Stories

Following in his Father's Footsteps

“My true passion lies in public service, utilizing the law to assist individuals and make a positive impact on their lives,” said 1st Lt. Younghun Wi.

Like many other judge advocates, the 226th Officer Basic Course student grew up a military brat. “Constantly moving from place to place, my family embraced the challenges inherent in a Soldier’s life,” recalled the youngest of three. “I vividly recall the days spent in miliary base apartments in South Korea and overseas.”

Published: 22 JAN 2025

“My proudest professional accomplishment has been serving my country in a combat zone while on active duty in Afghanistan and Kuwait,” said U.S. Army Legal Services Agency (USALSA) Bid Protests Chief Andrew Smith. “In Kuwait, we were in charge of opening a theater logistics center in the vicinity of Camp Doha, and also acting as the “mayor” of Camp Arifjan.

Published: 21 NOV 2024

“I joined the JAG Corps because I was determined to be a judge advocate,” said 1st Lt. Erica Ronquillo. The Army received me with open arms, despite my age and old joints. The Marine Corps unfortunately has an age cut off.”

Published: 6 NOV 2024

What do you do if you have always wanted to become a judge advocate, but your military does not even have a JAG Corps? You become one anyway … by any means possible … even if that entails repeatedly training for months on end in a country thousands of miles away.

Published: 23 OCT 2024

“It was a very humbling experience to honor veterans who had passed away,” said Cpt. Jacob Van Horn. “There is no other unit in the Army that does what The Old Guard does. We are often the last interaction a Soldier’s family has with the United States [military].”

Published: 09 OCT 2024

“I sought help, but I waited way too long,” said Lt. Col Mike Lamphier. The Center for Law and Military Operations Director shared his mental health journey with The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School during a recent Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) Leader Development Program. “I have found that when I share my journey there are many out there who are like me but still wear the mask of everything is just fine.”

Published: 16 SEP 2024

“When the Army and JAG Corps say that people are the most important asset, they mean it. And they show it,” said 1st Lt. Dowlin Howell.

The 224th Officer Basic Course (OBC) student at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School should know. His 4-year-old daughter Davey was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when she was just 17 months old. Howell credits the Army for making a parent’s worst nightmare, just a little more manageable.

Published: 8 AUG 2024

Ladies and gentlemen considering joining the JAG Corps.

“Get involved – stay engaged. To be relevant, you need to be engaged with the organization and be a problem solver. Lawyers are called on by clients to solve problems within the constraints of the law. If you want to be an integral part of the team, don’t just tell your clients what they can’t do – but propose a course of action that achieves the objective that is consistent with the law.”

Published: 18 JULY 2024

“I joined the U.S. Army Reserve because I wanted to challenge myself and make my father proud who pushed me to join for a long time,” said 1st Lt. Peter Sabian. “My father served as a lieutenant in the Soviet Army and Soviet Air Force. He was a tail gunner in spy planes during the Cold War. In 1998, he left for Yugoslavia with the Ukrainian contingent to be a peacekeeper with the United Nations because he knew several languages. He lived in Kosovo for a little more than a year and worked as an interpreter and instructor before he came to the U.S. where he successfully claimed political asylum.”

Published: 09 JULY 2024

Tell me you are in the military, without telling me you are in the military. For Florida born, New Jersey raised MAJ Cathy Hartsfield, it might be telling that every one of her four children were born in different states on opposite ends of the nation and even overseas. The associate professor in the Criminal Law Department at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School is herself the daughter of a former ROK (Republic of Korea) Soldier, who immigrated to the U.S.

Published: 20 MAY 2024

“The most rewarding part of the job is helping people as well as showing young women that they too can do … and succeed in traditionally masculine careers,” said 1st Lt. Seneca Tsang. The firefighter who stands at just 5’4” and weighs a buck fifteen returned to Charlottesville to attend the 223rd Officer Basic Course at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School.

Published: 03 MAY 2024

“My ultimate goal is to set a standard of excellence and resilience for my daughter,” said Staff Sgt. Monnea Slade. “Showing her that no matter how challenging life becomes, fear should never hinder her aspirations.”

Published: 29 APR 2024

“I had only ever been in cross country, for one season, about 25 years prior,” said 1st Lt. Kimberly Finnegan. “I was the slowest kid. I’m not sure the race was still going on when I finished – unlikely. “

I have now finished close to a hundred races. But I’m still at the back of the pack, I own it.”

Published: 24 APR 2024

What motivates a lawyer pushing 50 to join the military? It’s rather rare for a seasoned attorney who has built a thriving private practice over the years to voluntarily decide to start right back at the very beginning … placing themselves once again among the rank and file who are most likely in their twenties. “I am here, solely, to serve,” explained 1st Lt. Darin Doak. “Rank, pay, advancement is almost meaningless to me.”

Published: 17 APR 2024

Do you know what the state of Rhode Island requires for attorneys to remain attorneys? What about California? How many of the mandatory 20 credit hours for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) can be self-study in the Golden State? Ha! Trick question, California requires 25 credit hours every three years. And in case you were wondering, half of the required hours can be earned through self-study.

Published: 27 MAR 2024

Photo By Jane Lee | U.S. Army Reserve Officer 1st Lt. Charles Liu is attending The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School's 222nd Officer Basic Course. (U.S. Army photo courtesy of 1st Lt Charles Liu)

“I firmly believe that serving in the U.S. Army is the ultimate way to honor my American dream,” said 1st Lt. Charles Liu.

The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School 222nd Officer Basic Course student journeyed a long way in search of that opportunity. An only child due to China’s One-Child Policy, he left behind his parents, the grandparents who practically raised him and everything else he knew when he immigrated from his home of Xinxiang, at the age of 20.

Published: 14 FEB 2024

“I decided to join the Army after my brother deployed with the Marine Corps,” said The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School 72nd Graduate Course student Maj. Pamela Gaulin. “I was in 6th grade English class when the planes hit the World Trade Center on 9/11. I knew there was a war going on, but until my brother joined the military it felt very distant.”

Published: 30 JAN 2024

What does meal after meal after yet another meal of chicken, rice and broccoli plus countless hours grinding away at the gym equal? For The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School Student Detachment 1st Sgt. Shamar Purdie, that kind of dedication and discipline adds up to not only being a better leader but also, count them, three Virginia powerlifting records.

Published: 17 JAN 2024

“I have a duty to use my abilities in furtherance of something greater than myself,” said California Army National Guard 1st Lt. Brett Diehl. “I view the Army as a chance for me to accomplish that goal.”

Published: 05 JAN 2024

The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School

Following in his Father's Footsteps

Passion for Litigating

Call it Fate, Call it Destiny

Coming Back for Seconds

Answering the Call to Serve, From CBRN to Law

Breaking the Mental Health Stigma

Until There is a Cure

Words of Wisdom Besides Wear Sunscreen

Practice with a Purpose

From Enlisted to Officer, Criminal Law All The Way

Small but Mighty

Everything is Possible

Running Her Own Race

Better Late Than Never

The One in the Know

Living the American Dream

For this West Pointer, the Sky is the Limit

Leading From the Top

Globe Trotting Ivy League Graduate Serves Nation