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Since it's (once again) been a while since I've written, I thought I'd offer you all a couple things for your reading pleasure. First, I wonder how many of you saw this last week. The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected a request to hear an appeal from an Army captain dismissed from the service because he is gay. I think this would have been the Court's first review of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' since the 2003 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down the constitutionality of...read more
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Tom, First, thanks for reading the blog and congratulations on starting law school this year. It’s going to be a fun, challenging time and my most basic advice is to really enjoy it! Push yourself to try/learn new things, find subjects and activities you enjoy, and use this time to get better-connected with your wife, family, friends, and peers. Three years will absolutely fly by. Ok, now to (what I hope is) the more useful advice – or, the basic advice in...read more
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The JAG Corps’ Deputy Judge Advocate General, Major General (that’s 2-stars) Daniel Wright – our number two attorney – celebrated his impending retirement this past Friday night and I thought this a fitting time to share some of his thoughts on the Army and leadership generally. I think I’ve mentioned before that one of the things I like about the JAG Corps is our real commitment to mentorship. Not only to we get that on a one-on-one level, but our leadership feels an obligation to pass on...read more
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Yesterday was Memorial Day and, like many Army installations, my office was granted a 4-day weekend to honor it. I’ll be honest, I didn’t do anything specific – no parades, no remembrance ceremonies, no TV specials or movie mini-series. I just spent some time thinking about how lucky I’ve been. On a walk with Caleb over the weekend, we passed – as we often do – the National Cemetery in Alexandria. Just over a year ago, my son was born, the newest...read more
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So, I’m a little behind (I usually pride myself on at least being aware of what’s going on in the tech world), but I finally got around to checking out the new Kindle DX – or at least what Amazon has to say about it. I’m sure by now everyone has heard about the Kindle – and maybe even laid hands on one – and should know it has a reputation for being a great reading experience. For folks who like books, but don’t like the feel weighed down by them, Kindle...read more
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The Stars At Night, Are Big and Bright.... While we don't normally advertise such things ahead of time (for security reasons), Sunday the Multi-National Corps - Iraq, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, played host to The Staff Judge Advocate General (TJAG) of the Army as he passed through Baghdad. Major General Black was here to check on his JAG soldiers and review the job we're doing. He has a statutory responsibility to review the legal services provided to the Army, so every...read more
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Here’s another question left a few on an earlier post: John asks: According to the goarmy.com/jag website judge advocates can attend army special schools as well as the Command and General Staff College. Could you please expand on these benefits and the degree to which judge advocates actually attend special schools and the college? I would imagine that space in ranger school is so limited that judge advocates would not make the cut. Is the same true for the Command and General Staff...read more
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It feels like I’m always catching up, always making excuses for a lag in my blogging. Perhaps it’s time to come to grips with the fact I’m not as consistent I imagine myself to be. Oh well. The big news this week is, of course, the announcement of our latest Judge Advocates. This selection board was the most competitive we’ve had in nearly 10 years – we selected just 10% of our applicants for active duty (and an equal number were selected as alternates). More than...read more
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One of the great things about being in the Army – particularly in a position (as I am) where I have some extra control over my schedule – is the ability to take some time off. With 30 days of paid vacation every year (in addition to national holidays and the occasional 3- or 4-day weekend), Army life measures up pretty well to most jobs out there. [Maybe one day soon I’ll do a more complete run-down of benefits Soldiers are entitled to.] I just returned from 6 days out of the...read more
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Chris asks: Obviously, one can transition from a line officer position to the JAG Corps. However, could a JAG Corps attorney do something similar? I'm sold on the JAG Corps and would love to get as much military and leadership training as possible. Have you heard of a situation whereby a JA pursued leadership training and perhaps a command position outside of the JAG Corps? Well, the short answer is no. Before I get into the long answer, let me commend Chris for considering the JAG Corps. In...read more
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Profile
Benjamin Grimes
| Affiliation: | Active Duty |
|---|---|
| Rank: | Major |
| Branch: | Judge Advocate General |
| MOS/AOC: | JAG Corps Attorney/27A |
| Location: | Tacoma, WA |
| Hometown: | York |
About Me:
MAJ Grimes has been in the Army since graduating from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1996, spending his first 4 years in service as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot before being selected to attend law school under the Funded Legal Education Program.
Since graduating from New York University School of Law, MAJ Grimes has served as an Administrative Law Attorney, Trial Counsel (Prosecutor) and Senior Trial Counsel, Brigade Legal Adviser, Trial Defense Counsel, and Judge Advocate Recruiting Officer. After earning his LL.M. from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School, he was assigned as the Senior Defense Counsel for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington state.
His previous assignments include Fort Rucker (Alabama), South Korea, Fort Campbell (Kentucky), Germany, Fort Myer (Virginia) and Washington, D.C., and deployment to Iraq as the Senior Trial Counsel for Multi-National Corps -- Iraq. MAJ Grimes is married and has two children.
Since graduating from New York University School of Law, MAJ Grimes has served as an Administrative Law Attorney, Trial Counsel (Prosecutor) and Senior Trial Counsel, Brigade Legal Adviser, Trial Defense Counsel, and Judge Advocate Recruiting Officer. After earning his LL.M. from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School, he was assigned as the Senior Defense Counsel for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington state.
His previous assignments include Fort Rucker (Alabama), South Korea, Fort Campbell (Kentucky), Germany, Fort Myer (Virginia) and Washington, D.C., and deployment to Iraq as the Senior Trial Counsel for Multi-National Corps -- Iraq. MAJ Grimes is married and has two children.
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