Benjamin Grimes - Army Strong Stories

A Macabre Anniversary

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:41:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
On 13 April 1961 -- 51 years ago -- Private John Bennett was hung by the neck until dead. PVT Bennett was the last service member to be executed for a death sentence imposed by court-martial. There are currently 6 people on the military's 'death row.' The military -- like civilian courts -- has a long history with capital (death penalty) litigation, and it seems that recent history is giving us ample opportunity to continue this piece of our criminal practice....read more

Am I Really That Old?

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:05:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
If you're like me, you probably don't realize you're getting older. Despite all the signs -- regrettably thinning hair, a few more pounds on my used-to-be lithe frame, two kids at home -- I just don't picture myself much older than the young, stupid kid who can do anything and is always right (even though I know and can acknowledge I'm sometimes -- sometimes -- wrong). But a couple weeks ago, a conversation at the office hit home and made me realize how old...read more

SXSW Recap

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:54:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Austin was great! This was my first trip and let me put all the Texas-phobes (like me) at ease, it was nothing like the Texas I feared it might be. Austinites are an eclectic bunch, and the addition of thousands tech conference goers just added to the mixed bag of folks we got to rub elbows with. The town's motto is "Keep Austin Weird," and weird it was, in the best way. Great food, great people (of all stripes) and some welcome sunshine for my rain-weary...read more

SXSW!

Benjamin Grimes — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:34:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It feels like I've been working at full speed for weeks. Part of that is self-imposed stress -- like most Soldiers, I try to hold myself to high standards -- and part of it is that the business of justice rarely takes a holiday. But this week I have a pretty rare opportunity to step back and spend some time doing something completely different. If you follow me on Twitter (@MAJGrimes) you know that I'm in Austin this week for SXSW. I can't tell you how...read more

A New Model for Leadership?

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:38:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
This is a little late in coming, but an article I read earlier this month in Harvard Business Review caught my attention and got me thinking again about how leadership is evolving in the civilian world and what - if anything - that means to us in the Army. "Is Command and Collaborate the New Leadership Model" offers some interesting thoughts on how the democratization of business and information is changing subordinate expectations and leadership methods....read more

Don't Mess with Your Attorney

Benjamin Grimes — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:58:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Last week the Fort Lewis (JBLM) Trial Defense Service office took another trip to the indoor marksmanship range. Though the light wasn't the best for shooting pictures with my phone, it was sufficient for all of us to qualify on both the 9mm pistol and the M-4 assault rifle. I managed to shoot 30 for 30 with the pistol and 38 for 40 on the rifle -- not bad for a lawyer! Here are a few pics of the team in action. These are the folks you want defending you - in court...read more

Message Matters - Soldiers and Crime?

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:13:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
This week saw a pair of headlines -- one on Sunday and one this morning -- that had me thinking about more than just what the news is, but also how it's reported. Our local paper, the Tacoma News Tribune, led with these front page headlines headlines: "With more soldiers comes more crime" (29 Jan 12) and "'Kill team' saga ends as charges dropped" (4 Feb 12) -- attention-grabbing to say the least. The first story was about how the rate of crime has...read more

The Content of Our Character

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:36:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I spent most of the day returning from a short - but needed, and appreciated - family vacation. We didn't go far, but we did enjoy spending some quiet time together hiking, reading, and enjoying some beautiful views (and the season's first snowfall). On the way home, while listening to NPR, I caught the replay Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech from 1963. I'm a bit ashamed to admit I'd never heard the whole thing, but I listened today and it got me...read more

Old Hobbies are New Again

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:27:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Christmas and the Northwest's almost never-ending rain have collided to bring me back to a minor hobby I had in college. Though it pains me to think about how long ago it was, I have to admit it's been nearly 17 years since I did any rock climbing. I was never great, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I picked it up while spending a semester at the Coast Guard Academy (a story for another day) and found it really suited me at the time. I took a class and then stuck...read more

What's Next

Benjamin Grimes — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:29:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
In the midst of a crazy time of new babies, courts-martial, and assorted office fires to put out, I found out last week what my next assignment will be. I'll be headed back to the JAG School to teach criminal law! This is a GREAT job, and one that I honestly didn't expect to get. Not only am I looking forward to getting back east and back to a place I know (instead of starting from scratch again), I'm also looking forward to getting back into an assignment that...read more

Training to Defend Soldiers

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:38:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I'm wrapping up a week in San Antonio with much of the Army's Trial Defense Service (TDS), talking about defending sexual assault cases. Over the last couple years, the Army (and the military generally) has made a big push to ensure our Soldiers remain safe within the ranks and has gone to great lengths to educate everyone about the dangers of sexual assault and to punish those who commit those crimes. Part of the TDS mission is to ensure the rights of those accused are...read more

Veterans' Day Melancholy

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:05:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I went into this Veterans' Day weekend watching a Soldier being found guilty for murdering three Afghan civilians while deployed last year. Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs was charged with being the ring leader in what the media has dubbed a rogue 'kill squad.' The defense of these Soldiers at trial fell to the Army's Trial Defense Service and a collection of civilian attorneys who took on these cases. I wish I'd had a more significant role in preparing these...read more

A Brief Return to the Recruiting Trenches

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:31:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
As we do every year in November (and March), the JAG Corps recently closed another application window for folks interested in becoming Judge Advocates or summer interns. In a previous assignment (way back when, when I first started writing here at ArmyStrongStories), I used to manage our Field Screening Officer program, the group of officers we send out to law school campuses to interview applicants. Since leaving that assignment, I really had been a bit out of the recruiting...read more

A New Grimes

Benjamin Grimes — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:40:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I finally have a good excuse for a long absence -- my wife and I recently welcomed our second child to the family. Work has continued to be crazy (and to inspire concern about command concern for Soldiers and the legal advice they get) and coupled with sleepless nights at home has meant that I haven't had the energy to sit down and write. Now that my baby girl is about 2 months old - and we're both sleeping a little more - I've got a lot to catch up on. So...read more

DADT is (finally) Gone

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:38:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Today is a good day for the Army. The 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in place for the last 18 years - which kept honest, loyal (gay) Soldiers from serving with with full dignity and respect - has been repealed. (You can read the announcement from the Army's leadership at www.army.mil - look for the "Hot Topic link at the top.) I've written here about DADT before and we've had a few short-lived discussions about whether repeal would be the...read more

