tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post1118584744100856529..comments2023-08-24T10:39:23.460-04:00Comments on CAAFlog: Top 10 military justice stories of 2008 -- #7: A third star for the Judge Advocates GeneralDwight Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11657981110237418710noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-33590777335499596132009-01-06T08:51:00.000-05:002009-01-06T08:51:00.000-05:00Anon 1248 - I believe the statute promoting the JA...Anon 1248 - I believe the statute promoting the JAGs specifically states that these 3-stars do not count against the line communities total. Was that language dropped from the final statute?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-63460172355520584562008-12-31T22:04:00.000-05:002008-12-31T22:04:00.000-05:00Anon 1248, nicely said.Anon 1248, nicely said.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-32649093385236827832008-12-31T12:48:00.000-05:002008-12-31T12:48:00.000-05:00Gee....Tough question, Why have the JAGs stayed lo...Gee....Tough question, Why have the JAGs stayed longer than the traditional two years? <BR/><BR/>Er, to pick up the pay and perqs that come with a promotion to a third star, perhaps? Say it ain't so. <BR/><BR/>The former Army TJAG (who was largely regarded as an officious tool) tried to stick around as long as he possibly could to make LGEN.<BR/><BR/>The real fight in all this was the line communities having to give up a three star billet to make room for a JAG position (statutory limitations on 3 and 4 stars). Great way to make friends and influence people.<BR/><BR/>This won't change a thing. All window dressing and backslapping for happening to be on the right side of a publicly popular decision regarding detainees. The parties involved will claim moral courage etc., but it was only Mora that really exemplified that type of courage in going public on this. The just piled on as a way of getting back at Haynes and company.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-32621961379584393802008-12-30T17:50:00.000-05:002008-12-30T17:50:00.000-05:00Don't know about the other Services, but the AF - ...Don't know about the other Services, but the AF - with one notable exception - has for "continuity" purposes traditionally nominated the DTJAG to be the next TJAG, and unless they want to retire or the CoS "wants" them retired, they pull a double, 2 year tour.<BR/><BR/>But for "grade inflation," look to the Medical Corps, or the CMCR, where the CJ is appointed as a 2 Star....Dew_Processhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12952551772411097184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-85092059599160724992008-12-29T21:38:00.000-05:002008-12-29T21:38:00.000-05:00Well, How does the community benefit from them st...Well, How does the community benefit from them staying longer? Great we have the 3rd star. But why not promoted the DJAGs and then promote some O-6 and keep the promotion flow moving? You said there is a time in paygrade to retire at that paygrade, but who does that benefit?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-81288709024710216702008-12-29T11:51:00.000-05:002008-12-29T11:51:00.000-05:00There is no statutory retirement requirement for t...There is no statutory retirement requirement for the JAGs. They don't have to retire in 2 years. Plus, when they are promoted into a new grade they have a time in grade requirement for retirement at that paygrade. Why the push to send the JAGs packing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-43089733332336638152008-12-29T10:19:00.000-05:002008-12-29T10:19:00.000-05:002 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars a bunch. Do you really ...2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars a bunch. Do you really think the increased number of stars will cause the JAGs to voice disagreement on those high viz policy issues unless or until they have the appropriate cover? Think Hutson would have voiced his apparent disagreement with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on active duty and not waited for retirement and Deanship at a Law School if he had the third star?<BR/><BR/>The only reason the JAGs wrote their joint memo was because they had Mora and other high ranking DoJ attorneys already voicing disagreement. Even with a third star they would not have been the ones leading the dissent against Rumsfeld, Cheney and others.<BR/><BR/>Also, why have the JAGs stayed longer than their two years after picking up the third star?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-53345021044007054072008-12-29T06:02:00.000-05:002008-12-29T06:02:00.000-05:00I just saw the documentary "Taxi to the Dark Side....I just saw the documentary "Taxi to the Dark Side." The theme was that adventurous memo writing, hypothesis testing, and intentional ambiguity led to abuses - more than actual "decisions." The unwritten moral of the piece was that policy punishments do not rise above the 0-3 level.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-16290516476591682622008-12-29T00:08:00.000-05:002008-12-29T00:08:00.000-05:00No Man - this "conflict" goes back to when Cheney ...No Man - this "conflict" goes back to when Cheney was SecDef and more recently resurrected by John Yoo, of torture central. There's been "tension" all around since then, but as you note, the thing came to a head when the TJAGs revolted on GTMO and the Geneva Conventions.