Tag: JUDGE ADVOCATE

A great leadership discussion on Wednesday has led to more ... and less.  I was very excited to share some of my small-group leadership discussion with the rest of the world on Wednesday.  We were talking about the challenges of leading warrant officers, enlisted paralegals, and civilians as part of our series of seminar discussion about leadership in the JAG Corps.  (I used the #jagcldrship hashtag, so you can check out the discussion on Twitter -- and keep it going.)  The big take-away from the discussion was that there was a lot of uncertainty in the room about the role of our warrant officers, our legal administrators.  The judge advocates in the room all had some assumptions about what legal administrators should and shouldn't be responsible for, but our collective experiences lacked any sort of coherence in terms of actually understanding their role.  On paper, the guidance available doesn't seem to provide much actual guidance, and a few bad experiences have colored much of our judgment of legal administrators, generally.

As expected, there wasn't much participation in the conversation via Twitter.  Part of that was my fault - I was using TweetDeck from my laptop and kept posting from the wrong account and dropping the hashtag; being involved in the conversation in the room kept me from complete focus on the (limited) technical requirements of writing it down.  Part of it was a lack of interest, awareness, or time to participate -- really, of the handful of people reading this blog, how many have time to stop what they're doing on Wednesday morning for an hour and tune into Twitter?  But we did get a few comments (most of which didn't include the hashtag, so they won't show up in the hashtag link above).  And more important, the discussion was available to read long after the conversation was over.

Yesterday, I got an email from a friend of mine (warrant officer in the JAG Corps) who said she was interested in the leadership discussion on Twitter.  It was clear to her that I/we didn't really have a good grasp of the warrant officers' role in the JAG Corps. She offered to school me - and I've taken her up on it.  Even better, she's sent that conversation on to some other warrant officers within our Corps and I think our little one-hour discussion on Wednesday is going to be a catalyst for some re-thinking about where we are the JAGC, whether our actual "corporate culture" matches our hopes and expectations.  I know I need to know more, and I suspect I'm not the only one who will get some value out of the larger discussion that's started.

But there is a downside.  (But at least it's a pretty minor one.)  While that was the first of our leadership discussions I'd planned to live-Twitter, it will unfortunately be the last.  Sharing what's happening here at school via Twitter (or this blog) is ok; doing so during class, not so much.  So, going forward, I'll recap the conversations as accurately as possible and will share them here.  But this means that YOU have a bigger contribution to make!  Instead of just 'listening' to me write or tweet about leadership, we need to actually have a conversation.  Leave a comment here, or, better yet, comment on Twitter.  Just remember the hashtag (#jagcldrship)!

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Well, for those who were waiting for last week's leadership discussion, I apologize.  A last-minute trip to the doctor for some recurring low-back pain kept me out of school for the day.  Luckily, leadership training continues!  Today we'll be tackling: Leading Legal Administrators, Paralegals, and Civilians.  This should be an interesting discussion - particularly as regards civilians. 

I'll be live-Twittering the discussion, using the #jagcldrship hashtag.  Feel free to listen in or -- even better! -- add to the discussion.  We'll be starting at about 10:15 (in just 30 minutes!) and it will last about an hour (or a little more).  Come check it out.

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The 181st Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course arrived in Charlottesville on Friday. They’ve been training since Super Bowl Sunday at Fort Lee and are now beginning 10 ½ weeks of academic training here at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. Today was the first day of PT here at the School. As we’ve done for the last two OBC classes, MAJ Montas and I are running a few days a week with one of the run groups. We’re not the fastest group, but everyone seems motivated, anxious to enjoy themselves and to get ready to head out to their units.

This was the first day of PT for me in about 2 months. I sprained my back while shoveling some of C’ville’s record snow in December. (Nothing like throwing your back out to make it clear you’re not as young as you used to be.) It was absolutely great to get out running again – a clear, cool morning with a deep red rising sun. Beautiful!

Now it’s back to writing (and class, of course). The research paper is due in about 2 weeks, so it’s time for the final push!

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Yesterday was another great discussion about leadership here at the Grad Course.  Because this is more than 'just' and LL.M. program, we are spending time talking about leadership.  The goal is to make all of us more ready to take charge of our corners of the JAG Corps when we head off to our new assignments this fall.