Looking for 'Old-Man Strength'

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:16:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Anyone who has been around the Army a little while has seen this - the old guy in the guy in the guy or out at the PT track lifting more weight than is reasonable, doing more push-ups than you and me, running faster than his stumpy legs and beer belly should allow. For a few years now I've been living in that stage between young-man endurance and 'old-man strength,' waiting to be able to accomplish ridiculous feats of physical prowess with no connection to the actual work put...read more

Soldier and the Citizen

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:37:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I like to think that my recent call out for thoughts on the role/respect of Soldiers in the general public was the catalyst behind last week's article in the New York Times. (Thanks to my friend Jen for posting it on Fb.) Among other things, the author says we need to take Soldiers down off a pedestal and start treating them like human beings. We're not perfect, and even though many of us (myself excluded) do hard or heroic things, most of us don't....read more

A New Hope, Lost

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 01:39:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
You'll have forgive this brief aside into a personal - and very nerdy - topic. And before I go any further I have to give you a little background ... I am a tech geek. I really get into the latest gadgets, and even if I don't blow tons of money on them any more, I like to think I'm keeping up with what's new. Rewind to summer 2009, Palm (yes, maker of the original Palm Pilot (I had a knockoff by Philips)) releases the Palm Pre smartphone. It tanks in the marketplace,...read more

Who Cares That We Care So Much?

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:31:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I mentioned last time that I wanted to write a piece about officership and ethics. But in order to get it right, I think I need ot have a questions answered first. I want to know who out there cares whether or not we, as Soldiers and officer, hold ourselves to a set of ethics/values that the rest of America doesn't seem interested in practicing themselves? Do you? It seems many people recognize and congratulate us for our service, our willingness to do hard things...read more

Back from ILE, Back to the Grind

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:36:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I've been back from ILE for exactly a month now and I've finally got a chance to come up for air. I don't remember my job being quite so hard ... I hated the last week at Fort Gordon, but in retrospect it was actually pretty good. We were all anxious to get home (and out of the ridiculous southern heat) but managed to hold it together through our last tactical planning exercise. The biggest event to hit my last week there was moving out of the lodging on post...read more

Army Birthday & Gifts for Everyone!

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:04:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Not only is today Flag Day - commemorating the adoption of our Stars & Stripes as our national flag during the Second Continental Congress in 1777 - it is also the Army's birthday! Now 236 years young, the Army remains America's premier ground fighting force (sorry, Marine Corps). You can check out the fancy video the Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN Dempsey, presented recently at the Army's Birthday Ball. Part of the traditional birthday celebration is the...read more

Forcing a New Media Migration?

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:33:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
You may have noticed a growing flood of new media participation by the Army's 'middle management.' Part of our required professional development is attendance at Intermediate Level Education (ILE) - a program in two forms that will last either 4 or 10 months. I've talked about it a good bit lately because I'm in the process of finishing my last two weeks of ILE at Fort Gordon, GA. As part of our graduation requirements, every student is required to a)...read more

More Sweat at ILE

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:22:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that we've been using our time here at ILE to stay (or get back) in shape. Here's a photo of some of the hard core PT crew here at Fort Gordon, fresh off an Insanity workout yesterday, which we followed with a round of P90X Ab Ripper! We worked up a little sweat ......read more

ILE -- PT for You and Me

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:38:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
The last few weeks here at ILE have been busy. I've got one more follow-up report from MilBlogCon and a book review coming, but I've been busy here with tests, group briefing projects, and research for a required (if relatively short) history paper. But even with the readings and the class requirements, we've had plenty of time here to exercise! This is primarily because most of us are here in Georgia without our families and away from our regular jobs for 4...read more

New Legal Resource for Army Families

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:49:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
The American Bar Association has just unveiled a new website - ABA Home Front - designed to offer information and resources aimed at and related to military families. It includes information on the Service-Member Civil Relief Act, a variety of family law issues, a directory of state-specific legal services, and a referral service for pro-bono (free) legal advice. Coming from the nation's premier organization of legal professionals, this is likely to be a great source of useful...read more

Military Spouse Appreciation Day is Today!

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:55:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day! As we prepare to give a special thanks to mothers across the nation, take a moment to thank the spouse of a service member -- particularly if s/he's your spouse!!...read more

Q&A With Donald Rumsfeld -- MilBlogCon 2011, Pt.2

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:28:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Despite my brief joustingwith former SECDEF Donald Rumsfeld at the Military Blogger Conference on Saturday, the Q&A he did with us was really pretty interesting. (The full video is available at http://vimeo.com/23132551.) My first big take-away was that he's a pretty charming guy. You might complain that he comes off as too-flippant, or not serious enough to be a senior strategic advisor to the president, but I suspect his public persona (like most of us) isn't an...read more

Military Bloggers Unite! (And I Fight With the SECDEF)

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 02 May 2011 07:27:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
This weekend, I was able to make it to the 6th Annual Military Blogger Conference in Washington, D.C. Like the BlogWorld New Media Expo I attended in October, this was a chance for new/social media folks to get together, talk about the issues that drive us, see what's going on in the world of social media, and (of course) do some networking/hanging-out. This being my first time at MilBlogCon, I didn't know what to expect. It turned out to be a great, interesting, emotional experience....read more

Strategic and Operational Concepts, courtesy of Star Wars

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 02 May 2011 07:15:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
On FridayI think our joint doctrine instructor reached his breaking point with us and, in desperation, made a play that we all appreciated – Star Wars! And, no this was not a reference to Ronald Reagan's favorite military project, but rather that classic of classic sci-fi movies. I can honestly say I would have never imagined being so interested in “operational design.” Let me prove I learned something... This week we covered “operational...read more

A New Chapter

Benjamin Grimes — Sun, 01 May 2011 21:49:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I returned from MilBlogCon today expecting I would just add a few notes to this blog, recapping a few things from ILE last week and start adding some notes from the weekend. Tonight, though is a much bigger night than that -- I just watched the President's address to the nation, announcing the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. There is no denying that this is an emotional point in this long war on terror. This nation has worked a long time, and our Soldiers have made...read more

Repealing DADT - This is How it Works

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:07:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Yesterday we finally got our Tier II training about the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. I've been wating for this for a while and have been anxious to keep our DADT conversation going. First, to be clear, the repeal has not been implemented and repeal will not become effective until 60 days after the President/SECDEF/CJCS certifies that the military is ready to do so. So, right now, we're all being taught what is expected to...read more

Developing Ethical Leaders in Just 2 Hours!

