JAG Corps Birthday Triple-R Challenge at Fort Bragg!

A Distinguished Visitor Attends the JAG Corps Birthday Triple-R Challenge at Fort Bragg

Two weeks ago, the Order of the JAGWAR received an inspiring email from a former Judge Advocate who’d first cut his teeth in the Corps during the earliest days of America’s War on Terror—and served under the stellar leadership of a then-O-5 SJA whose name may now ring a bell: LTG Stuart Risch, our TJAG!

This was no ordinary inquiry: the sender was none other than the Honorable Zahid Quraishi, America’s first Muslim-American Article III federal judge, recently appointed to the bench in the United States District of New Jersey.

The JAGWAR Executive Committee unhesitatingly invited Hon. Quraishi to participate in its upcoming Triple-R Challenge to commemorate the Judge Advocate General’s Corps 247th birthday. True to his North Star of other-centered service, His Honor was immediately game to fly to North Carolina on Saturday, 23 July, joining a large group of young judge advocates to share war stories over dinner.

Early the next morning, Judge Quraishi cheered on a group of paralegals, attorneys, law student interns, and the XVIII Airborne Corps Staff Judge Advocate—COL Joseph Mackey—as they began the four-mile run through the training area in the blistering Fort Bragg heat. After the first SJA to ever attempt a Triple-R Challenge blew everyone away on the rope climb, Hon. Quraishi threw a 40-pound ruck on his back and joined the group for the 10-mile march through the sandy hills of Area J behind the 82d Airborne Division headquarters.

COL Mackey, the XVIII Airborne Corps Staff Judge Advocate, absolutely crushed the Triple-R Challenge!

MAJ Chris Monti extends to Hon. Quraishi the distinction of veteran membership in the Order of the JAGWAR.

After the Triple-R participants gutted their way through the sweltering North Carolina heat and humidity to earn the esteemed JAGWAR challenge coin, Hon. Quraishi hosted a lunch Q&A with the participants there on the 82d Airborne Division footprint. His message was clear: “Lawyer First, Soldier Always” is not just a motto for him—it was a way of life that prepared him for and allowed him to fully embrace his time with then-LTC Stuart Risch in the “Big Red One” —1st Infantry Division—during two combat deployments to Iraq in 2004 and 2006. Particularly poignant was Hon. Quraishi’s description of the 1st ID OSJA culture, which encouraged all Judge Advocates, regardless of commissioning source or prior military experience, to strive for the same level of high physical and intellectual preparedness to be a force multiplier for the commander and unit.

 

Hon. Quraishi is a humble leader who talked about how his four years in the JAG Corps—and the discipline instilled by the experience—shaped the rest of his historic life of service to the legal community and our country. He graciously stayed an additional day on Fort Bragg just to meet with more legal professionals and law student interns to share his inspiring message that soldiering skills are mission essential must-haves, not just nice-to-haves, in order to successfully serve in our Corps and be prepared for the next fight.

 

Hon. Quraishi service to the Fort Bragg JAGC community exemplified the leadership and mentorship that TJAG and RSCM discussed in the recently published Vol. 41-14. Judge Quraishi answered the call to develop the JAGC team by "building meaningful relationships and transferring knowledge and experience" and did so by providing the "touchpoints for mentorship relationships to develop" through the physical training of the Triple-R Challenge and the multiple professional development discussions he provided over three days. May we strive to emulate the judge’s tremendous leadership across our Corps!

We could not be more grateful for the incredible time spent with this great American. We can’t wait to see Hon. Quraishi at many Triple-R Challenges for years to come.

The Honorable Zahid Quraishi comes to Fort Bragg for a Triple-R Challenge

Ropes, rucks, and judicial robes.

In honor of the 247th birthday of the U.S. Army JAG Corps, the Order of the JAGWAR is proud to execute a commemorative Triple-R Challenge at “the Center of the Military Universe,” to wit, Fort Bragg, NC, on Sunday, 24 July at 0700 (additional details below).

Joining the occasion as the Order’s special guest of honor and to cheer on the Challenge participants will be Judge Zahid Quraishi, a former Judge Advocate and the first Muslim American Article 3 federal judge in U.S. history.

After the Triple-R Challenge, there will be a special presentation during which HON Quraishi will share about his professional legal career and have a question and answer session with participants.

HON Quraishi will also be attending the “Triple-R Challenge Finisher’s Lunch” on Sunday afternoon where participants will have an additional opportunity to interact with the judge.

Interested in participating? Contact jagwar@orderofthejagwar.com.

Triple-R Challenge at Joint Base Lewis-McChord!

Tall Trees, Heavy Rucks, and Fast Feet

Not wanting to be outdone by their hard-charging comrades on the Eastern flank who’d tackled the Triple-R Challenge at the JAG Corps’s regimental home just two weeks prior, seven intrepid members of the 7th Infantry Division and 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) legal community gathered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Saturday, 30 April against the majestic backdrop of Mount Rainier—eager to demonstrate the grit of the Western flank’s legal contingent.  

The group reflected the full strength of the JAG Corps family, with representation from the attorney, paralegal, and legal administrator contingents. Starting at the 7th Infantry Division Headquarters building and powered by the crisp air of the great northwest, the participants traversed the 4-mile route along a parade of prominent conifers. 

The first event of the Triple-R Challenge is a 4-mile run, which must be completed within 36 minutes.

The Triple-R Challengers literally rose to the challenge of the next event, as each Soldier successfully scaled the 25’ rope—relying on either method or muscle to reach the top.

With the run and rope climb successfully out of the way, participants donned their 35-pound rucks and stepped off on the 10-mile march across the northern face of JBLM. 

JAGWAR co-founder MAJ Chris Monti (right) maintains the official pace, cheering on the Challengers!

While it was unsurprising that every participant successfully completed the Triple-R Challenge to earn the coveted JAGWAR challenge coin, what was surprising was that participants managed to escape enduring one of Washington’s oh-so-frequent spring rainstorms. Upon crossing the finish line, it was the Challengers own sweat which drenched them head to toe.

Congratulations to the JBLM Triple-R Challenge finishers for demonstrating their dual-proficiency as Soldiers and Lawyers, and for further strengthening their personal and professional bonds with their JAGC colleagues!  

JAGWAR Executive Committee (XC) member CPT Chris Scribner awards the JAGWAR coin!

Ropes, Rucks, and Our Regimental Headquarters!

The Easter Weekend Triple-R Challenge in Charlottesville brought together a host of hard-charging dual-professionals, including 15 of the JAGC’s newest members from the 216th JAOBC, along with a TJAGLCS Professor, several Graduate Course students, and Majors from Fort Belvoir, Fort Eustis, and OTJAG, all of whom successfully navigated the Order’s Triple-R Challenge.

Particularly for the motivated new OBC Judge Advocates, undertaking the formidable Triple-R Challenge was not out of character for a Saturday morning. Since their Fort Benning phase, a group of the students (1LT Robert Bradley, 1LT Justin Brickey, 1LT Brian Babb, and 1LT Henry Carras) had voluntarily been crushing tough workouts on weekends. It was thus no surprise that 1LT Carras, who became aware of the JAGWAR and Triple-R Challenge through Facebook posts during his 3L year, resolved to undertake the Triple-R Challenge upon commissioning, inviting other OBC class members to join him. 

“A fair amount of my classmates like to find their physical ceiling,” said 1LT Carras.  “After getting a lot of the people I train with regularly to participate, it was no challenge to get other people excited to see if they have what it takes to complete a Triple-R Challenge. The Order of the JAGWAR is perfect for us because it gives us a medium [through which] to coordinate with other fitness-minded Judge Advocates looking towards other physical challenges, like the GAFPB [German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge] or the Norwegian Road March.” 