This semester, our Professional Development Program includes a series of small group discussion with some of the senior officers on the faculty.  It's an opportunity to sit down with about a dozen classmates and talk about what we've seen in our previous assignments and what we hope to do when we get back out to the field.  In the first four weeks of discussions we've talked about: the levels of organizational leadership; authority and influence; organizational vision and culture; and team building.  The exchange of ideas and perspectives has been great; we don't always agree, and that leads to some great back and forth. 

For yesterday's discussion, I live-Twittered via my Twitter presence, @MAJGrimes.  I ran it by my group's 'mentors' and they've given me the go-ahead to do so for the next couple weeks' conversations.  So, if you're interested in what sort of thoughts go into the building of JAG Corps leaders, tune in.  To make it easy to follow, I'll be using a hashtag (#jagcldrship).  Or better yet, offer some thoughts I can share with the group!   I hope this will be an interesting opportunity for everyone involved.  Our next meeting will be on *xxxxxxxxxxx*, from 1000-1200.  Tune in!

(By the way, the hashtag I chose has some significance.  It incorporates the Judge Advocate General's Corps' initials (JAGC) with the acronym we use for the Army Values (pronounced: "leadership"): Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honesty, Integrity, and Personal Courage.)

UPDATE: Next leadership discussion (#jagcldrship) will take place on March 10th, 1000-1200.

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16 Feb. 2010—The one thing I learned today is that breathing in gas really gels the unit together. Today was the gas chamber so after PT at 5:50 we had to show up at 9 to go to the chambers. Once there, we had 4 different 45 minute stations about detecting chemical/ biological/ radioactive/ or nuclear agents, maintaining and cleaning your mask, decontaminating yourself and gear, and how to properly wear your protective gear.

After that, we got to enjoy our MRE’s and sit in the sun (as today was ridiculously cold). Luckily the vegetarian lasagna tasted exactly like spaghetti so I got it down. I usually pack a sandwich too just as a midafternoon snack as you can get hungry being out there so long. We stripped down to just our ACU’s, no gloves, no patches, no hats and some of us got masks (others had to wait for some to come out and clean theirs).

When it was finally our turn, ten would go into the chamber at a time with masks on. We ran around in a circle for about 30 seconds and a few others and me were cheering and laughing it up as the mask helped filter everything. Then we had to break the seal, put the mask back on, clear the agent out, and continue to exercise (jumping jacks). Some of my friends had trouble getting a good seal again and therefore breathed in a lot more than I did. After that we got into a line, took the mask completely off and had to yell our name and numbers out before we could exit. I got through my name before my voice sounded like I was a 95 year old smoker.

Once out, everyone cheers but you cant really see it as your eyes are watering like crazy and burning. your skin is on fire, you have snot running down your face, and you are coughing. Because the agent sticks to you, you cant rub your eyes (and believe me you want to). After about 5 minutes the effects had warn off and everyone was laughing. I don’t think anyone puked but there were some awesome stories. One of the prior service guys who is about 40 and a former ranger (real bad ass) walked through the chamber and out like it was nothing, he probably enjoyed being out of the cold and in the chamber more than being outside! Afterwards, everyone had a great bond...there is something about seeing someone at their worst (snot running, coughing, red eyes, skin burning) that brings you closer together. Considering the effects only lasted about 5 minutes at the most, it was a lot of fun and a good laughing experience!
 

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13-15 Feb. These days have been a lot more fun than some of the others. Over the past few days we got to play soldier a lot more and were outside most of the time (being that it hasn’t gotten above 40 degrees and 2 of the 3 days were rainy/snowy, could have been better weather). For those of you who want the best job ever, go into the July or September classes if you get the chance.

On the 13th we went to the EST 2000 which is basically a high tech 9mm simulator. Although there was a lot of waiting around, it was fun to go into the dark simulator room with the life like 9mm. The thing makes noise, kicks, and needs reloading with the slide falling back. Although we were told that these things were a good indicator of our shooting, only 3 of the 8 people in my small class passed (me being one!!!). The toy shot a little up and to the left but for the most part could be adjusted to get a passing score. Once done with that and while waiting for the others, we practiced drill and ceremony outside in the mud and rain. Learning some of the cadences has been fun as well and makes you feel a lot warmer any more enthusiastic.

On the 14 we had AWP (army warrior training) which was a ton of fun (despite the cold weather). We had 8 stations set out throughout the woods which consisted of camouflage, first aid, map reading, medical evacuations, compass training, unexploded ordinance, and using SINCGARS (radios). After that we got some M16’s and had to do charges and low crawl/high crawl. Although it was cold, it was pretty awesome learning all of this stuff and getting to use it out there (again, cant believe we are getting paid for this). The charge was hilarious as everyone was making gun shot noises and screaming like crazy.