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:04:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Two weeks ago we talked about direct vs. organizational leadership and I shared my thoughts on where (actually, whether) there was a dividing line between the two. Today I need to recap the last two leadership classes, and I'm happy to report that this week's leadership class was (thankfully!) a much better experience than the last few times. (Spoiler alert: I'm not going to give you an "instant guide to ethical leadership;" but stick around anyway ...)...read more

A Brief Return To The Real World

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:44:32 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Unlike many of my peers at ILE, I haven't been able to fully shake the responsibilities of my 'day job' as a criminal defense attorney. The attorney-client relationship that is formed between a TDS attorney and our Soldier-clients is just as real as for our civilian counterparts. That means that when one of my guys has a court-martial scheduled, I fly across the country to be there for him. One of the ways I can make this work is thanks to the outstanding support from my paralegals. Truly,...read more

Direct vs. Organizational Leadership - Is there really a difference?

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:07:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Our ongoing discussion of leadership continued on Friday with a look at sources of power and mechanisms of influence. These are interesting (if academic) topics, but the real of our work is on the application of leadership theory. The bottom line is, if we're not doing right by our subordinates and working toward mission success, we're just not doing our jobs. And as we transition away from "direct" leadership roles into those requiring...read more

Evaluating Your Leadership? Don't Look in the Mirror

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:51:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Part of growing up as a leader is evaluating where you're at - how you're performing - to determine what you need to work on in order to improve. It's pretty easy to look in the mirror and think about what your strengths and weaknesses are, but I'm beginning to realize exactly how valuable it can be to get someone else's perspective. In fact, the more opinions you can tap, the better. The Army has a system that allows for providing anonymous evaluation...read more

Big Topics, Bonus – America's Army?

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:01:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Ok, so I forgot to mention in my original Week 3 re-cap that my ILE group also had a great, multi-day discussion about what the Army's role (or, more generally, the military's role) might be vis-a-vis our democratic society. Some of our readings discussed the two classic theories of the role an army plays in its society: the 'liberal' theory (which focuses on the army's responsibility to protect the democratic ideals in society) or the 'civic republican'...read more

Big Topics, Pt. 4 – “This is just one way to look at it.”

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:53:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
One of my long-standing topics here has been “leadership.” How do we develop it, how do we do it “right,” how do we make ourselves of the most value to those we lead? Well, it's also one of the topics we'll be talking about all through ILE. We started that discussion this week, and it's going to be a tough topic! Like most topics we've discussed so far, everyone in the class has got an opinion; but when it comes to leadership, we've got...read more

Big Topics, Pt. 3 – “You listen to Jimi, but you can't hear Jimi.”

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:49:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Believe it or not, our discussion of culture reminded me of this line in “White Men Can't Jump” (and inspired a re-watching that cut into my study time...). One of our readings said, basically, that realizing that culture plays an important role in military operations is not enough; we need to understand culture for that knowledge to have any meaning. The Army (and the military, generally) has been the Billy Hoyle of international relations, trying to operate in...read more

Big Topics, Pt. 2 – “Why did you shoot those unarmed, starving civilians?”

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:44:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I'll start with this: dealing with the media scares most Army officers. We are afraid of looking foolish, saying something stupid, being tricked, and, generally, not having control. This was all exposed this week during a “Military and the Media” panel session with a pair of local news personalities. Kimberely Scott and Brad Means gave up a few afternoon hours to meet with my ILE course to talk about what to expect when dealing with the media and they also offered...read more

Big Topics, Big Thoughts – The Role of Media, Culture, and Leadership (Pt. 1)

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:35:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
My thinly disguised concerns about the value of the Army's “Intermediate-Level Education” (ILE) were for nothing. The first three weeks of my 15-week short course (the standard course is a full 10-month academic year) have been fantastic. I attribute this to both the quality of instructors in my small group (I don't think all four groups are getting our same experience here) and the collection of officers I spend my days with in the small group. Both of these were...read more

Thinking About Thinking

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:03:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
We've kicked off the official academic session here at Fort Gordon (which will last the next 3-1/2 months or so) by "thinking about thinking." One of the overall goals of the course is to teach us "how to think, not what to think" (and this is an important difference in philosophy from some other military services) but I'm still sorting out how serious we really are about this. On the plus side, I have to admit my early skepticism is quickly being worn...read more

Revisiting DADT

Benjamin Grimes — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 08:27:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Back in November, Don't Ask Don't Tell was all over the news; it was even beginning to develop a presence here on ArmyStrongStories.com – I mentioned it, and LTC Andre Dean posted a few times about (more about that later); since then, Cadet Ulrich and LT Harper have both mentioned it; 1SG Hynes and SSG Chase have both shared great, personal stories; and ArmyStrongStories.com resident super-star, LT Kayley Nammari talked about the personal blowback she's gotten (even though...read more

His Name is Clark ... He's a Soldier

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:02:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
With ILE just starting this week, I had plenty of time to check out was was happening at Fort Gordon this week. As it turns out, I was lucky enough to be here for the retirement of Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Thomas Clark. I say lucky because I had the chance to deploy to Baghdad with CSM Clark in 2005-2006 with 22nd Signal Brigade. It was his second trip to Iraq and he was the Brigade Command Sergeant Major, the senior enlisted member of the 1200-Soldier signal...read more

Welcome to Middle-Management, Army-Style!

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:03:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I made the trip yesterday to Fort Gordon, GA, and signed in to start my stint at “Intermediate-Level Education” (ILE). While I'm not sure exactly what will be covered over the next 3-1/2 months, here's the official description: “It will prepare field-grade officers to serve on division, corps, echelons-above-corps, land component command, and joint staffs. Graduates will understand full-spectrum operations in today’s environment, know how to think,...read more

Being Black, Being Green

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:54:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
With Black History Month ending in a matter of hours, I realized it's long overdue I added my two cents. I spent a long time growing up avoiding the issue of race. If I'm going to be honest with you – and with myself – I have to admit that I did everything I could to avoid examining who I am. (I think that my choice to become a part of the Army was part of that avoidance, but I'll get to that later.) Nonetheless, I hope, and I believe, that the last few years...read more

New iPhone App! More on the Way?