<BR/><BR/>There's a good background piece by Charlie Savage of the Boston Globe, entitled "Control Sought on Military Lawyers," dated 15 DEC 07. I tried posting the link but couldn't, sorry.Dew_Processhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12952551772411097184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-77065228542489370852008-12-28T20:46:00.000-05:002008-12-28T20:46:00.000-05:00CAAFlog wrote:But there was no tension between the...CAAFlog wrote:<BR/><BR/>But there was no tension between the Judge Advocates General and civilian political appointees regarding military justice because that system is largely within the purview of the former. <BR/>While not in the know on this subject, I beg to differ. One of the front and center arguments was the applicability of MilJus to these POWs, or um detainees, or unlawful something or others, now housed at Gitmo. I think the reach and use of MilJus in these situations was a primary reason to put the uniformed lawyers' opinions ahead of the civilians with no MilJus experience--alas that rationale did not win out, though is now part of the reason the 3 wisemen got their stars.Mike "No Man" Navarrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11434921480452541955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-18106478423177580982008-12-28T20:18:00.000-05:002008-12-28T20:18:00.000-05:00Yes, they will.Yes, they will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-8306697273093678202008-12-28T20:05:00.000-05:002008-12-28T20:05:00.000-05:00But...will the quality of the legal services deliv...But...will the quality of the legal services delivered to the fleet or the qulaity of the legal advice delivered to the commander increase? If not, then it's pointless, right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-11091506893257649242008-12-28T20:01:00.000-05:002008-12-28T20:01:00.000-05:00In the Navy the DJAGs have been promoted recently....In the Navy the DJAGs have been promoted recently. RADM LeGrand was the last one who was not promoted. Promotion from DJAG to JAG is not an automatic event. Is it different in other services?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-86459102875074728552008-12-28T18:52:00.000-05:002008-12-28T18:52:00.000-05:00Don't forget Colonel Lindsey Graham who is still b...Don't forget Colonel Lindsey Graham who is still bucking for a Star or 2....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-90488900067708025192008-12-28T18:48:00.000-05:002008-12-28T18:48:00.000-05:00The better question is why haven't the DJAGs been ...The better question is why haven't the DJAGs been promoted to JAG after 2 years as per normal? I'll let you all speculate as to the reason.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-12864726677789539662008-12-28T15:58:00.000-05:002008-12-28T15:58:00.000-05:00The JAG does not "command" anything. In the Navy,...The JAG does not "command" anything. In the Navy, the Deputy JAG is also Commander, Naval Legal Service Command. He is in command of NLSOs/RLSOs and the personnel under that chain of command. While the Navy JAG is responsible for the OJAG organization he does not command it in the same sense that one commands a ship or one commands a regiment, etc. Similarly, the Chief of Chaplains is not "in command" of all the chaplains, the Chief of the Nurse Corps is not in command of the nurses, etc. Anon 10:14 seems to think that there should be no staff flag officers. Having had some experience in DC and with the line community the delta between 2 and 3 stars is huge and I assume the line community will give as much deference now to the various JAG Corps as the general counsel will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-42259703913588935182008-12-28T10:47:00.000-05:002008-12-28T10:47:00.000-05:001040 Anon, does the Judge Advocate General command...1040 Anon, does the Judge Advocate General command OJAG (or, as the Army would say, OTJAG)?<BR/><BR/>I believe that the ACMC commands precisely no one and he's a four star. As 1040 Anon suggests, rank isn't always about command authority.Dwight Sullivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11657981110237418710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-679935834402085952008-12-28T10:40:00.000-05:002008-12-28T10:40:00.000-05:00THe JAG is not in command of anything. I guess th...THe JAG is not in command of anything. I guess that underscores your misunderstanding of the situation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34853720.post-76224637500269612912008-12-28T10:14:00.000-05:002008-12-28T10:14:00.000-05:00Worst grade inflation ever. This is the number on...Worst grade inflation ever. This is the number one horror story of the military justice year. A 3 star in command of 300 troops. Might as well make all battalion commanders 3 stars as well. Silly, silly, silly.<BR/><BR/>The real question is whether the services need a JAG corps anymore. Why not contract the function out to civilian lawyers, who would not be burdened with allegiance to the command structure?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com