HISTORY
The United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Warrior-Attorney Regiment (JAGWAR) is an honorary societal Order founded in 2016 to support fulfillment of the U.S. Army JAG Corps motto:
“Soldier First, Lawyer Always”
MISSION
Order members strive to live by the JAG Corps motto and continuously develop their Soldier skills and physical fitness—so as to inspire confidence, admiration, and trust in the eyes of fellow Soldiers and the commanders they support. Members commit themselves to seek out, train, and facilitate opportunities for their JAG Corps colleagues—attorneys, legal administrators, and paralegals—to grow as Soldiers and attain distinction in the cultivation of warrior skills. Members must never be an obstacle to the realization of their colleagues’ ambitions to better themselves as Soldiers!
The Order of the JAGWAR endeavors to: connect paralegals, legal administrators, and Judge Advocates who faithfully adhere to the dual nature of their profession; keep JAGWAR members apprised of Army-recognized athletic contests and physical challenges; and provide support to JAG colleagues endeavoring to attend service schools, participate in warrior training opportunities, and attain badges/tabs/patches that reflect their commitment to the Soldier lifestyle.
The JAGWAR is a nonprofit “veteran’s organization” per § 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code and incorporated pursuant to §102 of New York State’s Not-for-Profit Corporation Law.
See the DISCLAIMER for more details.
Scope our answers to some Frequently Asked Questions, to wit: “Why JAGWAR?”
THE FOUNDERS’ HOPE
A Judge Advocate’s most solemn imperative is to provide competent legal counsel both to command and to the Soldiers alongside of whom s/he serves. Army paralegals and legal administrators must also strive to embody the highest levels of professional legal excellence. JAGWAR members thus endeavor at all times to ensure that the Order is recognized as being comprised of professionals whose legal acumen is unassailable.
The Order of the JAGWAR is a resource; it exists to support those of a certain mold, possessed as it is of the belief that being a proficient warrior best positions a 27A/270A/27D to earn the confidence of their brothers- and sisters-in-arms. In short, a JAG Corps member who embodies the attributes of a strong Soldier will be more professionally successful than the equally capable counterpart unwilling to strive for excellence as a warfighter. Ergo, the Order exists to support officers and enlisted members of the Corps in bettering themselves and assuming leadership/mentorship roles to enhance the esteem and capabilities of the U.S. Army JAG Corps.
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“Membership in the JAGWAR isn’t a badge—
it’s a mantle of responsibility.”
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The JAGWAR has two primary goals:
FIRST, the JAGWAR challenges JAG Corps members to develop their individual skills and physical fitness IOT meet the Order’s admission requirements—and “Be Ready”. Its admission standards are not meant to be exclusionary or to create an elitist club, but rather to be the extra motivation a Soldier may need to invest extra time after PT to maximize her pushups or knock thirty seconds off his two-mile time. Embracing this goal will make that particular Soldier a better representation of the JAG Corps to a wider military audience, and help them “Be Ready” for the uncertainly of today's combat environment.
SECOND, the JAGWAR aims to challenge JAG Corps members who have succeeded in entering the Order to give back to the JAG Corps by training and mentoring colleagues to become better Soldiers. Meeting this second goal will enhance the broader Corps by fostering a network of active duty, reserve component, and veteran JAG personnel to which officers and enlisted alike can turn for mentorship. The intent of the JAGWAR is not for JAG Corps members to simply achieve Induction into the Order, but more concretely to use that platform to motivate other JAG Corps members to reach their fullest potential as “dual professionals”.
To become a JAGWAR is to commit oneself to a legacy of mentorship and volunteerism, to invest in the future and vibrancy of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
The Order of the JAGWAR thus exists to renew the promise of the Corps, breathing new life and energy into the meaning of “Soldier First, Lawyer Always”.
CPT Jesse Sommer, 3rd Battalion Judge Advocate at the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), discusses the JAGWAR mission at the Fort Sill JAG Ball, and inducts the newest members to the Order rolls.