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
ArmyStrongStories.com has a new iPhone app! That's great news for all of us who blog and all of you who like to check in on how were doing without being tied to your desktop (or laptop). As I think I mentioned when I was at BlogWorld last fall, I'm a big fan of all things gadget-y and mobile apps fit the bill. Now, I don't use an iPhone myself -- I'm a webOS fan, but (thanks to a lack of new hardware - come on HP!) I'm currently rocking an Android...read more

Military Justice 101 – The Military Panel, Our Jury

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:54:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed ...” (6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) With these words, the common law right to a jury was firmly planted in the bedrock of our nation's founding. The right to a jury trial is something that separates our common law heritage from the civil law systems common in Europe and...read more

Do You Love What You Do?

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:13:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
If you haven't read 1LT Earl Wilson's recent post talking about his recent acceptance onto Acive Duty, you're missing out on a beatiful example of why folks love the Army! He was accepted last year into the Army Reserves and, after training, went back to his "normal" life in Houston. But after spending a little time in uniform, "normal" just wasn't good enough any more. He wanted the excitement, cameraderie, and service that comes with...read more

You Can't Handle the Truth!

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:55:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
As I promised last time, here's a photo of my boss, all dolled up for a polygraph. CID hasn't even accused him of doing anything and he looks nervous; I can only imagine how a young Soldier must feel when they get guilted into taking a polygraph!...read more

Army Training - Lawyer Style (Decmeber Re-Cap)

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:52:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
December was a great month for my office. We had two great training sessions, had some great results in the courtroom, and generally continued to serve our clients well. One of the things the Army does pretty well is training. It's sort of a requirement with the way we move folks around so often, asking them to learn (and develop some expertise in …!) new jobs every 2-3 years. The training we do is sometime at formal conferences and developmental programs, but...read more

Going Home for Good Luck

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:50:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
This is totally off-topic, but it's just too good not to share: a recipe for good luck in the New Year! This is something that my family had for dinner every New Year's Day. It was usually my grandmother who made it, but since I've been away from home for ... a few years, I started making this. Pennsylvania Dutch tradition says that eating pork and sauerkraut will bring good luck, and I believe it! Being from PA Dutch country, I'm at least not...read more

Army Debates Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- what say you?

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 23:27:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
As the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy takes center stage as the military issue of the day, LTC Andre Dean as recently opened up a great discussion of the issue on ArmyStrongStories.com. He's done so just in time for me to come out of hiding and dive back into blogging (and I've already started commenting on his post!), but I have to wait a few more days before I can take the time for a full-on post here. I'm spending the weekend editing...read more

Defense Counsel in Hiding...

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 01:12:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Let me start by reminding you (and myself) how much I really enjoy writing this blog. I do. I think it's useful, hopefully interesting, and for me can be cathartic. But there are limits to what I can write about. No limits based on the forum - as you know, Army Strong Stories is a place where Soldiers of all stripes can talk, unfiltered, about their Army experience. Instead, I've got professional limits that prevent me from sharing the details of my...read more

JAG Corps 101: The Roots of Our Military Justice System

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 20:24:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Many folks don't realize the Army has lawyers - in uniform - performing a variety of legal work every day. One of our core missions is ensuring the fair application of criminal justice within our ranks, something Judge Advocates typically refer to as "military justice." It won't surprise you that we have a means of enforcing good order and discipline while we're off protecting...read more

GEN Petraeus shows up at BlogWorld!

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 04:16:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
When the most respected military leader in a generation talks, people listen - even techies who don't know the difference between the DFAC (dining facility) and an MRAP. Day 2 of the BlogWorld & New Media Expo was kicked of with comments from GEN David Petraeus; he talked about the power of new/social media to connect Soldiers with friends and family and the positive impact on morale (and, therefore, supports the mission). Ok, GEN Petraeus did not actually take time off to...read more

Thanks Mom...

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:12:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I’m in Las Vegas for three days, attending BlogWorld, talking about the Army and its social media position. I stopped for coffee this morning and started thinking a bit about how I ended up here. I mean, really, how in the world did I get here? I haven’t talked much about growing up, but I did so in a single-parent family in York, PA. My mom has been a social worker her entire adult life. (And for those who don’t know, that doesn’t...read more

BlogWorld & New Media Expo!

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 07:53:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's official - I'm headed out next week to Las Vegas to talk about the Army and Army Strong Stories at the BlogWorld & New Media Expo! I'll be out there with a few other folks, spreading the word about what the Army has to offer and why blogging is important to us. We'll be there for the whole conference, from Thursday to Saturday and you can expect to get updates from me both here at ArmyStrongStories.com and via my Twitter feed (@MAJGrimes). Stay...read more

Army Lawyers in Chicago

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:56:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
This week I'm spending a few days in Chicago with my supervisor (the Regional Defense Counsel), one of my subordinate counsel, and a conference room full of defense and prosecution attorneys. We're here talking about sexual assault and the sorts of expert testimony that is available and useful in these sorts of cases. We started yesterday, and if the rest of the week is as good, this is going to be a really good week. Each day we have a few hours of presentation from two...read more

TDS 101 – Basic Administrative Actions

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:08:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Last time I wrote, I mentioned two administrative actions that were worrying me. What I didn’t do, though, is explain how those actions work or what Trial Defense attorneys can do for Soldiers dealing with them. Today I’ll start a series of TDS 101 articles, describing what the Trial Defense Service is, what we do, where we came from, and why we’re the premier public defender organization in the United States. First, admin actions. Much of...read more

Can vs. Should -- Decision-making with Soldiers in Mind

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:59:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
One of the reasons I love being part of the Army's Trial Defense Service (TDS) is the opportunity to make a direct impact on Soldiers' lives at some of their lowest, toughest times. I like to think that the compassion that I and my attorneys have for them is shared by their commanders and the military justice system at large. The last few weeks, however, my faith in the inherent fairness of "the system" and the reasonsed discretion of commanders has been shaken....read more

So, What Should We Talk About Now?

