Air Force Judge Advocate General's School Podcast

In this episode, Major Laura Wheat closes out the “JAGs on the Job” series by interviewing Colonel Simone Davis and Colonel Corrie Mack about their experiences serving as judge advocates in the United States Air Force, and more specifically, working in operations and international law capacities. In case you missed the first two episodes in this series, go back to Episodes 76 and 80 to hear about military justice and discipline, and civil law and litigation. ------------------------------------------------------------ Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

Happy 75th Anniversary to the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps! In this special edition episode, Major Laura Wheat interviews various key JAG Corps personnel to give brief overviews on some of the major events over the past 75 years, in chronological order. Special guest speakers include: Lieutenant General Charles Plummer, The Judge Advocate General; Major General Rebecca Vernon, Deputy Judge Advocate General; Chief Master Sergeant Laura Puza, Senior Enlisted Advisor to The Judge Advocate General; Retired Lieutenant General Jack Rives, The 15th Judge Advocate General; Retired Major General William Moorman, The 13th Judge Advocate General; Major General Mitch Neurock, Mobilization Assistant to The Judge Advocate General; Major General Charles Walker, Air National Guard Assistant to The Judge Advocate General; Brigadier General Michael Tomatz, Director, Operations and International Law Directorate; Brigadier General Gail Crawford, Director, Military Justice and Discipline Directorate; Brigadier General Christopher Brown, Lead Special Trial Counsel; Colonel Shelly Frank, Director, Inspections and Standardization; Colonel Andrea Hall, Chief, Military Justice Law and Policy; Colonel Mark Hoover, Director, Legal Information Services Directorate; Colonel Brett Landry, Chief, Trial Defense Division; Colonel Lanourra Phillips, Chief, Victims’ Counsel Division; First Lieutenant Terri Adams, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate; First Lieutenant Jordan Anderson, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate; First Lieutenant King Tsang, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate; Airman First Class Pita Qiolevu, Paralegal; and Airman First Class Mason Walch, Paralegal. ------------------------------------------------------------ Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Laura Quaco interviews Colonel Patricia Wiegman-Lenz and Major Sean McDivitt about their experiences serving as judge advocates in the United States Air Force, and more specifically, working in civil law and litigation capacities. Over the coming months, there will be one more episode in this "JAGs on the Job" series, focused on operations and international law. In case you missed it, go back to Episode 76 to hear the episode on military justice and discipline. ------------------------------------------------------------ Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Laura Quaco talks with Retired Chief Master Sergeant David Haskins, the ninth Senior Paralegal Manager (now called Senior Enlisted Advisor) to The Judge Advocate General—the most senior paralegal position in The Judge Advocate General’s Corps. CMSgt Haskins was the first Black/African American, as well as the first practicing the Islamic faith, to serve as Senior Paralegal Manager. CMSgt Haskins discusses his inspiration to serve, and many leadership lessons he cultivated over the years from various mentors and his own experiences. He also shares some notable moments from his service, including serving on an accident investigation board for the 1994 Black Hawk shootdown incident. ------------------------------------------- Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Laura Quaco sits down with Retired Colonel Susan McNeill, the first female Black/African American judge advocate to make the rank of colonel in any of the military services. Colonel McNeill shares some notable moments in her Air Force career—from being a procurement officer during the Vietnam War, to serving in the Social Actions Office during a tumultuous time, and even witnessing the first STS-1 Columbia Space Shuttle landing after providing legal advice on a related contract. She also shares some advice she cultivated from her various experiences. Stay tuned for the next episode, in which you will be able to hear from Retired Chief Master Sergeant David Haskins, the first Black/African American to serve in the most senior paralegal position in the Air Force JAG Corps. ------------------------------------------- Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Laura Quaco sits down with Colonel Ja Rai Williams and Lieutenant Colonel Velma Thompson to discuss integration in the Armed Services pursuant to Executive Order 9981, and research they conducted related to the history of Black/African Americans in the United States Regular Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In the next couple episodes, you will be able to hear from two of the very trailblazers they discuss: Colonel (Retired) Susan McNeill and Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) David Haskins. ------------------------------------------------------------ Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Laura Quaco interviews Lieutenant Colonel Dane Horne and Major Allison Gish about their experiences serving as judge advocates in the United States Air Force, and more specifically, working in military justice and discipline capacities. Over the coming months, there will be two more episodes in this "JAGs on the Job" series--one episode will be focused on civil law and the other on operations and international law. ------------------------------------------------------------ Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Laura Quaco talks with Lieutenant Colonel Dane Horne and Major Allison Gish about their experiences serving as judge advocates in the United States Air Force, and more specifically, working in military justice and discipline capacities. Over the coming months, there will be two more episodes in this "JAGs on the Job" series--one episode will be focused on civil law and the other on operations and international law. -------------------- Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or af.jag.recruiting@us.af.mil. And don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Laura Quaco sits down with Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Neil, the Director of Operations for the Office of Special Trial Counsel (OSTC). Lt Col Neil and Maj Quaco discuss the historical background and development of OSTC—a major military justice reform required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. Historically, commanders have decided whether to pursue court-martial charges against service members for all violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Beginning on December 27, 2023, Special Trial Counsel will have exclusive authority to make prosecutorial decisions for 14 victim-based offenses. Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or airforcejagrecruiting@gmail.com. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode of the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School Podcast, Major Laura Quaco continues her conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Sandra O’Hern and Dr. Andy Akin, discussing operations and international legal principles related to Russia and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. You can go back to Episode 73 to hear the first part of the conversation in which they discuss Russian history and the relationship between Russia and Ukraine leading up to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or airforcejagrecruiting@gmail.com > . Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.g.