While the sweat didn’t start to officially flow until Saturday morning, the festivities actually kicked off the evening before with a rope climbing instructional class provided by the coaches at Solidarity CrossFit. Friday night’s instruction and practice proved that with a little coaching and a bit of repetition, everyone can tackle a rope climb. Each of the nearly two dozen participants left the instructional class having demonstrated the ability and confidence to successfully climb a 20-foot rope.

The following morning, Lieutenants, Captains, and Majors alike reassembled in the pre-dawn hours in PT uniforms to begin the three-event Triple-R Challenge. With wrist watches synched, participants stepped off, double time, to complete the 4-mile run down Barracks Road to TJAGLCS and back within 36 minutes.

Upon returning, participants donned boots and combat uniforms and the entire crew successfully climbed to glory (and safely returned to terra firma).

Then, with a full slate of green checkmarks on the first two events, participants loaded up their 35 pound rucks and pushed out for the 10-mile ruck march taking them past TJAGLCS, up around O-Hill (twice!), and back down through pristine downtown Charlottesville—all in under 2.5 hours.

With all three stages successfully completed within standard, CPTs Justin Hayes and Chris Scribner—JAGWAR Executive Committee Members—presented the coveted Order of the JAGWAR Challenge Coin to the participants.

Well done to these dual professionals for demonstrating their commitment to the “Soldier First, Lawyer Always” motto!

216 JAOBC participants:
Nic Bauer, Robert Bradley, Justin Brickey, Brian Babb, Henry Carras, Seth Corley, Tom DiSalvi, Emily Eslinger, Matthew Ferguson, Thomas Goers, Keith Kronenburg, Jason Marshall, Michael Markus, Mike Norton, and Sarah-Johanna Willcockson.

Throughout the Triple-R Challenge and afterwards at the celebratory Finisher’s Luncheon, the group of over 22 dual-professionals got to know each other, encouraged each other, and formed personal and professional bonds that will continue to foster the esprit-de-corps and encourage leadership and mentorship throughout our amazing JAGC formation.

It was an honor to be a part of the day! If you’re interested in taking on the Triple-R Challenge at your installation, reach out to the Order at jagwar@orderofthejagwar.com!

First "Triple-R Challenges" of 2022!

The Order of the JAGWAR is bi-coastal in April 2022, with two chances to negotiate the Triple-R Challenge!

_______________________________________

Friends, Family, Fans:

Welcome to spring!  This April Fool’s Day heralds not just the arrival of a new season but also Day 1 of the Army’s new era of fitness testing.  After nearly half-a-decade of bated breath promises, the Army is unrolling its fourth-time’s-the-charm embodiment of the ACFT—six months of diagnostic testing begins anew today—thereby shedding the age- and gender-neutral standards which originally promised to blindly measure battlefield endurance.  Yet with so much of war being waged from JOCs and the zeroes-and-ones of cyberspace, perhaps it’s appropriate that different evaluative standards once again acknowledge Soldiers’ biological particulars.  For the battlefield always evolves.

 The JAGWAR proudly announces
the first Triple-R Challenges of 2022!

7th ID Headquarters
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Saturday, 30 April 2022
SP: 0900

TJAGLCS
Charlottesville, VA
Saturday, 16 April 2022
SP: 0630

_______________________________________

The Triple-R Challenge is composed of three back-to-back events to be completed in under 3.5 hours: 

  • 4-mile run in under 36 minutes

  • 25’ rope climb

  • 10-mile ruck march with 35 lbs. in under 2.5 hours

This event is a rite of passage for all U.S. Army JAG Corps personnel who seek to embrace the Corps motto “Soldier First, Lawyer Always” and fulfill the promise of our service as “dual professionals”!

Undertaking the Challenge is free to all Active Duty, Reserve Component, and Veteran members of the Army JAG Corps.  Attorneys, paralegals, legal administrators, and judges of all ranks and backgrounds are invited to get after it with our colleagues on the Triple-R Challenge course.  Those who complete the Challenge will receive the coveted JAGWAR Coin!

To participate in these Triple-R Challenges, contact jagwar@orderofthejagwar.com. Or, to host a Triple-R Challenge at your unit or OSJA, email us so we can connect you with a sponsor.

Good luck out there, JAGWARriors!

CPT Eli Ross : Ranger!

CPT Ross, second from right, at the Ranger Class 06-21 graduation ceremony.

On 25 June 2021, a newly Ranger-tabbed “dual professional” finally put several arduous months behind him and set a course back to Fort Bragg. 

CPT Eli Ross, former Brigade Judge Advocate for the 20th Engineer Brigade, survived the U.S. Army Ranger School—one of the world’s most physically, emotionally, and spiritually demanding leadership courses—and has thereby exemplified the Army JAG Corps motto “Soldier First, Lawyer Always.” 

His successful completion of Ranger School is no less impressive than the manner by which he secured his opportunity.  The JAGWAR caught up with CPT Ross to get a sense of how others could benefit from his inspiration and capitalize on his experience.

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Thanks so much for speaking with us today.  Before we discuss your most recent feat, tell us about your background as a lawyer and decision to join the Army.  When, how, why did you commission?

I direct commissioned in January 2016 right out of law school.  I taught high school before attending law school in an underprivileged community through the Teach For America program.  That experience instilled a deep interest in public service and I pursued a law degree to advance that interest.  During law school, I wasn’t very familiar with the particulars of the JAG Corps until I went to an informational meeting my 2L year.  After hearing what JAGs do and the versatility of their practice, I was hooked.  I interned with the Army the following summer and, well, here I am seven years later.

What have been your most rewarding JAG Corps assignments?

Hands-down Trial Defense at Fort Bragg.  Initially, I was quite apprehensive about being a defense attorney.  I even considered asking my SJA to reconsider the position when he offered it to me.  But it was an amazing experience.  It refined my litigation skills and gave me a well-rounded exposure to the nuances and processes of military justice.

When did you decide to undertake Ranger School?  What informed that decision?

I don’t know if there was one particular moment that I really wanted to go to Ranger school.  When I initially joined the military, I had a close friend who served with the 75th Ranger Regiment prior to his tenure in the JAG Corps.  I was impressed by his experience and with those who had attended and completed the school.  As I continued in the Corps, [Ranger School] was always something I wanted to try, but I never knew if I would actually take the jump.  A lot of time as a JAG is spent in the so-called “ivory tower” advising commanders. I was eager to experience the Army from a different perspective.  Ranger School afforded me that perspective, and I absolutely believe that negotiating the course has equipped me to be a better legal practitioner and command advisor.  I now have such a better frame of reference for the legal questions I’m asked or the issues I’m charged with spotting. 

How did you train for Ranger School?  Would you have trained differently if you could?

After five grueling months, CPT Ross finally receives his Ranger Tab at Fort Benning on 25 June 2021.

From a physical aspect, I was in the best shape of my life before I left.  I maintained a high intensity CrossFit-style workout regimen and conducted long runs with my weight vest in the months preceding my departure.  That helped me prepare for the strength and endurance necessary to manage the heavy loads you carry during school.  I also mixed in 8 to 12 mile rucks about twice per week in the months before I left.  Everyone prepares for Ranger School differently, but that’s what worked for me. 

For skills, I attended the 82nd Airborne Division’s “Pre-Ranger Course” [now known as “Small Unit Ranger Tactics” or just “SURT”] a few months before I left, and then I worked with my Brigade’s Sapper and Ranger training program immediately before leaving. 

Because of my job as BJA, I couldn’t immediately attend school following the pre-ranger course.  Looking back, that would have been a better option.   

Politically or strategically, how did you facilitate permission and support to attend Ranger School?