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:49:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
My new role as part of the Trial Defense Service (TDS) is a little bit different from every other legal job in the Army. TDS attorneys work for Soldiers and officer accused of crimes just like any civilian attorney would. We are there to represent the Soldier, not the commander, not the Army. In the Army, the opportunity to form attorney-client relationships is rare, and even more rare is a chance to be an advocate for someone when so much can be at stake for your...read more

Looking Back at the PCS

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:25:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Long absences from the blog before were usually 2-3 weeks. It's been nearly 2 months now since I've last written and I've got far more to cover than I can do in just one post. I want to talk about a few things, but some it is just going to have to be left out. I graduated from The Judge Advocate Graduate Course on 20 May and shortly thereafter set off on a 3-week cross-country odyssey with my family. Preparing to move -- as it always is in the Army -- is both...read more

Practicing the 'Rule of Law'

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:37:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
As part of the Graduate Course here at The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School, we've had the opportunity to take a number of elective course, and I've spent most of my available credits studying International Law topics. One of the most interesting (and the last class of the year I need to attend) is my Rule of Law elective. We've spent our time discussing what 'rule of law' really is and how the United States is working to establish and...read more

Legal Adminstrators Talk Back!

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:11:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's been a great week here at the JAG School and I've got three great events I'd like to share (in addition to a re-cap of BG McMaster's leadership discussion, which I have mentioned before). Keep reading for a follow-up on the leadership discussion that started a few weeks ago, involving the JAG Corps' warrant officers; and stay tuned for two more posts coming shortly to talk about a visit from one of the Army's senior trial judges (he spoke to my Military...read more

A View from the Marine Corps

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:52:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
While I still need to review my notes from BG McMaster's discussion with us (a few weeks ago), I thought I'd jump right on some thoughts from a senior Marine Corps officer who spoke with us today. (Remember, The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center & School enforces a non-attribution policy - an important feature that fosters open conversation - so no names.) Suffice it to say, this was an officer who's been around and offered some thoughts on legal service that are definitely...read more

Off to Gettysburg!

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:41:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's been a pretty good couple weeks. Shortly after my last post, we had a guest speaker come in to talk about officership, leadership, and the future of the Army. BG H.R. McMaster was an excellent addition to the roster of guest speakers we've had so far, and I intend to (eventually) draft up a blog post about his comments. In other news, I took my family out to the Fort Lewis area to look around and start to scope out some neighborhoods to try to find...read more

Question Answered - McKenzie, read this!

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:01:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I got a question in one of my recent posts and wanted to share the answer with everyone. How physical is the Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course (JAOBC) class at TJAGLCS and the six-weeks at the Direct Commission Officer Course (DCC)). I have a chronic torn ACL, which has not been surgically repaired. Also, how does the army determine your area of work (e.g. medical, administrative support, combat, legal and law enforcement, etc)? Do you rotate through each area? McKenzie, While I can't...read more

Leadership Panel

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:48:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
If you follow my Twitter feed (@MAJGrimes), you noticed that yesterday was another leadership discussion. This one was a little bit different than our others because the Graduate Course met as a whole (without or foreign and sister-service officers) and heard from three senior Army commanders. This was possible because the JAG School (officially, The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School) is this week hosting a Senior Officer Legal Orientation (SOLO). This is something that...read more

The Discussion Continues...

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:01:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
A great leadership discussion on Wednesday has led to more ... and less. I was very excited to share some of my small-group leadership discussion with the rest of the world on Wednesday. We were talking about the challenges of leading warrant officers, enlisted paralegals, and civilians as part of our series of seminar discussion about leadership in the JAG Corps. (I used the #jagcldrship hashtag, so you can check out the discussion on Twitter -- and keep it going.) The...read more

Leadership Discussion Today!

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:52:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Well, for those who were waiting for last week's leadership discussion, I apologize. A last-minute trip to the doctor for some recurring low-back pain kept me out of school for the day. Luckily, leadership training continues! Today we'll be tackling: Leading Legal Administrators, Paralegals, and Civilians. This should be an interesting discussion - particularly as regards civilians. I'll be live-Twittering the discussion, using the #jagcldrship hashtag. Feel...read more

The Newest Judge Advocates

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:03:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
The 181st Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course arrived in Charlottesville on Friday. They’ve been training since Super Bowl Sunday at Fort Lee and are now beginning 10 ½ weeks of academic training here at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. Today was the first day of PT here at the School. As we’ve done for the last two OBC classes, MAJ Montas and I are running a few days a week with one of the run groups. We’re not the fastest group, but everyone...read more

Leadership Discussions (updated)

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:20:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Yesterday was another great discussion about leadership here at the Grad Course. Because this is more than 'just' and LL.M. program, we are spending time talking about leadership. The goal is to make all of us more ready to take charge of our corners of the JAG Corps when we head off to our new assignments this fall. This semester, our Professional Development Program includes a series of small group discussion with some of the senior officers on the faculty. It's an...read more

Diversions

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:45:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
As I look back at some of my recent posts, I realize I've talked a lot about my thoughts on leadership sparked by various events here, but I've been pretty lean on offering a glimpse of the lighter side of life here at the Grad Course. So today I'm taking a look at the last week -- here are a couple of the recent events keeping me from finishing my research paper... (I apologize for the quality of the first couple photos -- blame my BlackBerry.) Here are some photos from the recent OBC Dining...read more

'Why Blog' or 'What's Important to Me'

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:45:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Since the second semester of school has started here in Charlottesville, the Graduate Course has included formal mentorship sessions with some of the senior faculty members. The goal has been to talk about leadership and to help us all develop an understanding of what our role will be in our next jobs (since most of us have been recently promoted) and improve our own leadership skills. Today's session was talking about formal vs. informal leadership -- the strengths, techniques, and roles...read more

Back at it

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:41:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Well, after a long, school-sized holiday break, we're back in class this week. I've got things pretty good this quarter because our academic schedule has changed a bit and is made up mostly of elective courses. I've only got one elective this quarter, which means that except for our 'plenary' classes from 10-12, I've only got classes on Wednesday afternoon. I'm excited to have a little extra time to both work on my paper (which is coming along slowly) and spend more time with...read more

Finaly Done With Exams (for now...)

