I am applying for a commission in the Army JAG Corps to continue my interrupted service to our country. I was brought up with a very strong sense of selfless service to our nation and to my community. I was fortunate to be able to proudly serve our country with distinction for 17 years on active duty and in the Reserves (12 or 13 good years for retirement purposes) but unfortunately I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life in 2007 and leave the service. At the time, I had a family with three young children, a high pressure long hours job in a large law firm, a high tempo reserve assignment in PSYOP (two mobilizations in four years), and an elderly father with late stage Alzheimer’s which required immense time and effort
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I served in Germany and around the U.S., having tough well forming assignments, learning and leading in great combat arms units, and earning numerous awards in schools and in the field. I left active duty as a Captain and returned to my home state to pursue advanced education. I received a law degree and MBA from West Virginia University, where I was President of my law school class, a Law Review editor, and graduated Order of the Coif. As I entered private practice at a large law firm, I immediately became active in the Reserves. The day after 9/11, I called my Engineer Assignments officer and volunteered my services in any capacity that the Army would have me. I was soon mobilized in November 2001 and served six months in the Army Operations Center Crisis Action Team in the Pentagon under then MG Pete Chiarelli. Looking to continue to contribute to the Army with maximum impact, I transferred to a PSYOP unit in need (a high demand low density branch) and qualified in PSYOP, as a Distinguished Honor Graduate (1st in the Class) in the PSYOP course at the JFK Special Warfare School. In July of 2004, I received orders to deploy with a tactical PSYOP Company to Iraq. I served with that unit from August of 2004 through July of 2005 in Tikrit Iraq and the North Central Area of Operations. There I was awarded a Bronze star for meritorious
I served in Germany and around the U.S., having tough well forming assignments, learning and leading in great combat arms units, and earning numerous awards in schools and in the field. I left active duty as a Captain and returned to my home state to pursue advanced education. I received a law degree and MBA from West Virginia University, where I was President of my law school class, a Law Review editor, and graduated Order of the Coif. As I entered private practice at a large law firm, I immediately became active in the Reserves. The day after 9/11, I called my Engineer Assignments officer and volunteered my services in any capacity that the Army would have me. I was soon mobilized in November 2001 and served six months in the Army Operations Center Crisis Action Team in the Pentagon under then MG Pete Chiarelli. Looking to continue to contribute to the Army with maximum impact, I transferred to a PSYOP unit in need (a high demand low density branch) and qualified in PSYOP, as a Distinguished Honor Graduate (1st in the Class) in the PSYOP course at the JFK Special Warfare School. In July of 2004, I received orders to deploy with a tactical PSYOP Company to Iraq. I served with that unit from August of 2004 through July of 2005 in Tikrit Iraq and the North Central Area of Operations. There I was awarded a Bronze star for meritorious