Honestly, I got lucky with great leadership.  It isn’t easy to go as a JAG given the time necessary to complete the school and being away from my job.  But prior to assuming my role as BJA, my Regional Defense Counsel, COL Stich, offered to send me to SURT following my TDS tenure.  It worked with my schedule since I was winding down my caseload, and I elected to go in lieu of taking PCS leave.  She got the ball rolling for me.  As I said, I wasn’t able to go to Ranger School immediately afterwards as I was assuming a role as a BJA and needed to be in that position for a bit to work with and build a relationship with my brigade commander.  But once my new brigade commander discovered I previously attended SURT, he was all about sending me [to Ranger School].  He strongly advocated for my attendance, and so I worked out a situation with the Fort Bragg OSJA to accommodate coverage.  MAJ Christopher Goren, chief of federal litigation for XVIII Airborne Corps, was an all-star; he covered for me while I was gone. 

JAG Corps paralegals and judge advocates often express concern that their interest in Ranger School could alienate colleagues or supervisors.  After all, it’s a course that could take one away from his or her primary duties for a minimum of two months, to say nothing of the time necessary to train for and recover from the experience.  What obstacles did you encounter in your bid to attend Ranger School?  Any negative career consequences you’d be willing to share?

You know this is a tough question.  As you suggest, the biggest obstacle was simply the nature of being a JAG in conjunction with the amount of time it can take to get through the school.  The legal work doesn’t stop when you leave, and being absent for potentially six months means someone will have to fill your shoes.  Simply stated, the work [lawyers and paralegals] do is not conducive to disappearing and living in the woods for an undetermined period of time.  That’s why I was unsure I’d actually get the opportunity. 

It’s a balancing act, for sure.  You don’t want to be that JAG right out the gate who hasn’t done anything legal-related before you’re asking to attend every military school out there.  In my case, I never completed a traditional military school (Air Assault, Airborne, etc.). Instead, I put all my eggs in one basket and pushed hard for Ranger School at the appropriate time.  I’m grateful that my leadership was receptive to my request.

My advice is this:  If going to Ranger School is important to you, first prove yourself as an exemplary legal practitioner, whether you’re a lawyer or a paralegal, and then demonstrate how seriously you take soldiering.  That means getting after it every morning at PT, on ruck marches or the ACFT, and looking into those Army-oriented challenges like the Bataan Death March to show your peers and leadership that your interest is sincere and you have the drive to be successful.  If you can prove that you’re worth taking a risk on, you’ll likely find support for your request.

CPT Eli Ross poses with his friend and fellow Ranger graduate CPT Preston Bradley, a Green Beret assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) who has been a longtime supporter of the Order of the JAGWAR.

When did you attend Ranger School? 

I left at 2 a.m. on the morning of 31 January 2021.  My Brigade Commander driver drove me down because of COVID protocols.  I got home early in the evening of 25 June 2021; I was gone for about five months.   

What are the aspects or experiences in Ranger School that you just can’t forget?

The time I spent wet and freezing in the Mountain phase in the middle of winter.  It was miserable.  I went straight through Darby (1st phase) and Florida (3rd phase), but I had to go through Mountains three times in order to pass.  In total, I spent 107 days in the mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia.  Of course there was hunger and constant discomfort, but the Mountains phase of Ranger School will hold a special place in my heart given the time I spent there.      

What advice would you give to attorneys and paralegals who want to follow in your footsteps?

Try and get a slot the right way.  Get some legal experience under your belt and when the right time comes, ask to go by explaining to your leadership how Ranger School can benefit the JAG Corps.  I genuinely believe in its value proposition.  At the end of the day, it’s a leadership school.  If we’re going to competently advise commanders, work with Soldiers, and lead other JAGs, having the requisite leadership traits is an important part of the job.  

And once you get the opportunity, just take the step, don’t go on a timeline, and DO NOT quit.  Ranger School is not an enjoyable experience.  It’s rewarding at the end, but not enjoyable.  It will be both mentally and physically challenging.  And there’s no saying how long you may spend in the course.  There will be times when you’re uncomfortable, miserable, cold, wet, hot, whatever.  It’ll be really easy to just quit.  Trust me, on several occasions I almost did quit, especially after recycling Mountains twice.  You’ll question your decision to attend in those moments and yearn for the comforts and joys of life.  But remember that those comforts will come back eventually.  Don’t give up, keep pushing yourself, and just make it to the next meal—even if it’s 22 hours away.  If you do so, you’ll more than likely get through.  

Thank you so much for speaking with us today, CPT Ross.  You’re an inspiration to the Corps.

I wouldn’t go that far.  But I would say I’m a better lawyer than I was before, a better Soldier than I was before, and my uniform is slightly cooler than it was before.  Thanks for giving me a chance to talk about the experience.

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To watch a video of CPT Ross’s 25 June 2021 Ranger School graduation ceremony, click below:
https://www.facebook.com/FortBenningMCoE/videos/839456996977563/

And, for more pictures from the Ranger Class 06-21 graduation, visit the link below:
https://fortbenning.smugmug.com/Infantry-School/Airborne-Ranger-Training-Briga/Ranger-School/US-Army-Ranger-School/Graduations/2021-06-25-Ranger-Graduation-06-21/

More opportunities to earn the ESB

In the coming months, Army judge advocates and paralegals seeking to attain the Expert Soldier Badge may have a few more annual opportunities to do so. 

According to the Army Times, units that previously could support administration of the test only once a year may now be able to do so 2 to 3 times per year, assuming a pilot program currently underway is successful in streamlining tests for the three “expert skills” badges (the Expert Infantry Badge, created in 1945, the Expert Field Medical Badge created in 1965, and the ESB created in 2019).

The effort entails making tasks common to all three tests subject to common standards.  By making the tests more similar, units will save time, space, and resources.  And yet there reportedly won’t be substantial changes to the actual tasks and passing grades for earning whichever badge applies to the Soldier’s MOS. 

Keep your fingers crossed, colleagues!  Passing rates are low for the ESB (which is the test available to JAG Corps personnel), but more opportunities to undertake the challenge increase the prospect of “someday success.”  So keep at it; stay motivated!

20th Anniversary 9/11 Memorial "Triple-R Challenge" at Fort Bragg

At 0846 on 11 September 2001, five al-Qaeda hijackers smashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, thereby ushering in the Global War on Terror.  By noon, 2,977 innocent people had lost their lives, to include 340 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, and 55 military personnel; foreign nationals from over 90 countries were killed in what remains the deadliest terrorist attack in human history. 

Since that day of infamy, thousands of servicemembers have perished in the wars that followed—to include members of our very own United States Army JAG Corps.

It was in their memory that at 0846 on 11 September 2021—twenty years to the minute since that first strike at the heart of global democracy—seven participants in Fort Bragg’s memorial “Triple-R Challenge” stepped off in honor of our fallen comrades.  Over the course of the next 3.5 hours, they conducted the 4-mile run, rope climb, and 10-mile ruck march in the forested sandhills of Fort Bragg’s notorious Area J. 

I’m humbled to report that they all crossed the finish line! 

CPT Chris Scribner of the XVIII Airborne Corps OSJA proctored the Challenge.  His tenacity in logistically orchestrating the event—to include compiling the CONOP and Risk Assessment and securing the necessary approvals—speaks volumes of his selflessness, perseverance, and dedication.

The participants gear up for the Challenge’s first event.

CPT Ditmore leads from the front in the first event: the 4-mile run!

In no short supply of esprit de corps, CPT Kirk races to the race finish line; CPT Monea is on his heels!

Moreover, having recently graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School (at which he was designated the Honor Graduate), CPT Scribner had thereby completed the last of his JAGWAR membership eligibility requirements. 

As such, the JAGWAR’s very own MAJ Chris Monti was on hand to formally induct him into the Order. 

Photograph at right, above: The Honor Grad at Fort Benning.
At right, below: CPT Scribner is inducted into the JAGWAR.

After serving as Pacer at the JAGWAR’s previous iteration of the Tripe-R Challenge at TJAGLCS, MAJ Monti once again kept everyone motivated through the race and ruck; he joined CPT Scribner in conducting a rope climbing tutorial between those two events.   