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:49:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's been a long, busy 6 weeks (yikes!) since I've posted anything here, so I'm hitting it hard today with some long-over-due answers and this update on what's happening at the Grad Course. (I know I still owe you part II on the lecture by P.W. Singer - which I still think was the best thing to happen here all semester - but it will have to wait a little longer.) It feels like we've been taking tests non-stop since my last update about 6 weeks ago. Obviously that's not true, but...read more

Guest Lecture - P.W. Singer,

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:05:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Before I get into the meat of this post, here's a quick note about the JAG School's 'Non-attribution Policy' -- in order to encourage the free expression of ideas and foster robust discussion, the opinions offered by students, faculty, and guests are to be kept private. This allows us to have really great discussions about really tough topics without the stifling effect you might expect because of fear for negative career effects. And our guests can rest assured that anything they...read more

Officership

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:53:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting the newest group of Judge Advocates and talking with them for about an hour about 'officership.' The latest Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course started on Sunday and much of their first few weeks on active duty with the JAG Corps is spent learning about the Army and how to do many of the basic 'Soldier stuff' we do. I was able to take a few hours away from class to talk to them a little bit about what is expected of them as officers and what (I...read more

A Visit from Home

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:47:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Last weekend my Mom and one of my sisters made the trip down from Pennsylvania to visit me and the family. Though Saturday's weather wasn't so good (and Caleb got sick), we managed to get out Sunday to Shennandoah National Park and drive up Skyline Drive to check out the fall colors. It was great to see them - it'd been quite a while since we were able to see them, and...read more

Assignments

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:50:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
There were two other big events in the last two weeks. One didn't even involve me, at first. Every year, the JAG Corps has a leadership conference for all of the Generals, Colonels, and many of the Lieutenant Colonels of the Corps. It's a big deal for us, and being here during the run-up to the conference has given me a chance to see exactly how seriously they take it. It's an opportunity for all of our leaders to get up-to-date info on the state of the Corps and to talk...read more

Paper Topic

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:24:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's been a busy two weeks since I've last written, but I'm determined to not slip back into a habit of writing only every 3-4 weeks. It just won't do! And instead of blasting out a long update, I'm going to space things out a bit, give you more digestible bits. First, the long-awaited research paper topic. Because the Judge Advocate Graduate Course I'm going through now is a LL.M.-grating program, a big part of that is the writing requirement. While we've got a few...read more

On Navy Leadership

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:52:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's been an interesting few weeks (already a month(!) since my last post?!), and lost past time for me to add something here. Yesterday's visit to the Grad Course by the Navy's Judge Advocate General, Vice Admiral Jim Houck, is a good reason to get writing again. As part of the leadership development slice of the Grad Course, we periodically have guest speakers like Vice Admiral Houck come in to talk with us. He was here yesterday to talk both about the Navy's JAG Corps...read more

Getting into the Groove

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:13:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Four weeks into the Graduate Course and we're starting to hit our stride. Many thanks for the research paper/thesis topic suggestions. I've just about got a topic nailed down (and will share it with you soon), but tonight I've got one thing on my mind, and it's been bothering me since school started. First the background. Upon arrival at the JAG School, all the students were offered the option of borrowing a laptop from the school for use during the course, for...read more

The First Day of School

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:09:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Ok, today isn't actually the first day of school. Network access issues have kept me at bay. Those who have been following me on Twitter (@MAJGrimes) know that I spend much of the day on Friday inprocessing at the JAG School. (Officially known as The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, the JAG School is the very much the heart of the JAG Corps. This is where all new attorneys, legal administrators, and paralegals are trained, and this is where we...read more

Answer to Greg Nichols

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:24:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
A few days ago, I got a great question (in the comments to my last post) from an observant reader. Here is his question and my answer: "Can someone enlighten me. BG Dana Chipman is about to become a LTG? I would imagine that this sends a very bad message to the MG's that have seniority. Am I the only one that finds this more than a bit odd - " Greg, While a bit unusual, Brigadier General Chipman's promotion to Lieutenant General (a two-rank promotion) is in keeping with JAG...read more

Field Screening Officer Training Conference

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:49:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Today I'm helping to kick off my last official event as part of the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office (JARO). Each year we gather all of our FSOs together, give them the latest information (about things like our new financial incentives), and make sure we're all on the same sheet of music. We've got a good schedule of events and I'm anxious to see it all come off without a hitch. As part of the conference, we have a few special guests joining us. Our kickoff speaker is...read more

Travels under way

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:52:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's been nearly four weeks since I've written with an update. I've been busy! I've mentioned before the JAG Corps sends each of its Majors back to school to earn an LL.M. (an advanced degree in law), and now it's my turn. Beginning in early August, I'll be part of the 58th Graduate Course of the JAG Corps. I will spend the academic year in Charlottesville, VA, studying at the Army's JAG School, which actually sits next to UVA's law school. I expect it to be a...read more

New Post-9/11 GI Bill transferability options

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:47:10 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Great news! The Department of Defense just announced rules governing the transferability of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits. As I'm sure you've heard, the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers significant education benefits for virtually all service members who have completed minimum terms of service since the terrorist attacks of 2001. Many of these benefits are, for the first time, available to officers (including West Point graduates like me) and can be transferred to...read more

Being an Army Judge Advocate is a Better Deal

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:11:02 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I mentioned in my last post that the JAG Corps recently got a batch of new financial incentives approved for Judge Advocates. This is big news, and it means that accepting the challenge of the JAG Corps doesn't have to mean drowning in law school loans and learning to live on Raman noodles. (Note: I don't know anyone who actually does that.) The new incentives package includes three pieces. 1. Student Loan Repayment Program. For the first time, the JAG Corps is...read more

Grab Bag

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:52:49 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

My Advice to Tom Grier

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:14:34 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Retirement of a Legend

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:22:30 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Memorial Day

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:57:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

The Future Legal Library?

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Flashback to Iraq: Thursday, April 27, 2006

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:56:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Lawyers, … Soldiers!

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Catching Up … (again)

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Taking Leave

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Back and Forth

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
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

Summer Intern Selections!

