Blog

Court Is Assembled: Army Futures Command

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:30:00 GMT

When the Army established Army Futures Command (AFC) in 2018, it was the first new four-star command since the establishment of Forces Command (FORSCOM) and Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) in 1973.

The 71st Graduate Course Visits the Supreme Court

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:28:00 GMT

On 23 January 2023, the 71st Graduate Course made their pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., to visit the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the Army Court of Criminal Appeals.

Pivotal Perspective: Reflections on Service

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:26:00 GMT

Three years—that was “the Plan.” Having just graduated from law school and passed the bar, I embarked on what I was certain would be an exciting but brief Army adventure.

What’s It Like? Mastery of Cyber Law

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:25:00 GMT

You have just begun an assignment as a cyber law attorney with no experience in the field. Bombarded with new terminology, to include a volume of acronyms, your trepidation propels you into a spiral of confusion over all the nuances of cyberspace.

Book Review: The Power of Geography

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:24:00 GMT

Are you a judge advocate (JA) or legal advisor (LEGAD) searching for a fascinating read that finally lifts your tactical/ operational focus to a larger, strategic perspective? Look no further. With The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World, you have the chance to step out of your foxhole as a legal subject matter expert and instantly broaden your comprehension.

Azimuth Check: Providing Principled Counsel to Innovative Organizations

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:23:00 GMT

On 10 May 2022, two top U.S. intelligence officials testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on global threats to the United States and its allies.

Lore of the Corps: Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Who Is the Youngest Judge Advocate of All?

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:22:00 GMT

With a tip of the hat to the magic mirror in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, we ask, who is the youngest person in history to have served as an Army judge advocate (JA)? It may come as a surprise that only a matter of months separates four individuals from the title of “Youngest Judge Advocate.”

Practice Notes: Army Transformation and Experimentation

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:21:00 GMT

On 30 August 2022—the first anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan—Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signed an order ending issuance of the National Defense Service Medal for the War on Terror, effective 31 December 2022.1

Practice Notes: A Modernizing Posse Comitatus Doctrine

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:21:00 GMT

Imagine that the head of an understaffed civilian law enforcement agency from the city just outside your active-duty installation approaches the garrison commander—whom you advise—and requests that the agency and the installation’s military police work together to fight crime in the local city.

Practice Notes: Expanding the Inherent Right to SelfDefense in a Counter-UAS Environment

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:20:00 GMT

On 20 October 2021, hostile forces launched five fixed-wing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) at the Al Tanf Garrison (ATG), a U.S. base in southeastern Syria.1

Practice Notes: The Software and Digital Technology Pilot Program

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:19:00 GMT

Virtually every aspect of the enterprise has a software dependent capability—our weapons, communications and resourcing. It would be hard to find a single, mission-essential function in any command, that doesn’t depend on software in some shape, form, or fashion. In short, software can be a critical enabler to increasing the lethality within warfighting formations, yet the vast majority of the processes and associated policy remains focused on the hardware of the enterprise.1

No. 1: Distinguishing Between Operational and Intelligence Activities

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:17:00 GMT

Intelligence gathering, or “spying,” is one of the oldest professions. In fact, the practice of intelligence has been a key component of U.S. military operations since the formation of the U.S. military. Recognized as a critical military strategy, George Washington spent more than 10 percent of his military operational funds on surveillance and intelligence.

No. 2: Rethinking NDAs to Attract Advanced Technology from Non-Traditional Defense Contractors

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:16:00 GMT

The United States stands at the threshold of a looming national security crisis.1 It has relied upon clear military advantages and technological superiority to deter the aggression of near-peer adversaries, but, recently, these advantages have largely disappeared.

No. 3: Multi-Domain Operations

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 19:15:00 GMT

The existential threat to the world order is arguably higher than it has been at any point since the end of the Cold War.1 Russia is conducting a drawn-out, unprovoked war against Ukraine and poses a bona fide threat to European economic stability.2

Closing Argument: The Judge Advocate’s Role in Empowering Innovation

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:56:00 GMT

As the Command Judge Advocate of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1st MDTF), it has been my privilege to serve in a team focused on innovation. Since its inception, 1st MDTF has experimented with new capabilities, tactics, and procedures in an effort to better realize the full potential of multi-domain operations (MDO).