometrics operations.

Legalman 2nd Class Jeffrey Greener, from Phoenix, Ariz., reviews legal documents aboard aircraft 

carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 

3rd Class William Pittman)
Photos From The Fleet 

JAG.NAVY.MIL 33

Lt. Cmdr. Paul Walker, a judge advocate with U.S. Cyber Command, introduces a discussion panel during the “Cyber War and International Law” 

conference at the U.S. Naval War College. The conference examined the legal norms related to cyber strategies and the use of cyber capabilities 

during armed conflict and other military operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Eric Dietrich) 

Lt. j.g. Alyssa Miller, Lt. j.g. Christin Cotten, 

and JAG Corps Intern Brittany Pizor of Region 

Legal Service Office Europe Africa Southwest 

Asia at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy.

Marine Corps Capt. Harlye Maya and Lt. Cmdr. Kathryn Matt at the Headquarters of International 

Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Matt is the staff judge advocate and Maya 

is the deputy staff judge advocate for Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command 

- Afghanistan (CFSOCC-A).
Photos From The Fleet 

34 JAG MAGAZINE - 2012

Lt. Katie Worstell speaks with Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody, commanding general, US Army 

Material Command after receiving a Military Leadership Award during the 46th Annual USO 

Woman of the Year Luncheon hosted by the USO of Metropolitan New York. Worstell is currently 

an instructor at the Naval Justice School assigned to the Operations Law Department. (USO Photo 

by Stuart Ramson) 

Chief Legalman Wymeka Mahone, Naval Submarine Support Command, and her spouse, Chief 

Culinary Specialist Nigel Mahone, pose as newly 

appointed chief petty officers aboard USS Missouri. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist Seaman Diana Quinlan)

1st Lt. Alexis Vermaas, a Marine judge advocate stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, joined Naval Legal Service Office Northwest legal 

assistance attorney Lt. j.g. Eileen Joy at the Navy JAG Corps table for a few minutes during the Pacific Northwest Public Service Career Fair. The two 

Naval Justice School classmates shared their judge advocate training experience with a prospective recruit.
JAG.NAVY.MIL 35

Photos From The Fleet 

Lt. Alex Homme, Region Legal Service Office Southeast, sheets in the mainsail and rockets forward 

during the “Titanic Cup”, the annual build-your-own sailboat race onboard Naval Air Station Corpus 

Christi. This year, Region Legal Service Office Southeast’s boat “Admiralty Claim” placed 3rd out 

of 12 contestants, only being defeated by the two Coast Guard entries. 

Legalman 1st Class Charlene Zirkelbach, 

assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS 

Wasp (LHD 1), explains what each of her 

ribbons means to a Girl Scout from the Greater 

New York Girl Scouts of New York City during a 

tour of the ship for Fleet Week New York 2012. 

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication 

Specialist Seaman Andrew Sulayao)

In Memory of Capt. (ret.) Joseph Scranton 

May 17, 1947- November 8, 2012

Our friend and colleague, Joe Scranton, 65, passed away on Nov. 8. Joe was a 

father, grandfather, loving companion, friend and mentor. He treasured his 

time spent with family and friends, riding horses, cowboy action shooting, 

doing anything western and touring on his motorcycle. He spent more than 

44 years serving his country; 32 years active-duty Navy and 12 more as a 

civil servant.

Joe was drafted during the Vietnam era and enlisted in the Navy. He was later commissioned as an 

Air Intelligence Officer and deployed on USS Ticonderoga (CV-16), USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), and 

debriefed prisoners of war returning from Vietnam. As his career continued, Joe was selected for 

the Navy Funded Law Program and attended Creighton Law School. This started his career as a 

Navy judge advocate. His first duty station was Naval Legal Service Office, Millington, Tennessee. 

He continued to travel the globe with duty stations ranging from Naval Medical Center San Diego 

to United States Naval Academy. His career as a judge advocate culminated with his tour as the 

Vice Commander, Naval Legal Service Command in Washington, D.C. After he retired from active 

duty in 2000, Joe continued with the JAG Corps as the Inspector General for the Office of the 

Judge Advocate General. 

Throughout his distinguished Navy career Joe has been an inspiring leader and friend to many of 

us. His legacy in the JAG Corps will live on with every member of the JAG Corps community he 

guided and mentored.
Office of the Judge Advocate General

Public Affairs Office

1322 Patterson Ave., SE, Suite 3000

Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066

Lt. Cmdr. Alison Shuler, JAG officer for Logistics Group Western Pacific, 

answers questions on non-compliant boarding procedures at the Bangladesh 

Naval Academy during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 

2012. CARAT is a series of bilateral military exercises between the U.S. Navy 

and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, 

the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste. (U.S. Navy photo by 

Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Furey)