Military Law Forum

[upnorthguy]

Update from JARO on the reserve board: "RESULTS FROM THE APRIL 2011 RESERVE COMPONENT SELECTION BOARD WILL BE POSTED NO LATER THAN THE SECOND WEEK OF JUNE."

Nice. I thought it was going to be mid-July.

That is definitely earlier than I expected. Very nice.

I received my "needs correction" e-mail. It indicated that I did not include the age waiver. I submitted it over the weekend so I should be good to go.

[howell]

I thought there were normally 50 AF summer interns, but there seems to only be 25 this year? Are both of those numbers correct?

[Journeybound]

Yes, there are only 25 this year. Are you doing the internship?

[howell]

Yes. Very much looking forward to it.

[howell]

Anyone know if any of the branches use WordPerfect? Didn't really think about that until I talked to a friend with a federal job who is using WP but soon moving to Word.

[Patrick Bateman]

Anyone know if any of the branches use WordPerfect? Didn't really think about that until I talked to a friend with a federal job who is using WP but soon moving to Word.

DoD rocks MS Office.

[Rocktober2007]

Update from JARO on the reserve board: "RESULTS FROM THE APRIL 2011 RESERVE COMPONENT SELECTION BOARD WILL BE POSTED NO LATER THAN THE SECOND WEEK OF JUNE."

Nice. I thought it was going to be mid-July.

That is definitely earlier than I expected. Very nice.

I received my "needs correction" e-mail. It indicated that I did not include the age waiver. I submitted it over the weekend so I should be good to go.

Aw, now they're saying that only applies to National Guard applications. Now saying: "RESULTS FROM THE APRIL 2011 RESERVE COMPONENT SELECTION BOARD WILL BE POSTED NO LATER THAN THE SECOND WEEK OF JUNE FOR NATIONAL GUARD APPLICANTS ONLY. PLEASE CONTINUE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING THE POSTING OF RESULTS FOR US ARMY RESERVE APPLICANTS."

[samaside]

Anyone know if any of the branches use WordPerfect? Didn't really think about that until I talked to a friend with a federal job who is using WP but soon moving to Word.

DoD rocks MS Office.

Truth. And Vista. So if you made the switch from XP to Windows 7 you might want to brush up on your XP skills. Also, who the hell is using WordPerfect? I am a DoD civilian tech lab employee and I've never heard of anyone using WordPerfect, lol.

That said, more on topic... I'm sure this has been discussed earlier but at 89 pages I'm not even sure how far to go back. I grew up military and I've been a military brat my entire life - and still am as my dad is still active duty. Plus I come from a long line of USCG officers. So I'm pretty much jumping right into the competition. Service is in my blood.

What I'm wondering if it's worth battling it out for an appointment once you have the degree or is it worth trying to do ROTC while in law school? I'd ask the recruiters around here but this recruiting office up where I live - and I live on an army base - is pretty awful and very unhelpful.

[Patrick Bateman]

Anyone know if any of the branches use WordPerfect? Didn't really think about that until I talked to a friend with a federal job who is using WP but soon moving to Word.

DoD rocks MS Office.

Truth. And Vista. So if you made the switch from XP to Windows 7 you might want to brush up on your XP skills. Also, who the hell is using WordPerfect? I am a DoD civilian tech lab employee and I've never heard of anyone using WordPerfect, lol.

That said, more on topic... I'm sure this has been discussed earlier but at 89 pages I'm not even sure how far to go back. I grew up military and I've been a military brat my entire life - and still am as my dad is still active duty. Plus I come from a long line of USCG officers. So I'm pretty much jumping right into the competition. Service is in my blood.

What I'm wondering if it's worth battling it out for an appointment once you have the degree or is it worth trying to do ROTC while in law school? I'd ask the recruiters around here but this recruiting office up where I live - and I live on an army base - is pretty awful and very unhelpful.

