The "CATCH-22 JAGTOR"

A DoD variant is the "CAPTOR." Both birds of prey.

Weapon systems that really need to be cut!

ANG Pilots may be charged with manslaguter

WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Air National Guard pilots may face criminal charges for their roles in a bombing that killed four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan.

The inquiry that was completed in June determined that Schmidt and Umbach were largely to blame for the mistaken attack, although it also found undisclosed problems in the pilots' command structure.

Justice in the shadows
From the New York Times editorial page...

Non-sequitur
Modern day corporate executives aren't the only professionals born without a conscience...

Senators demand info on 'enemy combatants'

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) --Two powerful senators are demanding explanations from Attorney General John Ashcroft and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as to why two United States citizens have been detained as "enemy combatants" -- a Bush administration designation that condemns them to a legal limbo in which they have no access to their attorneys or the evidence or the charges against them.

It's time the Congress started paying as much attention to the U.S. military justice system. There is no sweeping body of law the Congress has concerned itself with less than that goverining the scope and operation of the American Armed Forces.

link

Navy submariner pleads guilty to possessing military secrets

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A Navy submariner pleaded guilty to charges he improperly possessed defense secrets and stole government-owned computer hard drives, which he later sold on the Internet.

Whispers round the flagpole

Spurious reports continue to come in from the 108th ANG unit headquartered in Topeka, Kansas. The outfit is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Victor Brayden. If you have something to say about what's going on at the command level, leadership problems, contact THE JAG HUNTER


God bless and thank you for your service during this drill weekend.


JAG HUNTERS - Finally a place to drop your dime. We're watching and listening!!

Osprey cover-up?
Skin this cat...!

Investigators are also looking into the actions of
Maj. Gen. Dennis T. Krupp, commanding general of the aircraft wing that includes the Osprey squadron in New River, N.C. Krupp met with the squadron in October and emphasized that computerized maintenance records were making the Osprey look bad, according to a summary written by an officer in training as an Osprey pilot.

“Skin this cat,” Krupp said, according to the officer’s notes.

Stephen J. Forsberg, editorializing in last year's Marine Corps Times wrote "someone secretly taped a meeting and sent the audiotape way outside his local chain of command."

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Jones turned an ongoing investigation by the Marine Corps Inspector General over to the DoD IG. Eight officers later faced the option between court-martial or Article 15. They all selected administrative hearings.

Now the DoDIG reports out there is no evidence of records tampering. So then, what happens now to the hapless eight? And where did that audiotape go?

link

Pentagon finds no Osprey evidence

WASHINGTON (AP) - A Pentagon investigation found no evidence to back up allegations that Marines altered records on the crash more than two years ago of a V-22 Osprey.

Marine officers were disciplined last year based on accusations they tampered with maintenance records. If there's no evidence, are the Marines going to reverse themselves? A better question is why wasn't this DoD investigation completed before personnel were disciplined?

On conditions in prison

"The opposite of compassion is not hatred, it's indifference." These words were written by a prisoner...

Information on conditions in the military prisons can be sent to THE JAG HUNTER

Tough call on Hejl

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Calling it “one of the most unpleasant tasks I can imagine,” Vice Adm. Robert Willard Wednesday defended his decision to remove the USS Kitty Hawk commander.

The triumph of American values
This caught in the trap lines of Counselor Glenn Reynolds, a.k.a.Instapundit.com.

Pentagon fighting in court over 'enemy combatant' cases

''This is uncharted territory,'' says Michael Noone, military law specialist at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. ''Courts have traditionally been reluctant to interfere with the executive branch's discretion during time of war. There are really no clear standards for judges to go by.''

Crew reactions mixed in Hejl dismissal

“There were a lot of discrepancies,” he said, referring to ship safety inspections. “There have been injuries, although nothing major. Things just fell apart. The leadership kind of got out of hand.

“Some guys I know are glad he’s gone because they think he went too far with the liberty policy. The punishment just made people angrier and dropped morale.”

CO Kitty Hawk relieved of command

The Navy yesterday removed the captain of the USS Kitty Hawk, an aircraft carrier that played a key role in the war in Afghanistan, citing a "loss of confidence in the skipper's ability" to lead his crew and carry out essential missions and taskings."