Undeterred by injury, SGT Vanwert showed off his rope skills.
Bonus: Sometimes, even Green Berets succumb to rope burn.

Additionally, an esteemed member of the JAGWAR’s Advisory Board capitalized on her home field advantage to attend the Challenge and cheer on its participants: the JAGWAR’s Ms. Stacy Craver (fresh off a 24-hour 84-mile track run) recorded the finishers’ scores, took action shots, and (wo)manned the water station!  Her husband—a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)—also undertook the Challenge, and absolutely crushed the ruck march! 

At the conclusion of the Challenge, MAJ Monti awarded the JAGWAR coin to the finishers; aching and drenched in sweat, they each shook his hand to receive the token of their involvement in this solemn occasion. 

Just weeks after America’s final withdrawal from Afghanistan, the ceremony was a reminder that light yet shines through the darkness via the familial bonds of the U.S. Army JAG Corps.   

The Fort Bragg Triple-R Challenge course was rich in symbolism, marked by 13 American flags to represent the 13 servicemembers killed at the Kabul Airport on 26 August 2021; they bear tragic distinction as the Global War on Terror’s final casualties. 

These heartbreaking fatalities prompted remarks by MAJ Monti, which served as fitting bookends to the 20th anniversary memorial Triple-R Challenge.  Just before SP, he led the participants in a moment of silence to acknowledge the more than 7,000 servicemembers (and 8,000 DoD civilians and contractors) who sacrificed their lives in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  Then, at the “Finishers’ Luncheon” at the Blue Moon Café in downtown Fayetteville, he commended the finishers for dedicating their Saturday to honor the memories of those lost throughout twenty years of combat.

We will forever keep their brave souls in our hearts and minds.

The JAGWAR congratulates all who participated in this memorial event.  You’ve brought great credit upon our Corps, and helped to keep alive the legacies of those no longer with us.

Pictured from left to right:
CPT Chris Scribner and CPT John Kirk, XVIII Airborne Corps OSJA; SFC (Ret) Tim Craver (7th Special Forces Group); Ms. Stacy Craver, longtime Clerk of Court at Fort Bragg; SSG Giovanni Mata (95th Civil Affairs Group); CPT Nino Monea, XVIII Airborne Corps OSJA; MAJ Chris Monti; CPT Jessica Ditmore, 1st Cavalry Division OSJA; SGT Justin Vanwert, XVIII Airborne Corps OSJA; SPC Roger Jackson and CPT Charlotte Cooper, 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) OSJA.

Special mention to CPT Ditmore for traveling all the way from Fort Hood to participate in the September 11th memorial Triple-R Challenge!

September 11th Memorial TRIPLE-R CHALLENGE at Fort Bragg, NC

On 11 September 2021, the Order of the JAGWAR will administer a Triple-R Challenge at Fort Bragg, NC, in memorium of the 9/11 terrorist attacks twenty years ago.

This 20th anniversary memorial “Triple-R Challenge” is dedicated to the Americans who perished on that fateful day, and to all the members of the U.S. Army JAG Corps who lost their lives in combat throughout the last two decades of the Global War on Terror.

Fort Bragg.jpg

Date:
11 September 2021

Meeting Time:
0830 hours

Meeting Location:
Ritz-Epps Physical Fitness Center

Set your GPS to 7215 Champion Main Rd C, Fort Bragg, NC. The gym is Building C-7215.

* ADMIN NOTES *

  • Participants should report in their Army Physical Fitness Uniform with a bag containing their Army Combat Uniform, and their ruck sack weighing at least 35 lbs.

  • Following the 4-mile run, participants will immediately don their ACUs (with boots) to conduct the rope climb. Gloves and ACH/ECH are not required.

  • Following the rope climb, participants will secure their ruck sacks and water source and conduct the ruck march.

  • Be sure to bring sunscreen!

Interested in undertaking the Triple-R Challenge at Fort Bragg?

Email jagwar@orderofthejagwar.com to be added to the list.

More information will be provided to you.

"Triple-R Challenge" @ TJAGLCS in Charlottesville, VA

At 0730 on Sunday morning, 18 July 2021, five students from the 214th Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course assembled to undertake the Order of the JAGWAR’s first “Triple-R Challenge” administered since the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the suspension of all Challenges eighteen months earlier. 

This endurance-focused athletic trial was a smashing success despite the uncompromising heat and humidity for which a Charlottesville summer is renown.  As the Challenge entered its final hour, the thermometer registered a highly fitting 82° Fahrenheit!

Fitting, of course, because CPT Chris Scribner—a “JAG from Bragg”—arrived in C-ville around 0100, having driven up from the Center of the Universe to knock out this final requirement for JAGWAR membership.  He elected to negotiate the Triple-R Challenge a mere 36 hours after completing a 24.6-mile relay ruck march to commemorate the Army JAG Corps birthday!

CPT Scribner joined JAOBC students CPT Dominic Fiore, 1LT Katelyn Hammes, 1LT Luke Miller, and 1LT Trevor Potter in negotiating what is likely the Order’s most challenging course.

But the primary guest of honor was JAGWAR member MAJ Chris Monti, who traveled from Maryland to serve as the Challenge’s official Pacer—running, climbing, and rucking alongside the participants to cheer them on before personally awarding the finishers a JAGWAR coin at the finish line.

PHOTO: MAJ Monti briefs the Challenge participants on the contours of the Run route.

The TJAGLCS “Triple-R” follows a grueling route that snakes across the University of Virginia campus and winds through downtown Charlottesville, leveraging the hilly topography with which JAG Corps members first become familiar during morning PT sessions at the officer and paralegal basic courses.

The route distance in the attached Google Maps screenshot doesn’t reflect the 1½ loops around “The Park” and ascent up the TJAGLCS parking lot staircase, or the second time around Observatory Hill. Total Ruck March distance is 10 miles.

The three-event Challenge begins at Solidarity CrossFit, about two miles (as the crow flies) southwest of the Schoolhouse.  Earlier this year, Solidarity graciously partnered with the Order of the JAGWAR to support the Triple-R Induction Challenge’s “Rope Climb” event, in response to the removal of the 25’ climbing rope from its former perch behind TJAGLCS. Solidarity thus provides aspiring JAG Corps personnel with a means to hone their rope climbing skills, and is now the Charlottesville Triple-R’s official SP.  

From the Solidarity parking lot, participants undertake their first event, to wit, a 4-mile RUN. Racing two miles up Preston Avenue/Barracks Road, runners then veer up Millmont Street to the artist-formerly-known-as “Residence Inn” (it’s now a Sonesta Extended Stay Suites location), and then promptly “about face” to hightail it back to Solidarity CrossFit for the second event.

Changing from PTs into their ACUs, participants head into Solidarity CrossFit’s spacious gym for a quick rope climbing lesson, before individually ascending Solidarity’s 20’ climbing ROPE.

Then, it’s on to the Challenge’s third and final event:  the RUCK March, the route for which is strategically designed to celebrate downtown Charlottesville, tour UVA’s most iconic symbols, and trigger a TJAGLCS graduate’s nostalgia.

The first leg of the ruck yet again sets its sights on 1111 Millmont Street, once more traveling past the Barracks Road Shopping Center to Sonesta ES Suites.

Marchers then sneak their way around the hotel to the notorious “secret trail” through the woods to UVA’s “North Grounds” (more commonly known as “The Park”). 

Then it’s 1½ times around the fields before ascending the steep staircase up to the TJAGLCS parking lot, past the Schoolhouse’s front entrance, and onto Massie Road.

From Massie, marchers turn right onto Copeley Road and ruck past Palmer Park and Lannigan Field (Copeley turns into Alderman Road) until arriving at the intersection of McCormick Road. 