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
March is always a big month for my office, and this year was no exception. The two big events are our selection boards for Summer Intern applicants and for Active Duty applicants. For the first time, the JAG Corps has chosen its next crop of summer interns using the online application and digital voting process I’ve spent all year helping to get established. It was a suceess! We’ve gotten great feedback from everyone involved and I’m really excited about what this will mean...read more

Three weeks, two trips, one milestone

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It’s been three weeks since I’ve had a chance to write – and even now I feel like I’m not giving you all my attention. Just after Valentine’s Day, I left the family at home for a while and hit the road for my last Field Screening Officer trip. I headed to New York City – my old stomping grounds from law school days – and visited New York University School of Law and Brooklyn Law School. I also spent a full day with the guys at the Army Recruiting...read more

Valentine’s Day!

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Usually I try to stay close to the ‘all-JAG, all-the-time’ format for this blog (though I do like to branch out from time to time), but today I’m going all out and giving you a peek into my personal life because I really like Valentine’s Day and I’m really excited about what I’ve got planned for my wife. (And knowing she doesn’t read this means I’m not spoiling any surprises.) As you know, we had our first child last year and he turns 10 months...read more

On the Road Again

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
It's February so that must mean I've started interviews for our spring selection board. And I have! I spent Wednesday afternoon at Penn State's Dickinson College of Law and yesterday was at Drexel University. While we almost always get great applicants to choose from, I wanted to tell you how impressed I've been with the applicants out of Drexel and with the great program that Drexel offers its students. It is a young school but has still managed to get itself tied tightly to the legal...read more

Answers Part I

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
For those of you who aren’t keeping up, some folks are actually reading these blog posts, are interested in being Judge Advocates, and have asked me a few pointed questions. Because the answers should be of interest to more than a few people, I’ve giving them here. MAJ Grimes, I have two questions. The first relates to the new on-line application and the second is a bit off point. With respect to the new on-line application: There is a section to upload documents. However, the...read more

It’s On!!

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Joy of joys, the JAG Corps now has an online portal for applications to become a Judge Advocate or Summer Intern. I never intended this blog to be a source for such explicit propaganda, but I’ve worked long and hard to make this a reality. And the Army is the first military JAG Corps with such a streamlined application process. I’m proud of all the work that’s gone into it (much of it transparent to the user), but I expect this will make it much easier for folks interested...read more

Courtroom Blogging?

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I just read an article on the American Bar Association’s online Journal (abajournal.net) about live blogging in-court during sessions on the record. (You can read it here.) I think it’s a great idea with some interesting possibilities and challenges. On the plus side, I think a live outlet for coverage of court-room actions fits right in with our notions of a judicial system open to the public. Like state and federal courts, military courts-martial are open to the public (except...read more

Inauguration … no, thanks.

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Well, this week was a turning point in American history. Our nation’s capital – my current hometown – played host to a few million visitors as we celebrated the inauguration of our new Commander-in-Chief. It was a big day. My wife and I skipped it. Instead, we both took a few days off work and headed to Utah for a little skiing. But before you think we’re made of money, I’ll tell you we crashed at a rented condo with her parents. It was a great trip. We were...read more

“MAJ Grimes, don’t make me hurt you.”

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:55:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
What would the Army be without a little hierarchy? Today I’m going to give you a taste the one I live under, and I’m starting with my boss, the Chief of the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Paulette Burton. As many of us do, LTC Burton spends a good deal of time on the phone, talking with newly-accepted Judge Advocates and with peers throughout the JAG Corps. What she doesn’t like to do (as noted in the quote that heads this entry) is be the...read more

FAQs about the JAG Corps, Part II

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
As a Recruiting Officer for the JAG Corps, I get a lot of questions. Here is the second in an ongoing series of answers to some common questions. Today's question: "Where will I be assigned?" This is one of my favorite questions to answer because people general like what we've got to say. Unlike many other service Judge Advocates, the Army will give you your assignment before you incur any commitment to serve. That may not sound like a...read more

Flashback to Iraq --Friday, 06 January 2006

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
(from the blog I kept during my 12-month deployment) What I Want Today! Perhaps this blog needs one more recurring segment. So, to keep you clued in on my deepest desires, I've decided to add 'What I Want Today!" Today: I want an Orange Creamsicle. Why? I have no idea. The idea was planted by a Japanese movie called 'Battle Royale.' It has, as you might imagine from the title, no real conection to creamsicles. It's a flick that pits 40 seventh grade students against each other in a...read more

Congratulations!

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Much of my work over the last few weeks has been preparing for and executing the Fall selection boards for the Judge Advocate General's Corps' summer intern program and new Judge Advocate selections. We had the biggest number of applications this office has seen in a few years, which meant not only a lot of work, but also a chance to review the applications of some really quality candidates. The Army's senior military attorney - Lieutenant General Scott Black, The Judge Advocate...read more

Caleb's First Christmas

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I haven't talked much about my family, so I thought I'd share a little bit about my son's first Christmas. He's only 8 months old, so (luckily for me) he had no idea what was going on. But he enjoyed tearing the brightly colored wrapping paper. His favorite gift was probably a box. It actually contained a gift, but what can I say, he loves cardboard. Now we're trying to get back to normal. I had a few days off, so I had him out of day care and off his schedule, but we're both back at work...read more

Finally, a breather!

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
Well, my long, long absence from the blog scene can mean only one thing ... We've been busy at the office. As some of know, the JAG Corps accepts applications for new officers twice per year -- deadlines are 1 November and 1 March. Throughout the month of November (and the 4-5 weeks leading up to it) we are busy processing applications and getting them to our selection board. Each file must be received, reviewed, and appropriately packaged for the board; and for applicants that forget to include...read more

It's Nerdy, But I'm Excited

Benjamin Grimes — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
In addition to preparing for our latest selection boards (to choose the next group of folks to join the JAG Corps - either as active duty officers or as summer interns during law school) much of my time at the office has recently been spent working toward a few tech initiatives for the JAG Corps. There are two projects I'm focused on: an online application to the JAG Corps; and a JAG Corps blog 'voice.' I see my writing in this forum is part of that effort. I want to get the word out about...read more

FAQs about the JAG Corps, Part I

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
As a Recruiting Officer for the JAG Corps, I get a lot of questions. Today I'm going to begin answering a few of them for you. This first question is one I've gotten a few times over the last two months. It is something that, being the Army, I never thought was even an issue. But folks who come to the JAG Corps with no military background (which is most of the JAG Corps) are curious about a lot of things I've been taking for granted a long time. Enough talk, on to...read more