Capt. Thomas Hejl, who took command of the Kitty Hawk in August 2001, was removed by Vice Adm. Robert Willard, commander of the 7th Fleet.

USS COLE suspects to face trial soon

Investigations into the Cole attack were completed some time ago but putting the suspects on trial was delayed at the request of the United States

International Criminal Court Meets

The United States objects to the idea that Americans could be subject to the court's jurisdiction even if it is not a party to the pact. Washington argues that the court could be used for frivolous or politically motivated prosecutions, especially of American troops.

blogger.com

Citizen Soldiers

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The ongoing operations against al Qaida terrorists and Taliban extremists came to a halt briefly Friday in Kandahar for nearly four dozen U.S. soldiers, who traded weapons for pens in pursuit of another common objective -- swapping green cards for papers declaring them citizens of the United States.

Malaria Mutiny feared by Army brass

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. military is worried press attention to a possible link between the recent spate of slayings and suicides at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Lariam, a widely prescribed anti-malarial drug, could prompt soldiers to resist taking it, Army officials tell United Press International.

Marine Major sentenced for fraud

"SAN DIEGO (AP) - A Marine Corps major was sentenced to five years in military prison for plotting to use credit cards to steal $400,000 from the government. Maj. Darryl Phillips was also dismissed from the Corps on Friday and fined $400,000 after being convicted by a military jury a day earlier. For an officer, a dismissal is the equivalent of a dishonorable discharge."

Scarce resources
One day soon somebody in government is gonna wake up and say, Doah! We've run outta troops.

Wrong caption...
BBC News got it wrong. The headline for this work shoulda been Warriors at Work

Gertz & Scarborough
30 Aug - Inside the Ring from the Washington Times.

You'll come to find the Army's by-passed "JAGSVILLE" on their "Road to Reformation."

Pearl Harbor...another surprise?
AP - Did U.S. Shoot first at Pearl Harbor?

Welfare Check
Air Force Senior Master Sergeant
George R. Parsons
Kirtland AFB - JAG HUNTERS is attempting to contact Senior Master Sergeant Geroge R. Parsons. SMS Parsons is Chief, Enlisted Aircrew for the 550th Special Operations Squadron based at Kirtland.

If you know SMS Parsons, have him check in.

Australia snubs the ICC

Protects U.S. Servicemen
from the
International Court
Read more here.

"Counting the Cost of Combat"
Roger D. Carstens does the math.

"Notes from the Pentagon"
Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough's Inside the Ring found weekly in The Washington Times.

"No well-traveled trail..."
Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is all about reforming military affiars. Left out of the equation so far is reform of the military justice system. One can find elements in the UCMJ that go back to Roman times.

This New York Times article illustrates that nothing is impossible. BAD JAGs can be brought to justice. Those who've suffered under their heavy hands can be made whole. All that's missing is the determination and action by the GOOD JAGs and congressional lawmakers.

That's not going to happen if you remain silent.

Contact THE JAG HUNTER with your complaint of wrong. It's time we all started cutting a new road.

JAG HUNTERS...finally a place to drop your dime.

Military Injustice Blog (MIB)
Air Force Military Policeman Christopher Rendazzo

Cheyenne Mountain AFB - Kirtland AFB

Air Force personnel familiar with the case of Private Rendazzo please contact THE JAG HUNTER with tips or information.

JAG ALERT
ARMY JAGs
Captains Coombs & Ku...Phone home!!

Fort Lewis, Washington & Fort Carson, Colorado -

Army Private Scott Vincent DeBiase reports his defense counsel, Army JAG Coombs, waived an Article 32 hearing without the Private's knowledge or permission. According to Private DeBiase, JAG Coombs then backdated court documents to give the false illusion that DiBiase had waived his 32 protection with informed consent.

DeBiase tells us he has attempted 40 phone calls to Captain Coombs without result. Army counselors, Staff Sergeants Halmsteiner and Mora, independently confirm failed attempts to talk to JAG Coombs.

Private DeBiase can be contacted via either SSG Halmsteiner or Mora by calling: 253.967.7190.

By the way, this is another case coming from Army Judge Casida's courtroom.

More on the tactics of the FBI
When you read FBI, think NCIS, OSI, CID. Problem is, no one's watching the military "feds."

Anti-malaria drug linked to depression -- Ft. Bragg connection?
Click here to read more...

