TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, FL -- People who base their perception of military lawyers on the television show "JAG" most likely think those in the judge advocate general profession are pilots, traveling from courtroom to courtroom in high performance military aircraft. They may also believe military legal professionals have the uncanny ability to solve and prosecute any case in less than 60 minutes.
While that would definitely be a career worth having, the reality is that Air Force JAGs do not fly, and their cases can take months to prosecute.
The upside, however, is that being a JAG offers a fast-paced, diverse and rewarding career for those who are looking for a challenge.
Every JAG is a licensed, practicing attorney, though there are vast differences between them and their civilian counterparts, according to Maj. Mark Hatch, 325th Fighter Wing deputy staff judge advocate here.
"As a civilian attorney, working in a large law firm, the bottom line is often money," Hatch said. "As a civilian attorney, you have to track fractions of hours and photocopies for billing purposes, you have to worry about bringing new clients to the firm and there's always the corporate ladder to climb."
Unlike civilian law firms, the Air Force legal system is a public service rather than a private practice. Unlike their civilian counterparts, JAGs provide legal assistance to military members free of charge.
When most people think of JAGs, they envision someone getting in trouble. Although the legal office advises commanders and supervisors on appropriate discipline for misconduct, their involvement is not necessarily bad.
"There is a perception that if (the JAG office) is involved, it's got to be a bad thing, but I don't think that's a complete picture," said Lt. Col. Carol Hubbard, 325th FW staff judge advocate. "While we do advise commanders, we also make sure any proposed actions are fair."
While the JAG office prosecutes military criminals, there is a lot more going on in the legal world than crime. The office also provides free legal assistance to military members such as drafting powers of attorney and wills, and resolving claims issues when household goods are lost or damaged.
JAGs also play a major role during deployments. Before troops leave their home base, JAGs handle questions about financial obligations and help reservists and guardsmen recalled to active duty deal with employment issues.
Deployed JAGs can serve in one of two areas. A JAG assigned at base level may deal with a host of issues, such as military justice, claims, construction, contracting and environmental matters. Other JAGs play one of the most important roles during a military campaign: providing support to an Air Operations Center, which conducts the air campaign. The role of the JAG in this arena can run the gamut from helping with initial planning of the air tasking order to determining rules of engagement and identifying appropriate targets.