Spending Time with the Air Force, Part 2 of 2

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:54:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I mentioned earlier that I hung out with the Air Force last week. Well, as it turns out, the Coast Guard was having some sort of aviation conference at the same time, in the same place, and I ran into two guys I went to West Point with. In fact, the three of us had all been on the swim team there and had all become (at one time) Army helicopter pilots. Corey and Bryon both left the Army after a few years and joined the Coast Guard, and I hadn't seen either...read more

Spending Time with the Air Force, Part 1 of 2

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I spent a few days this week sitting in on an Air Force JAG conference. I was there at the invitation of one of their JAG recruiters, taking part in a military career fair the Air Force put on as part of an annual conference. There were nearly 700 Air Force Judge Advocates there, including most of the Air Force's senior officers - nearly half their JAG numbers. There were JAG recruiters from the Army (me), Air Force (it was their party), Navy, and Coast Guard. All we...read more

Initial Reflections on an Obama Election

Benjamin Grimes — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:50:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I haven't been a die-hard politics watcher this season - though I admit I was hooked on the spin shows the last month or so. Even with that, I often felt like an outside observer in D.C., this most political of cities. But Tuesday's election is enough to give everyone reason to slow down and reflect a bit. I'll admit, I haven't really considered Obama's candidacy as more than a way to get the Army out of Iraq a little bit sooner (hopefully), but a friend of mine got me thinking yesterday....read more

Flashback to Iraq 3 November 2005

Benjamin Grimes — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I was deployed to Iraq from 5 October 2005 to 4 October 2006. During that year I kept a blog, to keep in touch with friends and family and to let them know what I was up to (and that I was doing ok). Every now and then, when I'm thinking about friends I worked with there or just realize how happy I am not to be in Baghdad, I go back and read some of my blog postings. I'll share some of them with you from time to time. Here's a light one to start you off... A Day...read more

Recruiting Season

Benjamin Grimes — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
One of my jobs in the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office is to manage our Field Screening Officer program. Twice a year, we send officers out to each of the nation's 199 accredited law schools (there are actually 200 but the 200th is our own JAG school in Charlottesville, VA) to conduct interviews for our full-time and summer intern positions. My lob is to make sure that someone gets to each of those schools and to collect and manage all of the interview reports that get written after those...read more

No, I’m not color blind…*

Benjamin Grimes — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:00:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
So how does a helicopter pilot become an Army lawyer? A little luck, a little smarts, and getting the right information at the right time. I’ve been fortunate. I started my military career as a cadet at West Point, which means I got to go to college for free (if you don’t count the several years of service I committed to in exchange). Then the Army sent me to flight school, where I learned to fly the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. (Yes, being a helicopter pilot is exactly as cool as it...read more

About Maj. Grimes

Benjamin Grimes — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:52:00 GMT

By: Benjamin Grimes
I am an Army attorney. Yes, a lawyer. But I like to think my life and my job are a little bit more interesting than most lawyers – stuck in tiny offices (or, worse, cubicles), resigned to just pushing paper back and forth, waiting for a chance to spend their giant paychecks. (I’ve got no complaints about the pay, but I’m not bringing home six figures.) I’ve been in the Army for a little over 12 years and started my career as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. I...read more

Benjamin Grimes - Army Strong Stories

A Macabre Anniversary

Am I Really That Old?

SXSW Recap

SXSW!

A New Model for Leadership?

Don't Mess with Your Attorney

Message Matters - Soldiers and Crime?

The Content of Our Character

Old Hobbies are New Again

What's Next

Training to Defend Soldiers

Veterans' Day Melancholy

A Brief Return to the Recruiting Trenches

A New Grimes

DADT is (finally) Gone

Looking for 'Old-Man Strength'

Soldier and the Citizen

A New Hope, Lost

Who Cares That We Care So Much?

Back from ILE, Back to the Grind

Army Birthday & Gifts for Everyone!

Forcing a New Media Migration?

More Sweat at ILE

ILE -- PT for You and Me

New Legal Resource for Army Families

Military Spouse Appreciation Day is Today!

Q&A With Donald Rumsfeld -- MilBlogCon 2011, Pt.2

Military Bloggers Unite! (And I Fight With the SECDEF)

Strategic and Operational Concepts, courtesy of Star Wars

A New Chapter

Repealing DADT - This is How it Works

Developing Ethical Leaders in Just 2 Hours!

A Brief Return To The Real World

Direct vs. Organizational Leadership - Is there really a difference?

Evaluating Your Leadership? Don't Look in the Mirror

Big Topics, Bonus – America's Army?

Big Topics, Pt. 4 – “This is just one way to look at it.”

Big Topics, Pt. 3 – “You listen to Jimi, but you can't hear Jimi.”

Big Topics, Pt. 2 – “Why did you shoot those unarmed, starving civilians?”

Big Topics, Big Thoughts – The Role of Media, Culture, and Leadership (Pt. 1)

Thinking About Thinking

Revisiting DADT

His Name is Clark ... He's a Soldier

Welcome to Middle-Management, Army-Style!

Being Black, Being Green

New iPhone App! More on the Way?

Military Justice 101 – The Military Panel, Our Jury

Do You Love What You Do?

You Can't Handle the Truth!

Army Training - Lawyer Style (Decmeber Re-Cap)

Going Home for Good Luck

Army Debates Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- what say you?

Defense Counsel in Hiding...

JAG Corps 101: The Roots of Our Military Justice System

GEN Petraeus shows up at BlogWorld!

Thanks Mom...

BlogWorld & New Media Expo!

Army Lawyers in Chicago

TDS 101 – Basic Administrative Actions

Can vs. Should -- Decision-making with Soldiers in Mind

So, What Should We Talk About Now?

Looking Back at the PCS

Practicing the 'Rule of Law'

Legal Adminstrators Talk Back!

A View from the Marine Corps

Off to Gettysburg!

Question Answered - McKenzie, read this!

Leadership Panel

The Discussion Continues...

Leadership Discussion Today!

The Newest Judge Advocates

Leadership Discussions (updated)

Diversions

'Why Blog' or 'What's Important to Me'

Back at it

Finaly Done With Exams (for now...)

More questions answered

Guest Lecture - P.W. Singer,

Officership