Military forms available online
You can find at the Military.com website a great service that makes DoD (Army, Navy, etc.) and VA forms avaliable online. For example, a DD Form 458 - Charge Sheet. Permanent links will be kept up over on the right.

Court orders open hearings

"A government operating in the shadow of secrecy stands in complete opposition to the society envisioned by the framers of our Constitution."

Hey, someone needs to get the word out to the JAGs.

Guardsmen, Reserves extended on Active-Duty

The Pentagon has announced the while all the services have hit their recruiting quotas since 9/11, Guardsmen and Reservists are needed for another year at least. In a ceremony held at the Pentagon last Thursday, the Army announced enlistments for this fiscal year have topped 79,500 with 51, 000 re-enlistments and 28,825 new reservist enlistments. Military.com reports the rest of the recruiting fighres here.

Military Justice Abuse? - Army Specialist LaMel Burleson
Fort Wainwright, Alaska - A tire was slashed on an Army MP vehicle on the evening of 17 July 2001. Then, 30 other vehicles were damaged in the same way two nights later. Specialist Burleson owned one of the damaged vehicles. LaMel, while reporting the damage to his vehicle Army Criminal Investigative Division Special Agents (CID) the following day, was accused of the crimes.

Specialist Burleson later stood before a General Court-martial on charges of damaging private property. He was convicted and to one year's confinement, reduction in rank to Private (E-1), forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and a bad conduct discharge. Burleson is presently serving his sentence at Fort Knox, KY.

Specialist Burleson plead innocent.

Reports received by JAG HUNTERS raise several important questions.

If you have information about these events, contact THE JAG HUNTER immediately.

FBI Uses Gestapo Tactics (again)
There is a running joke inside military circles that describes special agents, federal agents, of the OSI, CID, and NCIS as wanna-be FBI agents. Unfortunately, no one is watching the OSI, CID, or NCIS.

Report abuses to THE JAG HUNTER

The Innocence Protection Act at work

From today's New York Times
"Confession Had His Signature; DNA Did Not"

"A judge today overturned the murder conviction of a man in Michigan, highlighting a growing concern over false confessions and the coercion of suspects."

So exactly why is it the Navy-Marine Corps refuses to use DNA testing in the case of Marine Kevin Holt?

How about Military Prison stats and numbers?
U.S. Federal prision population stats and numbers are published regularly. NewsMax.com has a report on the most recent civilian numbers. Now how about information on the military prisons? Anyone who has this data, or knows how to get it, contact THE JAG HUNTER

More problems at Fort Sill
Staff Sergeant Johnny Lessing
needs your help!!
Personnel familiar with the events of the summer of 2000 at the artillery training center, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, are strongly encouraged to contact THE JAG HUNTER with information.

Finally, a place to drop you dime.

NETWORKING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS!!
This Clarence Paige op-ed piece, if accurately reflecting the thinking and attitudes of the President and Congress, does not instill confidence when it comes to the treatment of our own Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Guardsmen who've not yet received "terrorist" status regarding issues of military injustice.

If we are to succeed, if we are to prevail, we must come together in large numbers and make our voices heard. It's the only way. And here's the place to meet.

Pass the word, and quickly.

Makin' lots of noise
The JAG HUNTER expects better success makin' lots of noise by beatin' on several drum sets. Join the fun. Check in here each day for progress reports and a quick to link to Wiley's comic, The Non-sequitur. That could be Latin for "Military Justice." Wiley is linked way over to the right, at the very bottom. Enjoy.

Flogging The Kaboom
Fred Reed, former Marine, gives us all some insights why it has been so difficult to expose the problems with the military justice system, and why the problem has been allowed to metastasize.

Your in for a treat. Go to Fred On Everything, then click-on "FOE Colunms"

Definition: Bad JAG

bad•jag (bád'jág) - n. U.S Military Law. Slang 1. A uniformed trial lawyer, past or present.

Bag-A-JAG ani't nothin' like Whack-A-Mole

Bag-A-JAG ain't no darn carnival game. And when JAG HUNTERS puts together a case and strikes, the mole, ah...I mean the "Bad JAG" doesn't pop back up.

At last, a place to drop your dime. Send your tips, suspicions, evidence, story links, and your own case narratives to the THE JAG HUNTER