In this episode of the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School Podcast, Major Laura Quaco is joined by Dr. Andy Akin and Lieutenant Colonel Sandra O’Hern for a conversation about Russian history and the relationship between Russia and Ukraine leading up to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Stay tuned for the next episode to hear the remainder of the conversation in which the host and guests discuss operations and international legal principles related to Russia and the conflict. Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or airforcejagrecruiting@gmail.com. Don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In the words of General Curtis LeMay, the fifth Chief of Staff of the Air Force, “at the very heart of warfare lies doctrine.” In this episode, Major Laura Quaco and Major Victoria Smith sit down with Colonel Richard Major and Lieutenant Colonel Derek Rowe to discuss doctrine. Col Major and Lt Col Rowe are the Vice Commander and Staff Judge Advocate, respectively, at the LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. During the interview, they discuss the background and importance of doctrine, its development, and provide resources for learning more about doctrine. They also discuss legal doctrine, specifically, and the role of judge advocates in an operational environment. For resources discussed in the episode, visit https://www.doctrine.af.mil/. To contact the doctrine team at the LeMay Center, you may email their organizational box at usairforcedoctrine@us.af.mil. Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or airforcejagrecruiting@gmail.com. And don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

In this episode, Major Victoria Smith and Major Laura Quaco sit down with Chief Master Sergeant Tynisa "Ty" Haskins, the Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps. CMSgt Haskins provides her views on leadership, fostering connections, vicarious trauma, diversity and inclusion, and related matters. Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or airforcejagrecruiting@gmail.com. And don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

"Space Debris and the Gray Zone” is a continuation of our National Security Law (NSL) Competition series. The NSL competition is a writing competition hosted by AFJAGS and sponsored by The JAG School Foundation. This year’s topic was How National Security Law Impacts America’s Strategic Competition in the Gray Zone. In this episode, Maj Charlie Hedden sat down with the competition winner, Maj Edwin Kisiel, to discuss his paper on how Russia, China, and other Great Power competitors can take advantage of gaps in space and environmental laws in the Gray Zone. Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or airforcejagrecruiting@gmail.com. And don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.

This episode is a continuation of our National Security Law Competition (NSL) series. In this episode, Maj Hedden sits down with Capt Matthew Ormsbee to discuss way in which the United States can take advantage of our existing treaty with Taiwan to help prevent Chinese Gray Zone activity in the South China Sea. The NSL competition is a writing competition hosted by AFJAGS and sponsored by The JAG School Foundation. This year’s topic was How National Security Law Impacts America’s Strategic Competition in the Gray Zone.

This episode is a continuation of our National Security Law Competition (NSL) series. Maj Charlie Hedden sits down with Capt Matthew Ormsbee to discuss how the United States can take advantage of our existing treaty with Taiwan to help prevent Chinese Gray Zone activity in the South China Sea. The NSL competition is a writing competition hosted by AFJAGS and sponsored by The JAG School Foundation. This year’s topic was How National Security Law Impacts America’s Strategic Competition in the Gray Zone.

In August 2021, the world watched as Kabul, Afghanistan fell into Taliban control. Among those watching were the 775,000 U.S. service members who were deployed to Afghanistan at least once in their career. For many of those men and women, watching the vents in Afghanistan brought back memories that spurred them to seek mental-health treatment. Dr. Levi Cole is an Air Force clinical psychologist, and in this interview, he discussed the surge in mental-health treatment after the events in Afghanistan in 2021, as well as other phenomena affecting the wellbeing of Airmen. Dr. Cole shares his insight into effective coping, treatment, and relationship strategies both for individuals and the units to which they belong.

This episode is a continuation of our National Security Law Competition series. Maj Erin Davis sits down with Maj Jessica Tirado to discuss how recent advancements in space technology have opened the door for our strategic competitors to take advantage of gaps in space law. Maj Tirado examines the potential for updating the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) and humanitarian laws to bridge this gap.

This is the second of a two-part interview with Maj Alan Serrano on the First Amendment. In this episode, we discuss Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly, and Freedom of Religion within the military. We tackle some of the most hot-button issues, including the interplay between free speech and the use of social media, how commanders grapples with curtailing certain types of speech, what constitutes an extremist group, and how the military typically handles requests for religious accommodations.

This episode is Part 1 of a two-part interview with Maj Alan Serrano. In this episode, we discuss Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Association and Religion within the military. Interested in learning more about the Air Force JAG Corps? Have questions about our programs or the application process? Please contact us at 1-800-JAG-USAF or airforcejagrecruiting@gmail.com. And don’t forget to check out our website at airforce.com/jag.