Then it’s up and around Observatory Hill!  

McCormick turns into Edgemont Road at the Observatory; when marchers reach the bottom of the hill, they conduct their second about-face of the Challenge and retrace their steps back up and around O-Hill until McCormick once again deposits them at the Alderman Road intersection.

Marchers stay on McCormick Road through UVA’s beautiful main campus until turning right on University Avenue, thereby presenting Challenge participants with a pristine backdrop of both the Rotunda and a statute of Thomas Jefferson, the University’s “founding Founding Father.”

The Declaration of Independence’s author designed the Rotunda to represent the “authority of nature and power of reason.” Jefferson modeled it after the Pantheon in Rome. He’s now depicted by statue in front of it.

Marchers race through scenic downtown as University Avenue becomes Main Street.  By the time participants have turned left up 10th Street NW en route back to Preston Avenue, they’re less than two miles to the finish line at Solidarity CrossFit!

In the following photos, MAJ Monti congratulates the finishers—drenched in sweat and nursing the morning’s wounds—and urges them to support their future JAG Corps colleagues in augmenting their Soldier skills.

Via handshake, he then presents them each with the official JAGWAR coin—earned by and awarded to all Triple-R Challenge finishers.

Following the Challenge (and desperately necessary showers thereafter), MAJ Monti treated all participants to a lunch at Three Notch’d Brewing Company, so as to trade (literal) war stories and offer pointers to the newly-minted Judge Advocates about their upcoming JAG Corps careers.

MAJ Monti poses with the four Triple-R Challenge finishers, proudly displaying their Order of the JAGWAR coins!

It was a reminder of how crucial are the JAGWAR’s efforts to further foster community and esprit de corps among the members of our “dual profession.”  Situated in the heart of our Regiment, there was something particularly special about a Triple-R Challenge conducted at TJAGLCS. 

 We look forward to the next iteration in Charlottesville.  Join us!

 

  Click HERE for detailed instructions re: the TJAGLCS (Charlottesville) Triple-R Challenge.

For those looking for turn-by-turn directions, click HERE for a Google Map that accurately details the TJAGLCS Triple-R Challenge course.  (Due to the limitations of Google Maps, this route doesn’t reflect the 1.5 iteration turn about The Park, the staircase, or the back-and-forth around O-Hill.)

"No legal objection, per se"

This article was published over two months ago, but Independence Day now affords us a proper opportunity to share it. We received MAJ Eric M. Liddick’s exceptional essay from one of our Captains in the field, along with the following thoughts authored by his supervisor as part of a “professional reading” series.

“This article was written by a fellow Judge Advocate: Major Eric Liddick. As he reflects upon his time as a legal advisor to a Special Operations Task Force, he discusses the role he played in determining whether people he never met would live or die. He was not the decision maker, the person pressing the launch button, nor the one squeezing the trigger. But his advice to his commander played a major role in determining whether those actions would occur.

Obviously, this article is most applicable to people advising commanders in a contingency operation. However, on a broader level it applies to you, too. Your advice as a legal advisor to an investigating officer, or as legal reviewer when assessing actions for legal sufficiency or preparing draft action memos, helps to shape command decisions. This, in turn, often has enormous impact on the lives of Soldiers whom you’ve never met—the subject, respondent, complainant, victim, family members, and others.”

No Legal Objection, Per Se
War on the Rocks

“This is a story about how a lawyer’s professional responsibilities, when tossed into the pressure cooker of combat, can produce unpalatable consequences; a story about the reaches of war and post-traumatic stress and moral injury on its less obvious participants; and how the hidden costs of war may be more expansive than we realize.”
— E.M. Liddick

The Army Drastically Limits Eligibility for Foreign Awards

We’ve finally received official clarification re: Army Directive 2021-20 (Eligibility Requirements for Accepting and Wearing Foreign Badges) published exactly one month ago on 21 May 2020. And it’s disappointing.

BLUF:

Obtaining foreign awards—be they foreign jump wings or foreign badges like the Norwegian Foot March badge—has just gotten a lot more difficult… to the point of functional impossibility for most Soldiers.

Following promulgation of this latest Army Directive, there are now only two possible routes to earning a foreign badge:

  1. Acceptance of foreign awards, such as individual skill badges, awards, or similar devices, presented as a result of exemplary participation in official military exchange programs. (See DoDI 1348.33 incorporating Change 4.)

  2. Acceptance of awards from foreign governments only in recognition of active combat service or for outstanding or unusually meritorious performance. Activities normally undertaken by the Armed Forces of the United States in support of an ally during peacetime are not considered sufficient to merit foreign individual or unit decorations. “Outstanding or unusually meritorious performance” is clarified to be of national significance to the foreign government and performed under exceptionally difficult, extraordinary, or hazardous conditions. (See AR 600-8-22, para 9-1(c).)

Fortunately, paragraph 4(f) of the Army Directive states that “Soldiers authorized to accept and wear foreign badges in accordance with [AR 600-8-22] before the release of this directive [21 May] continue to be so authorized.” But that’ll come as cold comfort for all the JAGWARriors who participated in the Norwegian Foot Marches we’ve been reporting on over the past few months.

Maybe it was too much of a good thing.
Maybe the Army wants to augment the prestige of awards issued by foreign governments.
Maybe the Army is trying to minimize all the clutter on those brand spanking new Army Greens.

Who can ever know? After all, many a Soldier has tried to divine meaning from or imbue significance to Army Directives, only to end up in a psych ward administered by the VA.

Whatever the case may be, I hope the Army soon devises some other sort of formal device that incentivizes participation in such worthy events as the Norwegian Foot March. Because, after all:

““A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.””
— Napoleon Bonaparte

In the meantime, we’ll close out our Norwegian Foot March summer series with a last look at some of the uniformed legal professionals who so rigorously challenged themselves. How fitting that we end with “a JAG at Bragg.”

Newly-promoted CPT Christopher Scribner positively threw himself into the cause of rallying his OSJA colleagues to join him in undertaking the 18.6-mile trek past Drop Zones. He orchestrated a robust training regimen and handled all the administrative coordination necessary to register his colleagues to participate.

Featured in the accompanying photo from left to right is CPT Scribner, MAJ Olesea Roan, 1LT Liu, and CPT Antonino Monea following their successful overnight completion of the NFM, which kicked off on the evening of 17 June 2021.

Great job, guys! Way to represent the “Soldier First, Lawyer Always” spirit of the U.S. Army JAG Corps!

CSM Bostic and Our "Dual Profession"

When the U.S. Army JAG Corps’s regimental Command Sergeant Major opines in the pages of the Army Lawyer, it’s probably wise to take a knee and settle into “receive mode.” 

CSM Michael J. Bostic’s article appears in 2021’s Issue 1 with a literal “call to arms,” rallying Army paralegals to engage both aspects of our “dual profession” and vividly detailing how they interrelate. 

“We must find ways to remain ready in our field craft as Soldiers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) just as much as we need to remain relevant in our technical trade as paralegal specialists,” he writes.  “Building on all types of experiences at each of these levels results in a true dual professional—the Soldier-paralegal—who enhances any type of mission with both technical and tactical skills.”

His words couldn’t possibly align any closer with the JAGWAR mission!  Since our founding in 2016, the Order of the JAGWAR has worked diligently to administer and facilitate Corps-wide opportunities to develop Soldier skills in tandem with our legal acumen. 

In connecting judge advocates, paralegals, and legal administrators to jointly undertake the Triple-R Challenge or train for such events as the Bataan Death March, All-American Marathon, or German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge test, we endeavor to augment our Regiment’s athleticism, weapons familiarity, and tactical proficiency.  It would appear that CSM Bostic approves!

“As dual professionals, we need to leverage our experiences, training, and technical expertise—as well as our education—to support lethality. . . . Regardless of our technical Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), our field craft is our foundation for service. We serve to fight and win our Nation’s wars.”

