It's the JAG life for me - Advice for a 30 year old entering the military

[LockedBreech]

Well, I had been keeping this kind of quiet, but I have made my decision so there really isn't a reason to anymore.

I am tired of civilian divorce lawyering in a tiny town. In school I loved the feeling of pursuing something greater and I have missed that feeling. This is not a lark or overnight decision, I have considered joining the military 5-6 times since I was 17, and very deeply over the past few weeks. I wish I had started sooner, but I'm still 30, still in good health, so it's now or never.

Current considerations are U.S. Navy JAG and U.S. Air Force JAG. USAF is my current lead contender, seeming to fit my needs and desires the most.

In preparation thus far I have:

1.) Set an extremely disciplined early morning wake-up time and bed time at night to get used to military discipline in that regard (a huge struggle for me traditionally)
2.) Have committed to cardio 5-7 days a week (I need to shed about 35 pounds in the next 4-6 months) and a strict 1800 calorie maximum per day (I am 6'5" and large framed, that amount staves off the starvation reflex but still burns fast for me, 2+ pounds weekly)
3.) Because I am very lucky in my friends and acquaintances, I have secured letters of recommendation from retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, an active U.S. Marine Corps JAG Captain, and an active U.S. Air Force Intelligence Captain. I anticipate letters of recommendation from all six of the judges I work with regularly and my current employer. Really the limit there is how many they let me submit. I am humbled and truly blessed by how quickly they have been offered.
4.) I have already begun divesting my personal property, saving my money, and transferring my firearms to trusted family members for safekeeping while I go through training. When the time comes I'll be ready to pack and go overnight.

I know P-F has a fair number of veterans as well as police officers. I am seeking in any and all input about the transition from civilian life to military life at age 30. As a starter, I have no issues at all being told what to do and doing it without question even if I think it's dumb. I was raised by a veteran cop with a WW2 veteran and cop for a dad. That's how I was taught to treat authority anyway. I see my biggest obstacles as consistency and organization.

As a side note, even if there's no advice to offer, I was just excited to tell P-F once I had made my decision. This place has been a great stress relief and fun time for me for the four years I've been here and has never let me down as a sounding board.

[blues]

No advice, just support. I've no doubt you'll be a credit to any service in which you enlist. Congrats and thanks for your upcoming service.

[Doc_Glock]

Congrats! You should be proud of your decision. I doubt you will regret it.

[T Smith]

Congratulations on this decision. The information I have is somewhat dated (I retired from the AF in 1992) but may be helpful for perspective. I had the opportunity to serve as a flight commander and squadron commander at the Air Force Officer Training School towards the end of my career when the facility was in San Antonio. At that time, chaplains and lawyers didn't go through the same 12 week commissioning program we had for officer candidates. IIRC, these folks received a direct commission and went through a course that was more of an orientation to military life, lasting two or three weeks. It gave some history, military customs and courtesies and the like. I didn't have a hand in the training, other than a few friendly corrections to those new to the course ("excuse me, but you have your hat on backwards" or "Miss, you're not supposed to carry your civilian purse when in uniform") and one guest lecture opportunity that was fairly relaxed.

You've identified the two things I would focus on. Your attitude is all important and that's likely easier if you're just out of school and ready to change the world. You've already got a handle on that. The training command seemed to have a hard-on for overweight officers (I was 5' 8" and 172 lbs and had to "weight in" every six months the entire three years I was in the command since I was within 10% of my max) so losing weight if you're close is a great idea. As always, anything can be waived depending on the needs of the service.

Good luck to you!

[revchuck38]

As a retired Army officer, I can say that it's an experience you'll never regret, even if you do your minimum commitment and then return to civilian life. Going into the Army was the best decision of my life.

[ssb]

No advice as I've not been a JAG, but your decision is commendable.

It's an option I gave serious consideration to while in law school, but ultimately got some bad news about a health issue which affected my eligibility so I didn't get very far into the summer recruiting process. A friend is in the Air Force JAG currently -- her hard work and summer programs paid off for her she was fortunate enough to get selected for it out of school. She seems to have a great time with it. My understanding is that she went through some sort of basic military training prior to commissioning, but I don't know the specifics.

Know that any service's JAG is a highly selective process. My thought would be that your (I'm guessing) 5ish years of experience as an attorney should set you apart from many applicants (as I recall, they receive thousands of applications for each opening they have, many/most of whom are fresh out of law school), particularly as you've had time as a prosecutor and now a civil attorney. I assume you've done several trials by now, which, ultimately, as lawyers is what we're here to do.

My understanding is that it's a very different practice from civilian work. As it was explained to me by a twenty+ year Army JAG I met in law school, you may well transition through the roles of prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, divorce/custody attorney, and general civil practice attorney throughout your career.

All I can say is good luck and that I hope you make it.

[WobblyPossum]

Congratulations on your decision! I greatly enjoyed my military service. I have no experience with JAG so I can't offer you any advice on that end. You seem to already be motivated and disciplined so you should be fine. Good luck!

[ST911]

Know that any service's JAG is a highly selective process.

Fascinating.

[GyroF-16]

Congratulations, and thank you for your decision to serve your country. Whether you stay in for a few years, or a few decades, I suspect you’ll remember your time in the service (mostly) fondly.
There’s lots to do as a JA in the Air Force, ranging from prosecuting bad actors, defending the accused, giving legal advice to commanders on punishment, legal advice to regular members, and reviewing contracts. There’s even a role in the “kill chain” for approving targets for strikes. I think you’ll find a lot to interest you.
I spent just over 20 years in the AF as a pilot, and interacted with JAGs in most of the above roles, either directly or indirectly. We can always use more level-headed people with good critical-thinking skills, so I’m pleased to see a member of this fine forum considering service.

I think I’m local to your area - PM me if you’d like, and we can meet for a beer. I’d be happy to answer any questions that I can, and I have contacts with other former non-line officers (Medical Corps, JA) that can also help with information about the training process and what the job is like.

Good luck!

[Sensei]

Definitely no need to start waking up early or loosing weight. Just be prepared to write wills and POAs on an epic level.

Just kidding. Congrats