On the 15 we finally got to go out to the range and fire 9mm’s (no more duck hunt like simulation). We had 8 man fire teams and were taken to a range where targets would pop up from behind hills for about 2-3 seconds. You had 30 rounds and had to try to get as many pts possible. Although it was 40 degrees and drizzling, everyone had a good time. I got to go twice (volunteered to go again) and qualified as a sharp shooter and then an expert (which is the best category). When we weren’t, shooting, most of us practiced DNC and then enjoyed our second day straight of MRE’s (which now heat up and have some good flavors). I got spaghetti twice in a row (which is really good ) but we will see tomorrow as I finally got a bad looking one in vegetarian lasagna. Tomorrow is the gas chamber so Ill surely have more to report then ?.
 

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8-11 Feb. Most of these days start around 5am (some I wake up in the 4am which being from Texas means 3 am until my body gets adjusted to the time). This year has been pretty bad with winter weather and its snowed at least twice since we’ve been here and is usually in the 20s when we go out for PT in the morning.

1st Sgt and the Chief divided us into two platoons and assigned student leadership (chain of command consisting of all prior enlisted) to help everyone with the drastic learning curve. For example, we have about 10 days to learn what most new enlistees spend a month on. The first few days of PT were designed to help us learn the order of things and get everyone accustomed to the working out. The hard part is that if the PT isn’t rigorous, by the time we get out around 5pm (1700 hrs) its hard to get up motivation to go and lift weights in the gym (but a lot of us still do).

The days consist mostly of meetings, briefings, and a lot of paperwork to get everyone in all the systems, learn how to talk to media, suicide prevention, health insurance, life insurance, wear and appearance of uniforms, and other fun. A little advice for everyone coming in, make sure you only use your canteen in the classrooms and for PT (unless you like push-ups) and shape and shave your beret before you get here as it may take you two or three days and you want it right!

On the 10th, we got about 40,000 shots from things like TB to h1n1 and regular flu. Needless to say our arms were all sore for a number of days to come. We also went through and had eye exams and dental exams. This was a good introduction to the old adage- “hurry up and wait.” There are a lot of long lines and some people were there for around 8 hours but its better to get it done all in one sit in than have to worry about it later.

When it comes to PT, I have no problems with push-ups and sit-ups and can get the maximum amount of points for my age bracket (80 sit-ups and 75 push-ups in 2 minutes—better lock those elbows on every rep fully). However, the extra weight I carry around (in the form of muscle of course ? ) isnt conducive to the long distance running which my peers do a little better than me. I can definitely make my required time, but the competitive streak in me has a problem losing in anything and running a 12 minute 2 mile is something I definitely have to work on. That’s where those smaller body types come in handy!

Even though there are a lot of meetings and long days, this still hasn’t felt like a job! Even the boring parts beat sitting around all day in an office doing research! 
 

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Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints!  My team didn't make it to the playoffs this year but since my team is the Pittsburgh Steelers (six Super Bowl championships), I can't be greedy.  I remember growing up and seeing Saints games (on the few occasions when the NFL actually broadcast one of their games) and watching their poor fans sporting paper bags over their heads and referring to their beloved team as the "Aints."  It is nice to see that the "S" has been restored to a proud and patient franchise.  It's a great thing for the "Who Dat" Nation.

Of course, unlike Drew Brees and his crew, not everyone in the world is a "Saint", particularly in these tough economic times.  Remember the old adage ‘if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is?’  This wise, old adage is a good piece of advice to remember in these times.  Scammers and con men have always been around but the poor economy of the past few years has brought such rip-off artists out of the woodwork in record numbers and they are working overtime to try to steal your money. 

Unfortunately, the imagination of con artists knows no bounds these days. One of the common scams that Soldiers and non-Soldiers alike have been targeted with goes something like this. You receive a letter in the mail, perhaps claiming to be from Publisher’s Clearinghouse or some other legitimate sounding name, informing you that you have either won a large cash prize or have been awarded a grant for a substantial sum of money. The letter is accompanied by a check and the letter explains that the check is included to cover the costs of some processing fees or some other similar explanation. The letter may even include a telephone number which you can call and some very nice and legitimate sounding person will answer and explain that everything is on the up and up. You will be asked to go to your bank and deposit the check into your bank account. You will also be asked to wire the same or a similar amount of money to the company to cover the “processing fees.” Essentially, the company is providing the check to cover your costs. 

