Legal professionals become JAG Corps

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott Elliott
  • Air Force Print News
Air Force lawyers, paralegals and court reporters are no longer part of the Judge Advocate General’s Department; they are now in the “JAG Corps.”

The change is part of two secretary of the Air Force directives designed to eliminate confusion and clarify the duties and responsibilities of the JAG and the Air Force General Counsel.

The name change does not create any changes in reporting requirements, assignments or responsibilities, said Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Fiscus, the judge advocate of the Air Force.

The second secretarial directive shifts some responsibilities. Legislation and standards of conduct at the Air Force headquarters level move to the general counsel, while contractor bid protests move to the JAG.

“In terms of the overall Air Force, the order reaffirms the status of the GC as the chief legal officer of the Air Force, and reaffirms (the) JAG’s roles with respect to the military justice system and operational matters,” Fiscus said.

According to Fiscus, the service adopted the term “department” as a carryover from its Army roots. Later, the Army and Navy changed their JAG departments to “corps,” but the Air Force kept the department title because leaders at the time felt the term corps implied too much autonomy.

“Our first JAG … did not want to become a ‘corps’ because he wanted JAGs to work directly for their commanders, to be close by them,” Fiscus said.

Maj. Gen. Reginald Harmon’s vision proved so successful that Air Force leaders are now ready for the name change, Fiscus said.

“We’ve integrated extremely closely with commanders and established that relationship indelibly,” he said.

Besides reinforcing the relationship with the general counsel’s office, Fiscus said the secretary’s directives bring JAG more in line with the public’s conception of the military legal profession.

“In some ways, we have a more readily identifiable identity because of the TV show ‘JAG,’” he said. “If you had asked the average person in the Air Force what JAGs were referred to as, they’d automatically say ‘the JAG Corps.’”

Fiscus said the transition from department to corps would be an easy one for the legal community.

“We’re talking about a community of people who provide legal services to the Air Force and the commanders they serve,” he said. “The name doesn’t make as much a difference as the spirit that stands behind that community. That community is a strong one.”

The newly minted JAG Corps faces a future of growing responsibility, Fiscus said.

“The future is really bright for judge advocates and all members of the JAG Corps,” he said. “JAGs are heavily operational, working side-by-side with commanders in air operations centers. That’s going to continue (because) commanders increasingly value things the JAG Corps brings to the table.”