CSM Bostic’s words apply just as aptly to 27As as they do to the 27Ds he’s addressing.  So get after it, JAGWARriors!  Never forget that there’s a reason your uniform is camouflage, not a suit-and-tie. 

Thanks for your thoughts, CSM!  We’ll give you the last word:

“Most unit leaders appreciate our technical (advisory) role. Yet we add more value when we can share more in common with our unit (client). When assigned to the 82d Airborne Division, jump and run often; at the 101st Airborne Division, complete air assault school; at the 10th Calvary Division, complete your spur ride . . . the list goes on and on. We have to embrace organizational culture, regardless of the type of unit or role we serve in. So the answer to where you belong—technical versus tactical in our dual profession—is, of course, both.”

The First "Triple-R Challenge" of 2021!

ALCON:

The Order of the JAGWAR is ecstatic to announce that a year to the day since the COVID-19 pandemic compelled us to suspend administrations of the Triple-R Challenge, we’re officially back in business! To wit, the very first Triple-R Induction Challenge of 2021 will kickoff exactly eight weeks from now in the epicenter of the Army JAG Corps’s beating heart.

That’s right, folks… at 0730 on Sunday, 18 July 2021, the JAGWAR will host a Triple-R Challenge in the shadow of The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, throughout scenic Charlottesville, Virginia.

We’re thrilled to stage a Challenge at our Regimental home in partnership with Solidarity CrossFit, which has graciously agreed to grant access to a climbing rope—now that our beloved TJAGLCS no longer dangles just outside. It is by far the JAGWAR’s most grueling Triple-R Challenge course.

Thanks to the diligence and enterprise of a current JAOBC student, so far 9 newly minted Judge Advocates will undertake the 4-mile run, rope climb, and 10-mile ruck in the dead heat of a Virginia summer.

The Challenge is open to all JAG Corps members (current and former, active duty and reserve component, officer and enlisted). Email jagwar@orderofthejagwar.com if you’d like to “fall in” with these ambitious “piss-and-vinegar” JAOBC students.

The 10-mile Ruck March route requires two rings around the Leander McCormick Observatory (“O-Hill”) before heading through the University of Virginia campus and returning to the step-off point at Solidarity CrossFit.

An Obstacle Course in the Pines...

Two years ago, we shared devastating reports that Fort Bragg’s DeGlopper Air Assault School was, after a nine-month hiatus, officially shutting down.  Losing that opportunity at the very Center of the Universe was a huge disappointment to the many Bragg-based attorneys and paralegals who sought a shot at capturing those coveted Air Assault wings.

While it’s paltry consolation, the JAGWAR can at least point those 27As/Ds “back at Bragg” in the direction of the National Athletic Village (NAV), a commercial facility which has functionally replicated the Army-style obstacle courses made notorious at its varied Air Assault Schools.

If you’re stationed at Fort Bragg, head on over to the NAV in Southern Pines, and give the obstacle course a spin. 

Those of you fortunate enough to have secured your Air Assault Badge at DeGlopper might enjoy the nostalgic thrill of reliving Day Zero by negotiating the course. 

But more vitally, since those who secure the privilege of an Air Assault School slot at another installation—as a reward for performance, or perhaps pursuant to TDY en route upon your PCS—won’t get the benefit of a second chance, training on course obstacles in advance will be crucial to ensuring you don’t get hemmed-up right out the gate.

Is the NAV course as rigorous as what you’ll encounter at Sabalauski?  Nope.  But if your unit won’t give you the keys to Bragg’s various obstacle lanes, it’s better than nothing.  And who doesn’t like spending a day in the Pines?

National Athletic Village
201 Air Tool Drive
Southern Pines, NC 28387
910-585-3212

JAG Corps Rockstars Coordinate NFM at Fort Sill

Today, we celebrate not just the more than 325 Soldiers who competed in the Norwegian Foot March early yesterday morning at Fort Sill, but also the U.S. Army JAG Corps’s very own CPT Justin Hayes and SGT Allan Nguyen—who orchestrated the whole shebang by themselves!

Embracing the JAGWAR mission, these individuals originally intended to support a Marsjmerket administration just for their colleagues in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate.  Yet word of the March quickly spread around post, and their event exploded from an initial 18 marchers until it boasted participants from every unit on the installation!


And so it was that in the early morning hours of 30 April 2021—and with special permission from the Norwegian Embassy—Fort Sill’s most determined undertook the 18.6 mile ruckmarch with 25 lbs on their backs.

We spoke with CPT Hayes, who refused to accept any accolades.  Instead, he graciously thanked the other participating battalions which provided critical logistical support for what is—by our estimation—the largest Norwegian Foot March of 2021.   

According to CPT Hayes, 1-79 Field Artillery Battalion, 2-18 Field Artillery Battalion, and 1-30 Field Artillery Battalion responded in full force with medics and CLS personnel, water buffalos, tables, clocks, and more. That’s to say nothing of the 41 volunteers who worked the registration tables, kept official time, and manned the water points along the route.

Participants from PFC through LTC joined members from allied forces of Sweden, France, and Israel, as well as Cadets from both Texas Christian University and Baylor University, plus Army Reserve and National Guard personnel who travelled to Fort Sill specifically for the March.  Of the original 325, 191 participants successfully earned the Norwegian Foot March badge.

CPT Shawn McKillip, Battery Commander of Charlie Battery, 95th AG Battalion, locked in the fastest male time at 3:16:23.

CPT Sarah Harvey, Legal Assistance Attorney, Fort Sill OSJA, did the U.S. Army JAG Corps proud with the fastest female time of 3:53:59. (Could she be our next JAGWARrior?)

SGT Nguyen and CPT Hayes did more than just manage this massive iteration of the NFM; they also led a class for their attorney and paralegal colleagues on the history of the event, proper rucksack packing, rucking form, basic first aid, foot care, nutrition and hydration, and recovery.  They then led a training regime consisting of ruck marches two days per week every week for two months.  Reportedly, 13 members of the OSJA competed; 9 of them successfully earned the badge.

SGT Nguyen and CPT Hayes are old hats when it comes to the marsjmerket; this was their third official competition.  At 2300 on 29 April, they began setup and on-site registration, before stepping off at 0130, separating the 325 participants into 4 heats, 10 minutes apart, to help mitigate the COVID-19 risk.

CPT Hayes and SGT Nguyen, you bring great honor upon yourselves, the U.S. Army JAG Corps, and the Order of the JAGWAR.  You’re a credit to the Fort Sill OSJA, and we commend you for your initiative… and your latest Norwegian Foot March success!

Marsjmerket: WORLDWIDE in 2021

Results and coverage of the first Norwegian Foot Marches of 2021 are trickling in.  As we noted just a couple weeks ago, COVID-19 mitigation measures have prompted a historic relaxation of the previously onerous requirement of securing an on-site Norwegian official to certify participation and completion.  With that factor no longer an obstacle to orchestrating this grueling event, units throughout the Army’s global footprint are exploiting this short-lived opportunity to dramatic fanfare, and the JAGWAR is pleased to announce that several Judge Advocates and paralegals have already attained their Norwegian Foot March Badge—one of many mechanisms by which to fulfill the Order’s membership criteria.

In addition to receiving a foreign badge signifying their successful completion of the Norwegian Foot March, marchers also receive a snazzy certificate, signed by the certifying Norwegian official.

In 2021, the requirement that the Norwegian official be physically present was relaxed due to COVID-19.

On the other side of the world at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, 384 of the 461 Soldiers who negotiated the 18.6 mile course successfully finished the march, administered on both 7 and 14 March 2021.  This particular administration was a true joint effort, coordinated by a couple of enterprising First Lieutenants from both the United States and Norwegian armies, and undertaken by troops from across the coalition and up-and-down the rank spectrum, to include Australian Army Maj. Gen. Christopher A. Field, the U.S. Army Central Command deputy commanding general for operations.