If you are thinking Air Force, the GLP/OYCP programs are absolutely worth pursuing. The competition is fierce; selection numbers for this year were single digit due to SECDEF's personnel cuts.

Again, strictly for Air Force, but do not pursue traditional recruiting channels. Officer recruiting within the JAG Corps is handled exclusively by JAG HQ - AFPC does not touch us. JAX is the only organization you should be dealing with.

[howell]

Also, who the hell is using WordPerfect? I am a DoD civilian tech lab employee and I've never heard of anyone using WordPerfect, lol.

The USAO here uses WordPerfect, but they are switching to Word. I couldn't remember anyone in the military mentioning what they use.

[babyt8_99]

Anyone know if any of the branches use WordPerfect? Didn't really think about that until I talked to a friend with a federal job who is using WP but soon moving to Word.

DoD rocks MS Office.

Truth. And Vista. So if you made the switch from XP to Windows 7 you might want to brush up on your XP skills. Also, who the hell is using WordPerfect? I am a DoD civilian tech lab employee and I've never heard of anyone using WordPerfect, lol.

That said, more on topic... I'm sure this has been discussed earlier but at 89 pages I'm not even sure how far to go back. I grew up military and I've been a military brat my entire life - and still am as my dad is still active duty. Plus I come from a long line of USCG officers. So I'm pretty much jumping right into the competition. Service is in my blood.

What I'm wondering if it's worth battling it out for an appointment once you have the degree or is it worth trying to do ROTC while in law school? I'd ask the recruiters around here but this recruiting office up where I live - and I live on an army base - is pretty awful and very unhelpful.

If you are thinking Air Force, the GLP/OYCP programs are absolutely worth pursuing. The competition is fierce; selection numbers for this year were single digit due to SECDEF's personnel cuts.

Again, strictly for Air Force, but do not pursue traditional recruiting channels. Officer recruiting within the JAG Corps is handled exclusively by JAG HQ - AFPC does not touch us. JAX is the only organization you should be dealing with.

The same is true for the Army. Do not go through traditional recruiting channels.

[mrh769]

Generally how long before the deadline does the ARMY make their application available?

[Rocktober2007]

Generally how long before the deadline does the ARMY make their application available?

If I remember correctly, I think the application for the November 1, 2010 deadline was up on August 1, 2010.

[mrh769]

Generally how long before the deadline does the ARMY make their application available?

If I remember correctly, I think the application for the November 1, 2010 deadline was up on August 1, 2010.

Generally how long before the deadline does the ARMY make their application available?

If I remember correctly, I think the application for the November 1, 2010 deadline was up on August 1, 2010.

Thanks!

[hasmith]

Nice article about a Navy JAG

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ ... story.html

[Rotor]

Nice article about a Navy JAG

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ ... story.html

Great link! Thanks for posting.

His most recent question probably was: is it legal to fly into another country's airspace to raid the compound of the #1 enemy of the state?

One word of caveat to potential Navy JAGs out there: this guy's experience is a bit like a diet commercial-- "results not typical". It does show what sorts of things are possible in Navy JAG but not everyone gets these types of assignments.

[joemoviebuff]

Nice article about a Navy JAG

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ ... story.html

Great link! Thanks for posting.

His most recent question probably was: is it legal to fly into another country's airspace to raid the compound of the #1 enemy of the state?

One word of caveat to potential Navy JAGs out there: this guy's experience is a bit like a diet commercial-- "results not typical". It does show what sorts of things are possible in Navy JAG but not everyone gets these types of assignments.

I can still dream

[Rotor]

Nice article about a Navy JAG

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ ... story.html

Great link! Thanks for posting.

His most recent question probably was: is it legal to fly into another country's airspace to raid the compound of the #1 enemy of the state?

One word of caveat to potential Navy JAGs out there: this guy's experience is a bit like a diet commercial-- "results not typical". It does show what sorts of things are possible in Navy JAG but not everyone gets these types of assignments.

I can still dream

Don't just dream...set your goals! It's doable obviously because this guy did it.

