The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as the "JAG Corps" or "JAG", is the legal arm of the United States Navy. Today, the JAG Corps consists of a worldwide organization of more than 1,000 commissioned officers serving as judge advocates, 550 enlisted members (primarily in the legalman rating), and nearly 700 civilian personnel, all serving under the direction of the judge advocate general of the Navy. The organization also includes more than 550 Reserve office and enlisted members in the Navy Reserve Law Program.

The Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy is located in Washington, D.C.

History

In 1775, the Continental Congress enacted the Articles of Conduct, governing the ships and men of the Continental Navy. However, all of these ships were soon sold and Navy and Marine Corps were disbanded. In July 1797, Congress authorized the construction of six frigates and enacted the Rules for Regulation of the Navy as a temporary measure. Then, in 1800, Congress enacted a more sophisticated code adopted directly from the British Naval Code of 1749. There was little or no need for lawyers to interpret these simple codes, nor was there a need for lawyers in the uncomplicated administration of the Navy prior to the Civil War.

The Naval Appropriations Act of 1918 elevated the billets of navy bureau chiefs and judge advocate general to rear admiral. In July 1918, Captain George Ramsey Clark was appointed the first judge advocate general to hold the rank of rear admiral. can be appointed to either position as long as they meet the requirements stated in the section. Currently, the judge advocate general is appointed as a two-star rear admiral or major general while holding office, and the deputy judge advocate general is also currently appointed as a two-star rear admiral or a major general. Other than age and years of military service, there is no other statute of limitations on how many times they can be re-nominated for appointment to that position if the president so chooses.

List of judge advocates general of the Navy

Offices

Headquarters

thumb|right|The seal for [[Naval Legal Service Command (NLSC).]]

  • Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG), Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.
  • Headquarters, Naval Legal Service Command (NLSC), Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

Defense Service Offices (DSO)

North

  • DSO North Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.
  • DSO North Detachment, Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy
  • DSO North Branch Office, Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Bahrain
  • DSO North Detachment, Naval Station Rota, Spain
  • DSO North Branch Office, U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland
  • DSO North Detachment Groton, Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut
  • DSO North Detachment Great Lakes, Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois

West

  • DSO West Headquarters, Naval Base San Diego, California
  • DSO West Bremerton, Naval Station Bremerton, Washington
  • DSO West Branch Office, Naval Station Everett, Washington
  • DSO West Branch Office, Naval Air Station Lemoore, California

Pacific

  • DSO Pacific Headquarters Yokosuka, United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan
  • DSO Pacific Detachment Sasebo, United States Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan
  • DSO Pacific Detachment Guam, Naval Base Guam, Guam
  • DSO Pacific Detachment Pearl Harbor, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Hawaii

Southeast

  • DSO Southeast Headquarters, Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia
  • DSO Southeast Detachment Mayport, Naval Station Mayport, Florida
  • DSO Southeast Detachment Pensacola, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
  • DSO Southeast Branch Office Jacksonville, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida
  • DSO Southeast Branch Office Gulfport, Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi
  • DSO Southeast Remote Office New Orleans, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana
  • DSO Southeast Remote Office Millington, Naval Support Activity Mid-South, Tennessee
  • DSO Southeast Remote Office Kings Bay, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia
  • DSO Southeast Remote Office Guantanamo Bay, Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Naval District Washington

  • RLSO Naval District Washington Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.
  • RLSO Naval District Washington Branch Office Pentagon, Virginia
  • RLSO Naval District Washington Branch Office Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Maryland
  • RLSO Naval District Washington Branch Office U.S. Naval Academy, Maryland
  • RLSO Naval District Washington Branch Office Patuxent River, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland
  • RLSO Midwest, Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois

Southeast

  • RLSO Southeast Headquarters Jacksonville, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida
  • RLSO Southeast Detachment Mayport, Naval Station Mayport, Florida
  • RLSO Southeast Detachment Pensacola, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
  • RLSO Southeast Detachment Guantanamo Bay, Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
  • RLSO Southeast Detachment New Orleans, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Gulfport, Naval Construction Battalion Center. Mississippi
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Meridan, Naval Air Station Meridan, Mississippi
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Millington, Naval Support Activity Mid-South, Tennessee
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Fort Worth, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Corpus Christi, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Kingsville, Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Key West, Naval Air Station Key West
  • RLSO Southeast Branch Office Guantanamo Bay, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba

Mid-Atlantic

  • RLSO Mid-Atlantic Headquarters, Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia
  • RLSO Mid-Atlantic Branch Office Oceana, Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia
  • RLSO Mid-Atlantic Branch Office Little Creek, Joint Expeditionary Base-Little Creek / Fort Story, Virginia
  • RLSO Mid-Atlantic Detachment Groton, Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut
  • RLSO Mid-Atlantic Detachment Newport, Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island

Southwest

  • RLSO Southwest Headquarters, Naval Station San Diego, California
  • RLSO Southwest Branch Office Ventura County, Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme, California
  • RLSO Southwest Branch Office Lemoore, Naval Air Station Lemoore, California
  • RLSO Southwest Branch Office Point Loma, Naval Base Point Loma, California
  • RLSO Southwest Branch Office Coronado, Naval Base Coronado, California
  • RLSO Southwest Branch Office Fallon, Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada
  • RLSO Southwest Branch Office China Lake, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California
  • RLSO Southwest Branch Office Monterey, Naval Support Activity Monterey, California

Northwest

  • RLSO Northwest Headquarters, Naval Station Bremerton, Washington
  • RLSO Northwest Branch Office Everett, Naval Station Everett, Washington
  • RLSO Northwest Branch Office Kitsap Bangor, Naval Station Kitsap Bangor, Washington
  • RLSO Northwest Branch Office Whidbey Island, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington
  • RLSO Northwest Detachment Hawaii, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Hawaii

Pacific

  • RLSO Western Pacific (WESTPAC) Headquarters, United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan
  • RLSO WESTPAC Branch Office Guam, Naval Base Guam, Guam
  • RLSO WESTPAC Branch Office Sasebo, Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae, Japan
  • RLSO WESTPAC Branch Office Atsugi, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan
  • RLSO WESTPAC Branch Office Misawa, Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan
  • RLSO WESTPAC Branch Office Okinawa, Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa, Japan
  • RLSO WESTPAC Branch Office Diego Garcia, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia
  • RLSO WESTPAC Branch Office Singapore, Singapore Area Coordinator, Singapore

Europe Africa Central

  • RLSO Europe Africa Central (EURAFCENT) Headquarters, Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy
  • RLSO EURAFCENT Detachment Rota, Naval Station Rota, Spain
  • RLSO EURAFCENT Detachment Sigonella, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy
  • RLSO EURAFCENT Detachment Bahrain, Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Bahrain
  • RLSO EURAFCENT Detachment Souda Bay, Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece
  • RLSO EURAFCENT Detachment London, England

Trial Judiciary Offices

  • Northern Circuit, Washington Navy Yard, D.C. / Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia
  • Central Circuit, Norfolk, Virginia
  • Eastern Circuit, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
  • Southern Circuit, Pensacola, Jacksonville / Mayport, Florida
  • Southern Circuit, Parris Island, South Carolina / Beaufort, South Carolina
  • Southwestern Circuit, San Diego, California
  • Western Circuit, Camp Pendleton, California
  • Northwest Circuit, Bremerton, Washington
  • Hawaii Circuit, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
  • WESTPAC Circuit, Yokosuka, Japan
  • WESTPAC Circuit, Okinawa, Japan
  • EURAFCENT Circuit, Naples, Italy

See also

  • United States Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division
  • Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps
  • Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals
  • United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps
  • United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps
  • :Category:Judge advocates general of the United States Coast Guard
  • United States Coast Guard Legal Division
  • Judge Advocate General's Corps
  • Judge Advocate General
  • Military law

;Equivalents in other countries

  • Judge Advocate of the Fleet
  • Judge Advocate General (United Kingdom)
  • Judge Advocate General (Canada)

;Portrayal in media

  • JAG (TV series)
  • A Few Good Men

Notes

  • U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps official website