Just a few days later on America’s west coast, the 514th Medical Company (Ground Ambulance) hosted a Norwegian Foot March at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for more than 300 Soldiers on 19 March 2021. 

A Norwegian Foot Marcher weighs his rucksack at the starting line to ensure he’s within the standard.

Two weeks later, on 2 April 2021, Servicemembers from all across the Armed Forces for a pre-dawn step off at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.  SFC Jenna McAllister, USCENTCOM Commander’s Action Group admin noncommissioned officer in charge, said it best:  “Foreign badges usually involve a unique challenge and integration with coalition partners that enhance one's overall experience in the military.  Earning this is special because it’s one of the few foreign military badges you can wear on the uniform.”

And then it was back to Kuwait for an overnight administration of the Norwegian Foot March at Camp Buehring, 17-18 April 2021, with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.  Nearly a hundred Soldiers undertook this arduous challenge, though it appears the 1st place finisher—Army Chaplain CPT Justin Thomas—benefitted from a bit of support from his most divinely supreme of tech chain commanders. 

Stay tuned!  In just a couple days, we hope to have updates on a Norwegian Foot March organized by enterprising officers and enlisted Soldiers with one of our very own OSJAs!

2021 : Get your Norwegian Foot March Badge!

The COVID-19 pandemic has been globally devastating, and especially so in America.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus rendered 2020 the deadliest year in U.S. history (the 3.2 million deaths was about 400,000 more than those recorded in 2019).  Just last month, the U.S. endured its most deadly day yet, with a total of 5,077 fatalities directly attributable to COVIID-19.  And though the promise of force-wide vaccinations have helped slow the viral onslaught and afforded the first few glimmers of a someday return to normalcy, much of what we once knew remains suspended, postponed, cancelled, and disrupted—to include the JAGWAR’s administrations of the Triple-R Challenge.

Yet the news isn’t all bad; in response to COVID-19, previously unheard of opportunities are materializing in time for the brave-and-the-bold to seize them!  Exhibit A:  the chance to knock out the Norwegian Foot March, which circumstance and logistics may previously have compelled you to put on the back burner. 

The Order of the JAGWAR can confirm that the Norwegian Embassy has temporarily (through 1 August 2021) suspended the usual requirement that a Norwegian official be present to certify participants’ successful completion of the event.  In response, U.S. Army installations worldwide are scrambling to orchestrate their own administrations of this grueling challenge, thereby delivering to Soldiers a fleeting opportunity to earn one of the DoD’s few recognized foreign badges.  (Official Norwegian certification will be provided remotely.)

The standards for this event, as we’ve detailed over the years on our Events page, are as follow:

  1. Completion of the 18.6 mile (30 kilometer course) within the applicable time standard (see below) wearing the duty uniform and boots.

  2. Your issued Army rucksack must weigh a minimum of 25 pounds. (Some units may also require the hand-carry of their assigned weapon (or rubber ducky)). 

  3. Completion of the event prior to the start of Begin Morning Nautical Twilight (BMNT), followed by participants’ reporting for a full duty day following the event.

  4. Hooah.

TIME STANDARDS 

Age Male Time Standard       Female Time Standard

18-34     4:30        4:50
35-42     4:35        5:00
43-49     4:40        5:15
50-54     4:50        5:30
55-59     5:00        5:45
60+         5:15        6:00

There are three different Norwegian Foot March Badges available to those who undertake the challenge: 

  • Bronze signifies 1-3 completions of the March

  • Silver signifies 4-6 completions

  • Gold signifies 7 or more

Looking to upgrade your badge? Knocking out multiple marches over the next few months is a once-in-an-Army-career opportunity; don’t let it go to waste!

Below is a curated list of installations hosting the Norwegian Foot March throughout the next five months, courtesy of an intrepid Good Samaritan on Reddit.  Start poking around your unit, and see if you can seize 2021’s lowest of hanging fruits to meet the criteria for JAGWAR membership!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

7 March – Camp Arifjan, Kuwait – Hosting Unit: 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
14 March – Camp Arifjan, Kuwait – Hosting Unit: 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) 19 March – JBLM – Hosting Unit: 514th Medical Company (Ground Ambulance)
17 April – Camp Beuhring, Kuwait – Hosting Unit: 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade
30 April – JBLM, WA – Hosting Unit: D CO, 1-14 CAV
30 April – Fort Hood, TX – Hosting Unit: 8 BEB
30 April – Fort Riley, KS – Hosting Unit: 1-1 BEB
30 April – Fort Bliss, TX – Hosting Unit: WBAMC Troop Command
30 April – Fort Harrison, MT – Hosting Unit: MTARNG
1 May – Fort Sill, OK – Hosting Unit: FCOE
1 May – West Point, NY – Hosting Unit: USMA
1 May – Letterkenny Army Depot, PA – Hosting Unit: LAD MP
3 May – Camp Atterbury, IN – Hosting Unit: Operations Group Wolf, 1st Army
3 May – Morehead State University, KY – Hosting Unit: MSU ROTC
4 May – JBER, AK – Hosting Unit: 6 BEB
5 May – Fort Campbell, KY – Hosting Unit: 1-75 CAV
6 May – Eglin AFB – Hosting Unit: 7 SFG
7 May – Camp Casey, South Korea – Hosting Unit: 1-41 FA
7 May – Fort Huachuca, AZ – Hosting Unit: 40 ESB
13 May – JBLM, WA – Hosting Unit: C CO, 1-23 IN
14 May – JBLM, WA – Hosting Unit: HHB, DIVARTY
14 May – Fort Bragg, NC – Hosting Unit: 122 ASB
14 May – Fort Lee, VA – Hosting Unit: Transportation BOLC
14 May – Fort Gordon, GA – Hosting Unit: 782 CY BN
14 May – Brainerd, MN – Hosting Unit: Brainerd Recruiting CO
14 May – Fort Lee, VA – Hosting Unit: Transportation BOLC
15 May – WCEC/Taylor, TX – Hosting Unit: 343 MCT
18 May – Camp Humphreys, South Korea – Hosting Unit: 643 ESC
21 May – Syracuse, NY – Hosting Unit: Syracuse ROTC
21 May – Fort Hood, TX – Hosting Unit: 1-5 CAV
21 May – JBER, AK – Hosting Unit: 1-40 CAV
21 May – Fort Lee, VA – Hosting Unit: Transportation BOLC
24 May – Fort Riley, KS – Hosting Unit: 1-1 BEB
26 May – Fort Campbell, KY – Hosting Unit: 1-187 IN
27 May – Camp Parks, CA – Hosting Unit: JIOC-W
27 May – Camp Bullis, TX – Hosting Unit: 470 MI BDE
27 May – Fort Carson, CO – Hosting Unit: 576 RCC
27 May – Fort Wainwright, AK – Hosting Unit: 1-52 GSAB
27 May – Rota, Spain – Hosting Unit: PHA-Italy, Rota Branch
28 May – Lubbock, TX – Hosting Unit: 2-142 IN
28 May – Ellensburg, WA, – Hosting Unit: Central Washington University ROTC
28 May – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Hosting Unit: State College Recruiting Company
28 May – Fort Wainwright, AK – Hosting Unit: 2-8 FA
29 May – Concord, NH – Hosting Unit: NHARNG
2 June – Fort Riley, KS – Hosting Unit 2-34 AR
2 June – Fort Drum, NY – Hosting Unit: DIV OSJA
4 June – Fort Bragg, NC – Hosting Unit: 50 ESB-E
6 June – Mountain View, CA – 445th CA BN
14-16 June – Grafenwöhr, Germany – Hosting Unit: 41 FAB
16 June – Fort Stewart, GA – 92 EN BN
17 June – Fort Bragg, NC – Hosting Unit: 82 STB
18 June – Fort Bragg, NC – Hosting Unit: 50 ESB-E
18 June – Fort Lee, VA – Hosting Unit: Transportation BOLC
18 June – Schofield Barracks, Hawaii – Hosting Unit: 2-27 IN
20 June – Grafenwöhr, Germany – Hosting Unit: 457 CA BN
30 June – Rota, Spain – Hosting Unit: PHA-Italy, Rota Branch
1 July – Fort Meade, MD – Hosting Unit: 302nd SIG BN
1 July – Fort Gordon, GA – Hosting Unit: 150 CPT  
6-9 July – Fort Drum, NY – Hosting Unit: 59 CM CO  
11 July – Grafenwöhr, Germany – Hosting Unit: 457 CA BN
16 July – Fort Detrick, MD – Hosting Unit: 114th SIG BN  
18 July – Mountain View, CA – Hosting Unit 14 PSYOP BN  
30 July – Rota, Spain – Hosting Unit: PHA-Italy, Rota Branch  