The Navy is a blast. (Wouldn't have stayed 20 if it weren't). But you don't have to jump out of planes or work for NSC to find that joy.

[taxnstuff]

I don't think I could sift through 80 pages to find a possible answer, so I'll just post my question briefly -

Are there opportunities for a CPA/Attorney in the Navy JAG? Im still exploring different career paths besides a tax attorney and was curious if this was possible and/or what kind of work it would entail. Again, I know knothing about the field and this is just a query.

Thanks in advance.

[brownshoe]

I don't think I could sift through 80 pages to find a possible answer, so I'll just post my question briefly -

Are there opportunities for a CPA/Attorney in the Navy JAG? Im still exploring different career paths besides a tax attorney and was curious if this was possible and/or what kind of work it would entail. Again, I know knothing about the field and this is just a query.

Thanks in advance.

No specific tax/CPA jobs. You MIGHT run the income tax assistance center during your first tour if you are at a NLSO. That would be a one-time thing as a collateral duty, so I wouldn't come into the Navy hoping to do that.

[Patrick Bateman]

I don't think I could sift through 80 pages to find a possible answer, so I'll just post my question briefly -

Are there opportunities for a CPA/Attorney in the Navy JAG? Im still exploring different career paths besides a tax attorney and was curious if this was possible and/or what kind of work it would entail. Again, I know knothing about the field and this is just a query.

Thanks in advance.

I concur with Brownshoe. My experiences with Navy JAG have indicated that the majority of the civil law billets (e.g., environmental, labor, etc) have been farmed out to civilians. When on a shore tour, it appears the bulk of JO Navy JAGs are involved with criminal or legal assistance. When on ship tours, ops law comes into the mix as well.

Even for the Air Force, there are not any CPA/tax positions in the strict sense beyond legal assistance tax offices. We have a considerable amount of fiscal law, acquisitions, procurement, and government contracting JAG positions but those are as close as you are going to get.

[duckmoney]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but as a JAG, how much of your career can you expect to spend stateside or in non-combat zones where your wife could be with you? On the other hand, how frequent are deployments to combat zones?

[Patrick Bateman]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but as a JAG, how much of your career can you expect to spend stateside or in non-combat zones where your wife could be with you? On the other hand, how frequent are deployments to combat zones?

This varies greatly depending on the branch and specific unit/assignment. My Air Force experience: I was deployed for seven months in my first assignment and will deploy again out of my second assignment, probably within the next 12 months. A lot for me is just luck - there were some last minute changes in my office prior to the deployment orders dropping that put me at the top of the list. My second assignment is to a specialized unit with a very high deployment/operations tempo, where deploying is guaranteed. I also know plenty of Captains on their third assignment that never got tasked while at base legal and likely will get through their fifth/sixth year without going overseas. A lot truly is luck of the draw.

"Combat zones" is a bit of a misnomer. Technically speaking, that is anywhere you will draw hostile fire pay, but generally JAGs are Fobbits that are going to be behind the wire at large air bases like Bagram and Kandahar. Is there a risk of indirect fire or IEDs? Absolutely, but we are not going out on patrol or manning a COP.
That said, there are also JAGs that find themselves in legitimate action - one of my JAG School classmates is the first AF JAG to be awarded the Army Combat Action Badge for his part in a firefight in the 'Stan. That is the exception to the rule but is absolutely within the realm of possibility.

If I had to come up with a general rule, I would say there is a very good chance of you deploying for a 179 day deployment once within your first four years. Again, this is just based on my time in the Air Force.

To be totally candid, back when I was still in law school, the prospect of deploying scared the crap out of me. It is too abstract to conceptualize without some experience in uniform. Trust me though, if you get the chance to go, it is an amazing opportunity and something you will not regret. You will never find a more dynamic or interesting way to practice law and serve your country.

[duckmoney]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but as a JAG, how much of your career can you expect to spend stateside or in non-combat zones where your wife could be with you? On the other hand, how frequent are deployments to combat zones?

