Lawfare and the rise of the Combat JAG

If you are someone you know needs a quick primer on the growth of JAGs - and in the wake of Haditha - why those in the field will lean on them more and more - check on Glenn Sulmasy's bit from the USCG Academy.

As a result of this complex mix of law and war since the end of the Cold War, the involvement of military lawyers has increased dramatically. Once viewed as mere lawyers in uniform, they are now critical “players” at every layer of the command structure — and often in the field with combat troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Their steady, learned advice on the laws of war has understandably earned the “combat JAG” (judge advocate general) an enhanced status within the armed forces as well as within international human-rights organizations and U.S. civilian leadership.

...and no, I do not think it is a good thing because when you boil it down, the Commander feels the need for a JAG because he does not have faith in his Chain of Command and civilian leadership to give him the benefit of the doubt or the top cover to do the job they have ordered him to do.

Hat tip The Corner.