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Norwegian Army instituted the NFM in 1915 as it built up its own conscript Army to support the country's armed neutrality posture during World War I. Today the Norwegian Army uses the foot march, or marsjmerket, to assess Soldiers’ overall physical fitness and to build unit cohesion.

MAJ Brent Thompson : The Consummate "Dual Professional"

2020 was a surreal and harrowing year for everyone, to include the several JAGWAR members who contracted COVID-19 or whose longtime ambitions to attend Army schools were dashed by quarantine restrictions.  The pandemic even hindered the Order of the JAGWAR itself, compelling the cancellation or postponement of seven scheduled “Triple-R Challenges” across the Army JAG Corps. 

But although we’re all eager for 2021’s arrival, let’s end the year with an inspirational success story—one that recognizes a fellow “dual professional” for embodying our Corps’s “Soldier First, Lawyer Always” ethos.  

On 13 November 2020, at Camp Gonsalves’s Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC) in Okinawa, Japan, MAJ Brent W. Thompson became the very first Army Judge Advocate to graduate from the United States Marine Corps Basic Jungle Skills Course (more colloquially known as “Jungle School”). 

Established in 1958 and spanning over 8,900 acres, JWTC is the Defense Department’s oldest and largest jungle training facility.  And you won’t find a Jungle School “war story” more badass than that of MAJ Thompson, who spent the final 2.5 days of the course with a broken arm dangling uselessly by his side.

“On rappel day, I had a nasty fall on a hasty rappel and my arm immediately hurt like crazy,” Thompson told us earlier this month.  “I could barely lift it anymore.”

Yet he nonetheless conducted a full day and night of jungle patrols, followed by a “Jungle Endurance Course” comprised of 31 obstacles—hasty rappels, rope climbs, water obstacles, and the notorious “Pit and Pond”—over the course of six kilometers.

“After I graduated and got home that evening, my wife drove me to the E.R.,” Thompson said.  “Turns out, I’d spent the last 2 ½ days of the course with a broken arm.” 

MAJ Thompson—whose wife is a nurse practitioner (and former Army airborne E.R. nurse!)—concedes that his perseverance was “incredibly stupid.”  Yet he claims he “was just too stubborn to give up in a course where the average Marine was literally half my age.”

This is probably where you should take a second to head on over to the JAGWAR gift shop, so you can pick up one of our MAJ Thompson action figures.  I mean, right?

Left/Center/Right: Jungle School!

Left/Center/Right: Jungle School!

The fact that MAJ Thompson—current Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 10th Regional Support Group & U.S. Army Okinawa—elected to undertake this challenge was pretty par for the course.  Because in addition to boasting unassailable credentials as a legal professional, MAJ Thompson is also an accomplished Soldier.

His story starts in Columbus, Montana, where he was born to a family of fifth generation cattle ranchers.  At age 18, Thompson enlisted in the infantry, and served with the 2d Infantry Division until commissioning through an Army “Green to Gold” ROTC Scholarship.  He was the Distinguished Honor Graduate at both the Armor Officer Basic Course and the Army Reconnaissance Course, and then—after stints as an anti-armor platoon leader, infantry rifle platoon leader, and scout platoon leader in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment—he obtained his Juris Doctor from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University through the Army’s Funded Legal Education Program.

Before we detail his legal acumen, though, it’s worth inventorying his achievements as a warfighter—which include successful graduations from the Army’s Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault, and Pathfinder Schools, as well as award of a slew of badges (e.g., the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, the Norwegian Foot March Badge, and the Combat Action Badge).

Yet these indicia of his proficiency as a Soldier would be meaningless if not complemented by achievements from the other side of our dual profession.  Unsurprisingly, MAJ Thompson stacks up as an Army lawyer, too, what with his Master of Laws in International and Operational Law from TJAGLCS, his Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, his Master of Public Administration from the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill, and his graduation (with distinction!) from the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College Staff Officers’ Course. 

All these scholastic accolades undergird a wildly successful career as a Judge Advocate, which includes assignments as a Chief of Administrative Law (25th ID), as a Brigade Judge Advocate (2IBCT, 25th ID), as a Battalion Judge Advocate (2d BN, 7th SFG(A)), as both a Trial Counsel and Operational Law attorney (3IBCT, 1st AD), and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. 

I mean, when you see it all enumerated like that, isn’t there a part of you that kinda hates him?

Whatev.  The fact is, it’s an honor to serve in this man’s Army.  He truly brings great credit upon our JAG Corps, and exemplifies the twin imperatives that all JAG Corps attorneys, paralegals, and legal administrators should embrace:

To relentlessly challenge ourselves to be better legal professionals and soldiers, and to thereby always Be Ready.

(With our sincerest gratitude to MAJ Thompson for his support, inspiration, and indulgence.)

Where the Blood Runs Cold

The Army Times is out with an interesting article, and—derivatively—it highlights the imperative that Army judge advocates and paralegals embrace the “Soldier First, Lawyer Always” ethos of our Corps.

The report details a “line of effort underway to find soldiers well-tuned to the Arctic environment”, wherein the Army Recruiting Command is seeking to “recruit soldiers who grew up in cold weather environments to serve in Army Alaska units,” leveraging the backgrounds and aptitudes of those already “accustomed to the cold and its deleterious effects on batteries, energy consumption and the human body”.

This is a fascinating turn of events, given the past 20-year transformation to a standardized, interoperable “Brigade Combat Team” oriented Army.  Because of the military’s relentless focus on the Middle East (to the near exclusion of all other AOs), Army equipment and training is “very similar across the force and we no longer had niche capabilities to operate in very unique environments.”

That’s changing.  With the inevitable end of America’s wartime engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan (no, like, for really real this time, guys, for real), the Army is pivoting to renew relationships with strategic allies in environments not exclusively defined by mountains, sand, and mountains of sand.  It’s a big world out there; conflicts with the “near-peer” adversaries openly competing for strategic dominance will not be exclusively confined to CENTCOM.

In the years to come, U.S. tactical competence in cold weather climates will be critical to both deterring aggression at the poles, and to decisively responding should it occur.  And that, at long last, brings me to the BLUF.

Army lawyers and paralegals may not always have the luxury of heated TOCs safely removed from the battlefield, and subzero temperatures aren’t something you should let sneak up on you.  As the Germans (and French before them) will attest, there ain’t no enemy like Winter.  It’s therefore incumbent on all of us to remember that overcoming the physical hardships posed by “the cold” is the very first step to ensuring that we can apply the intellect and legal reasoning for which we’re known.

We’re dual professionals, and all JAG Corps members should be prepared to cultivate their cold-weather capabilities if called upon to contribute to an arctic mission.  Mental toughness, physical resolve… these are the base ingredients of the Army legal professional… ready to advise, advocate, and answer at any time, in any climate, anywhere.