Teaching the JAG Elephant to Dance...Again
Abstract
The Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAGC) is a special services branch of the Army. The mission of the JAGC is to provide professional legal support and services at all echelons of command throughout the range of military operations. The JAGC must move beyond legal services and support for the Army to become the nation's premier legal organization supporting the armed forces and national defense. The challenges of the future include reduced compliance with the law of armed conflict by adversaries of the United States, increasing the likelihood of unlawful and asymmetric attacks; overemphasis by the United States on restraint and risk avoidance, breeding timidity, tentativeness, and military ineffectiveness; efforts to civilianize the armed forces, including removal of commanders from the military justice process; and attempts to reduce the professional jurisdiction of the JAGC through pressure to consolidate, civilianize, and contract legal functions. The myriad challenges of the future will force the JAGC to change in order to maintain its vitality and relevancy. The "transformed JAGC" must serve and support a full-spectrum defense structure that can win wars and influence- peace. It must become joint and interagency compatible; non-redundant, seamless, and essential; multifunctional; integrated in doctrine and structure; an institution of values and vision that fosters quality of practice and quality of life; and a non-lethal element of military power.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA404517
Entities
People
- Marc L. Warren
Organizations
- United States Army War College