Now, you anxiously await the receipt of the large check you have been promised.  And you wait.  And you wait.  Suddenly, you get a telephone call from your bank. Perhaps you are excited because you are sure the bank representative on the other end of the line is going to tell you that a large sum of money has just been deposited into your account and they need you to come to the bank and sign the paperwork that will make you much richer than you were at the start of the day!  Sadly, your hopes come crashing down when the person from the bank informs you that the check you deposited into your account a few days earlier has bounced. Oh, and the money you wired to the company is already gone and can’t be recovered.  Oh, and your account is now overdrawn to boot.

This is one of the most popular scams sweeping across the country. Many people are fooled by it because they get a check that looks real and which they can take to their bank to deposit. The “company” may also have a website that looks legitimate so you figure everything must be kosher. Many people are also fooled because after depositing the check, the money may temporarily show up in their account because the check has cleared the bank’s hold period and the funds are available for you to spend. This, unfortunately, has nothing to do with whether the check is good or bad. In a few days, perhaps a week, the check will eventually bounce and you will be responsible for any funds you have withdrawn, not the bank. Thus, you may be out the money you have diligently wired to the “company” as well as any funds you have spent in your reliance on the bogus check. 

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you receive such a letter, be sure to check with your local Legal Assistance Office where attorneys can help you determine if something is legitimate or a scam. There are many other types of scams besides this one. You can find information about some of the popular scams by calling the Federal Citizen Information Center at (888) 878-3256 or by going to their website at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/scamsdesc.htm.
 

Oh, and if someone from the bank emails you asking you to confirm your personal information, don't fall for it!  Banks don't operate that way.  If you are not sure, call the bank or visit the bank personally!

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Since the second semester of school has started here in Charlottesville, the Graduate Course has included formal mentorship sessions with some of the senior faculty members.  The goal has been to talk about leadership and to help us all develop an understanding of what our role will be in our next jobs (since most of us have been recently promoted) and improve our own leadership skills.

Today's session was talking about formal vs. informal leadership -- the strengths, techniques, and roles of each type of leadership.  One of the guys in my small group -- MAJ Jeff Dietz -- mentioned that our responsibilities in our next jobs will be, in large part, to take a greater role as informal leaders, with greater obligations to the office, the unit, the installation and the JAG Corps.  That got me thinking about some of the things I've been doing -- writing this blog, running in the mornings with the new Judge Advocates going through the Officer Basic Course, volunteering as a Field Screening Officer.  And it also got me thinking about starting to put some of these things in context with my recent (as of the last 2-3 years) serious thoughts about leadership, officership, and responsibilities.  I still working on putting it all together.  But one thing that became clear is that I feel an obligation to the Army, generally, and to the JAG Corps, in particular.  And I think this is a responsibility that every Judge Advocate should share (though I recognize that not everyone will see this responsibility the same way).

I think we've got a responsibility to take care of our Corps.  Part of our jobs -- above and beyond the day-to-day work in accordance with out particular 'job description' -- should be to 'keep the JAG Corps healthy.'  I see this in a couple different senses.  First, we've got an obligation to take care of each other.  We should make an effort to talk to each other, and take the initiative to talk to junior members of the JAG Corps -- offering our experience and any practical expertise to make the corporate body stronger.  I've complained (in private) about a sense that the JAG Corps hasn't lived up to my hopes for mentorship from senior Judge Advocates.  I'm beginning to believe I was wrong, that I just wasn't seizing mentorship opportunities.  And I'm hoping -- by interacting with new Judge Advocates at the OBC -- to make it explicit to new JAs that senior officers are available to them, to answer questions and to generally help them along, in any way possible.  We've got an obligation to keep the JAG Corps strong.  This is not only making sure that everyone is trained (in both legal and military skills) but making sure that new JAs are the best possible candidates.  In this regard, I take my work as a Field Screening Officer very seriously.  I try to be honest and fair, and I try not to shy away from making a recommendation that someone not be offered a position any more than I am anxious to advocate for someone I think needs to be in the JAG Corps.  (Incidentally, honesty in furtherance of keeping the JAG Corps strong also means speaking up when things need to change.  I think this is really important, too, and may address this separately later.)  Finally, I think we all have an obligation to 'be the face of the JAG Corps.'  We should all be ambassadors to the public and to the rest of the Army.  We do that in obvious ways (like this blog), but we also do this through the academic work we publish (like many of the papers written during the Grad Course) and through our day-to-day interaction with other agencies and unit commanders and their staffs in the pursuit of our work.

