Kevin Sandkuhler Kevin M . Sandkuhler ( born August 28 , 1953 , in Queens , New York ) is an American lawyer , and retired Brigadier General in the United States Marine Corps . His 2003 memo expressing concerns about the US interrogation of terrorism suspects , released in 2005 after a declassification request by Senator Lindsey Graham , received national and international attention . Biography . After receiving his B . A . degree in history from the College of the Holy Cross , Worcester , Massachusetts , in 1975 , Sandkuhler was commissioned a Second Lieutenant via the NROTC Program . He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion , 11th Marines , First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton , California , where he served as a Fire Direction Officer , Platoon Commander and Adjutant . In July 1978 , he was selected to attend law school under the Funded Law Education Program . Sandkuhler attended California Western School of Law , in San Diego , California from 1978 to 1981 . He received his Juris Doctorate ( Cum Laude ) in May 1981 and was admitted to the Bar of the State of California . Following the Naval Justice School , he was assigned to the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate , 1st Marine Division , Camp Pendleton , CA . He served in a variety of judge advocate positions including Trial Counsel , Defense Counsel , and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate . In 1984 he was transferred to Okinawa and served with the 3d Force Service Support Group as the O - I - C of the Review Section and deployed to Korea as the senior judicial advocate for the 35th Marine Amphibious Unit . In January 1985 he was reassigned to Camp Pendleton . At Camp Pendleton , Sandkuhler served as the Senior Defense Counsel within the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate . In November 1986 he became the Director of the Contracting Division , MCB Camp Pendleton and a contracting officer . In 1989 , he was selected under the Special Education Program to return to law school and received a Master of Laws degree in Government Contracts from George Washington University in 1991 . Sandkuhler was then assigned as an Associate Counsel within the Office of Counsel at Marine Corps Systems Command . In 1993 he attended the U . S . Army War College , in Carlisle , Pennsylvania , graduating in June 1994 . Subsequently , he was assigned to the Joint Staff , where he served as a Non - Proliferation Planner in the Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy ( J - 5 ) . During Sept 1997 , he was transferred to III MEF located on Okinawa , Japan and served as the Staff Judge Advocate for III MEF and 3d Marine Division . Upon his return to the United States , he became the Director , Appellate Government Division ( Code 46 ) at the Navy - Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity , Washington , D . C . In July 2000 he became the Chief Defense Counsel for the Marine Corps . He was appointed a Brigadier General in July 2001 . Role in rescinding rules for the use of " extended interrogation techniques " . Sandkuhler is notable for his participation in discussions , in December 2002 , of reports that interrogators from the Joint Task Force 160 and Joint Task Force 170 were using controversial interrogation techniques on the captives held in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp s , in Cuba . Sandkuhler was the Marine Corps ' s Staff Advocate General when Alberto J . Mora , the Department of the Navy ' s General Counsel convened several meetings of the Navy ' s most senior lawyers after David Brant , the Director of the NCIS , drew Mora ' s attention to use of the questionable interrogation techniques by the Navy ' s tenants at Guantanamo . Regarding the threat to American GIs , if the controversial polices weren ' t rescinded , Sandkuhler commented : Neal Katyal , the attorney for Salim Ahmed Hamdan , one of the Guantanamo captives who faced charges before a Guantanamo military commission s quoted Sandkuhler and other senior military justice officials . Katyal quoted Sandkuhler ' s comments on civilians in the Justice Department making decisions about how to treat America ' s captives , which would put Americans GIs at risk , if they were taken captive . According to Katyal , Sandkuhler pointed out the DOJ : Congressional testimony . Sandkulhler was called to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee while it was considering replacing the military commissions the Executive Branch had created , which were subsequently struck down by the United States Supreme Court . Retirement . Sandkuhler retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier General . Following his retirement Sandkukhler went to work for Pinkerton Government Services . On January 29 , 2007 Pinkerton Government Services announced that Sandkuhler had been appointed its new President and Chief Executive Officer . Awards and honors . His personal and unit awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal , Defense Superior Service Medal , Legion of Merit , Meritorious Service Medal , Joint Service Achievement Medal , Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal , Joint Meritorious Unit Award , Navy Unit Commendation , Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation , National Defense Service Medal , Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal , and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon .