Air Force JAGs make History Channel

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark Diamond
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) --  With the exception of several law degrees and a handful of gavels, the office of Brig. Gen. Jarisse J. Sanborn could be mistaken for any senior leader's workspace.

Recently, however, her office was transformed into a miniature production studio, complete with audio and video cables, a 1,000-watt light, a suspended microphone and a three-person production crew.

Sanborn -- chief counsel for U.S. Transportation Command and staff judge advocate for Air Mobility Command -- joined a small group of prominent U.S. military judge advocates that will be featured on an upcoming History Channel production, "The Real JAGs."

Jim Lindsay, a writer/producer for Greystone Communications, interviewed Sanborn.

"We're producing a show on the real life of … JAGs, as opposed to the fictional one you see on TV," Lindsay said.

He said one of the things that piqued his interest in the show is that the legal career field is an area of the military that rarely gets publicity.

Sanborn is joining an impressive list of military judge advocates to be featured in the program, Lindsay said.

He said he has already interviewed an Air Force colonel who holds the record for having the longest career as a military judge, and he recently interviewed the military attorney who was in charge of the “Black Hawk Down” investigation.

"I really look for stories that illustrate a certain theme," Lindsay said. "Very early on, I discovered the theme for ('The Real JAGs' documentary.) The word is 'ethics.'

“The level of ethics and high standards in the military is … superior to that in civilian law. It's amazing," he said.

“I think (military attorneys are, to a degree, the conscience of the military," said Lindsay. "They not only have to deal with civilian law, they also have to deal with rules of engagement and international law. But there's another level and that's, what is right? What is the right thing to do?

"One of the questions I've asked several times is, how do you tell a group of young soldiers ... who have just seen a few of their buddies killed by a suicide bomber ... how do you tell them that they have to step up and be the better person?”

That question has generated a similar response from each JA he has interviewed, Lindsay said.

“They tell their soldiers that they represent the United States and they want the people in these foreign countries to know that the U.S. military cares about what is right. That attitude has really become the underlining theme of this documentary," Lindsay said. "I have yet to interview a single JAG who was not outstanding.”

He said that Sanborn was no exception.

The fact that Sanborn is the first female general officer in the legal career field is an accomplishment, but Lindsay said that was not the No. 1 reason for the interview.

"We wanted to interview General Sanborn because she is so very well respected by JAGs throughout the armed forces," he said. "That's about as credible as it gets."

Sanborn said she is honored to participate in the documentary.

"I'm very flattered, particularly when I think of the thousands of JAGs in all of the (armed) services who do extraordinary work," she said. "Any one of them has a great story to tell. To the degree that I can represent them, I'm delighted. I've had a great career, but so many JAGs do so many wonderful things.

The legal career field is “a subject I feel strongly and passionately about," Sanborn said. "I'm happy to have the opportunity to talk about it and give this career field some publicity and attention so the folks who watch this show can gain a better understanding of the tremendous work our folks do." (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service)