This varies greatly depending on the branch and specific unit/assignment. My Air Force experience: I was deployed for seven months in my first assignment and will deploy again out of my second assignment, probably within the next 12 months. A lot for me is just luck - there were some last minute changes in my office prior to the deployment orders dropping that put me at the top of the list. My second assignment is to a specialized unit with a very high deployment/operations tempo, where deploying is guaranteed. I also know plenty of Captains on their third assignment that never got tasked while at base legal and likely will get through their fifth/sixth year without going overseas. A lot truly is luck of the draw.

"Combat zones" is a bit of a misnomer. Technically speaking, that is anywhere you will draw hostile fire pay, but generally JAGs are Fobbits that are going to be behind the wire at large air bases like Bagram and Kandahar. Is there a risk of indirect fire or IEDs? Absolutely, but we are not going out on patrol or manning a COP.
That said, there are also JAGs that find themselves in legitimate action - one of my JAG School classmates is the first AF JAG to be awarded the Army Combat Action Badge for his part in a firefight in the 'Stan. That is the exception to the rule but is absolutely within the realm of possibility.

If I had to come up with a general rule, I would say there is a very good chance of you deploying for a 179 day deployment once within your first four years. Again, this is just based on my time in the Air Force.

To be totally candid, back when I was still in law school, the prospect of deploying scared the crap out of me. It is too abstract to conceptualize without some experience in uniform. Trust me though, if you get the chance to go, it is an amazing opportunity and something you will not regret. You will never find a more dynamic or interesting way to practice law and serve your country.

It sounds like a great experience; my concern is how much time I would get to spend with my wife. Is the idea just to leave her back home for six months or however long the deployment is?

[Patrick Bateman]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but as a JAG, how much of your career can you expect to spend stateside or in non-combat zones where your wife could be with you? On the other hand, how frequent are deployments to combat zones?

This varies greatly depending on the branch and specific unit/assignment. My Air Force experience: I was deployed for seven months in my first assignment and will deploy again out of my second assignment, probably within the next 12 months. A lot for me is just luck - there were some last minute changes in my office prior to the deployment orders dropping that put me at the top of the list. My second assignment is to a specialized unit with a very high deployment/operations tempo, where deploying is guaranteed. I also know plenty of Captains on their third assignment that never got tasked while at base legal and likely will get through their fifth/sixth year without going overseas. A lot truly is luck of the draw.

"Combat zones" is a bit of a misnomer. Technically speaking, that is anywhere you will draw hostile fire pay, but generally JAGs are Fobbits that are going to be behind the wire at large air bases like Bagram and Kandahar. Is there a risk of indirect fire or IEDs? Absolutely, but we are not going out on patrol or manning a COP.
That said, there are also JAGs that find themselves in legitimate action - one of my JAG School classmates is the first AF JAG to be awarded the Army Combat Action Badge for his part in a firefight in the 'Stan. That is the exception to the rule but is absolutely within the realm of possibility.

If I had to come up with a general rule, I would say there is a very good chance of you deploying for a 179 day deployment once within your first four years. Again, this is just based on my time in the Air Force.

To be totally candid, back when I was still in law school, the prospect of deploying scared the crap out of me. It is too abstract to conceptualize without some experience in uniform. Trust me though, if you get the chance to go, it is an amazing opportunity and something you will not regret. You will never find a more dynamic or interesting way to practice law and serve your country.

It sounds like a great experience; my concern is how much time I would get to spend with my wife. Is the idea just to leave her back home for six months or however long the deployment is?

Yes - she stays back while you are overseas.

Military life is not easy on spouses and children. You will move frequently, deploy, go on temporary duty assignments, and the like. Make sure your spouse is on board with this before you even think about applying - have her talk to other active duty spouses to get the bigger picture. Again, a lot of the nature of active duty service is too abstract to get your arms around unless you come from a military family or have some experience with that way of life.