Day 13

We formed up for a safety briefing at 0650 and were on the road by 0715.  105 miles and 90 minutes later (feel free to do the calculation you may think I was speeding) we were at The Judge Advocate General Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS).  We fell in again at 1000 when the entire class had arrived.

The day at Charlottesville included administrative briefings from the Associate Dean for Students, a couple staff sections from the Commanding General’s Staff, the taking of photographs, and a tour of the facility including the computer learning center.

We were also assigned a mentor.  The mentor is a faculty member from TJAGLCS or the “center” (CLAMO for those that want to Google it).  The mentor will provide guidance and feedback to make the JAOBC experience as worthwhile as possible.

Lastly, we were assigned to a “run group”.  Each run group is determined by your run time on the PT test at Ft. Lee.  Each group is led by a faculty member who designs a PT program to assist the run group members improve not just their run times but also his/her overall physical fitness.  Remember, to get through JAOBC without a special notation in your file each class member needs to pass the final PT test in September.  A class member can always move to a faster run group later, but cannot move down.

I wish I could tell you that it was a tough day, but that wouldn’t be true.  The toughest part of the day was packing up all of your gear and then unpacking it again at your lodging.  Our class is split between three (3) hotels in Charlottesville.  TJAGLCS is having its residence hall renovated and so this class has no one staying there.  The lodging is assigned based on a set of priorities, though no guarantees can be made that there will be enough of any specific category of room to please everyone.  At the end of the day, JAOBC Phase I and II and DCC are all unaccompanied duty.  If you bring family, you do so with the knowledge that accommodations may not be available and if they are you may have added expenses out-of-pocket.

A word about what goes on at TJAGLCS.  Every year there are three (3) different JAOBC classes.  Every year there is one (1) Judge Advocate Advanced Course.  TJAGLCS also conducts an NCO academy.  Depending on the time of year, all three can be going on at once.  There are also students coming through for other courses being conducted.  It can be a great opportunity to meet and acquaint yourself with the folks with whom you will be working throughout your time in the Corps.  With that being said, each class is separate, and interaction is limited by schedule and as importantly, rank.  What it shows though is the commitment of those working in the JAG Corps to constantly educate themselves on our mission and our Corps.  Think about this – how many of us got paid to go to law school?  How many of us get paid to do Continuing Legal Education (CLE)?  Well, at TJAGLCS, we do.

Tomorrow is zero-day.  For those interested in bettering their physical condition with the highest speed PT, those interested in Airborne and/or Air Assault training slots, and those just interested in supporting their class members (by participating and not just cheering) tomorrow morning will be grueling but also rewarding.  I hope every class member who participates is successful.  Hooah!