Another great point was made by MAJ Chris Beese who said that a critical part of generating commitment in subordinates (vs. just creating compliance) is sincerity.  People want to see and feel real sincerity in their leaders -- formal or informal -- in virtually every interaction.  This is especially true for Judge Advocates when our folks are nearing the end of their first tour of duty and are debating whether to stay in the Army or to transition back to civilian life.  When those conversations happen, young Judge Advocates on the fence about continuing their service can see through insincerity in a second.  They need to know that you have their interests at heart when giving advice, even if their path is leading them away from the Army.  In these conversations, the 'party line' just isn't enough.

All in all, it was a useful, thought-provoking morning.  And now, I'm off to discuss more law of war topics (my 'Advanced Topics in the Law of War' elective) -- Common Article 2 of the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I.  Good stuff!

One of the things I really appreciate about writing this blog is the ability to converse; so, please, feel free to comment.

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Well, after a long, school-sized holiday break, we're back in class this week.  I've got things pretty good this quarter because our academic schedule has changed a bit and is made up mostly of elective courses.  I've only got one elective this quarter, which means that except for our 'plenary' classes from 10-12, I've only got classes on Wednesday afternoon.  I'm excited to have a little extra time to both work on my paper (which is coming along slowly) and spend more time with my family.

I kicked things off yesterday with a very light hour of class -- "Writing for Senior Officers."  At this point, most of us have written more than a handful of memoranda for generals and such, so the instructor didn't seem to concerned about talking about anything substantive except for the writing assignment we have to exercise this particular skill.  Today, though, our plenary session was much more interesting: a lecture from the Deputy Judge Advocate General, Brigadier General 'Butch' Tate (soon to be promoted to Major General), giving us his take on the fundamentals of leadership. (*Note: mentioned with permission of BG Tate, with due consideration of the School's non-attribution policy.)

As BG Tate pointed out, the fundamentals are (as you might expect) pretty simple concepts; the real art (and difficulty) is in putting everything together in practice.  For him, these are the fundamentals: Have a Vision and a Mission; Communicate Your Expectations; Provide Opportunities; Train and Educate; Coach, Teach, and Mentor; Have Leader Values; Provide Information; Manage Un-met Expectations.  Looking at this list, you can see that BG Tate is right; the concepts presented are pretty basic.  But mastery of any skill -- playing an instrument, martial arts, leadership -- requires a thorough familiarity and comfort with the fundamentals.

From his discussion of these eight fundamentals, I took heart to hear him emphasize a few points.  First, he talked about "underwriting your team's mistakes."  I think this is critically important to build a strong team.  Everyone needs to know that when they make a mistake, the boss will be there to support them.  That's not to say this is a blank check to screw up constantly, but if you're going to empower your people - give them a goal and let them figure out how to get it done; give them new and challenging tasks - they will eventually make a mistake.  Leaders need to be there to support them, not 'throw them under the bus.'  Another point I liked was BG Tate's emphasis on knowing your subordinates.  He told a story of a colleague who worked for a guy for two years and the boss never got his name right (called him 'Tim' when his name was really 'Rich').  For two years!  Leaders should not only know everyone's name, but should be familiar with their families and what else they've got going on in their lives.  If leaders invest in the team, it will be easier for everyone else to do so as well.  Finally, a point that came up more than once was that leaders should be self-reflective.  If a subordinate fails to meet your expectations, the first question should not be 'why did s/he screw up,' but rather 'did I effectively communicate my expectations?'  The only way to make sure everyone is on the same sheet of music is to MAKE SURE everyone is on the same sheet of music.  Understand what your goals are and pass them on to your team.  Oh wait, he's a bonus note: leaders don't just fix problems, they emplace systems to prevent problems.  Being reactive only gets you so far; to really excel, to take your team to the next level, everyone should be thinking about how problems can be prevented, not just resolved once they pop up.

I finished my afternoon with my one elective for the quarter, Advanced Topics in the Law of War.  The class has got representatives from each of the services (except for our Coast Guardsman) and all four of our foreign officers (from Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, and Israel), as well as five civilian students from UVA Law.  The conversation today was very good and I'm looking forward to a good class.

But for now, that research paper calls ...

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