Major General Jeffrey A. Rockwell
Deputy Judge Advocate General, U.S. Air Force
Being a military lawyer means you’ve raised
your right hand to serve two professions—the
profession of arms and the profession of law.”
Photo by
U.S. Air Force.
BY SAMANTHA CART . “Integrity first, service
before self and excellence in all we do.”
These are the core values of the U.S.
Air Force and the tenants by which Major
General Jeffrey Rockwell lives his life.
A member of the Air Force Judge Ad-
vocate General’s (JAG) Corps, Rockwell
currently serves as the deputy judge advo-
cate general, a position to which he was
appointed by President Barack Obama
and confirmed by the Senate in 2014. In
this prestigious role, he assists the judge
advocate general in the professional over-
sight of more than 2,200 judge advocates,
350 civilian attorneys, 1,400 enlisted
paralegals and 500 civilians worldwide.
His responsibilities encompass a variety
of issues, including military justice, inter-
national and civil law and the provision
of legal advice to the secretary and chief
of staff of the Air Force.
“Being a military lawyer means you’ve
raised your right hand to serve two pro-
fessions—the profession of arms and the
profession of law,” says Rockwell. “To
serve the profession of arms, you need to
live by the core values of integrity first,
service before self and excellence in all you
do. To serve the profession of law in the
Air Force, you need to do so with wisdom,
valor and justice. It sounds simple in the
esoteric, but of course it can be difficult
in execution given the size and scope of
our national security missions. Fortunate-
ly, I’ve been given many opportunities to
hone these core values and principles as
an airman and JAG practicing in both
professions for three decades with some
of the best lawyers, leaders and airmen
on the planet.”
With more than 660,000 total force
airmen conducting operations across the
globe, including active duty, Guard and
reserves, Rockwell oversees legal issues
encompassing every area of the law, from
criminal justice and discipline to civil and
international law.
“The scope of practice in a worldwide
organization is the hard part,” he says.
“The easy part comes with the quality of
lawyers and paralegals we have to work
cases and issues. Challenges are easily
overcome when you get to work with the
kind of airmen and families we have in
our Air Force.”
As deputy JAG, Rockwell helps enhance
the mission readiness and morale of sol-
diers, sailors, airmen, marines and their
families by providing legal and tax assis-
tance programs and ensuring all personal
matters have been addressed. This often
includes counseling families on common
issues that arise during long deployment
separations. In 2016 alone, JAGs saved
military families nearly $29 million in legal
fees by providing these services.
“When Iraq invaded Kuwait and op-
erations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
kicked off, my wife and I were newly mar-
ried and assigned to an air base in north-
eastern Spain,” says Rockwell. “As troops
poured through our base on their way to
the Middle East, I was astounded by the
number who didn’t have their legal affairs
in order. We processed thousands of wills
and powers of attorney, and it dawned
on me then how deadly distractions like
those involving personal legal affairs can
be when you are going into harm’s way.”
Rockwell also works to implement
career development plans for when ser-
vice men and women return to civilian life;
design and support important Air Force
initiatives; protect government resources,
procurements, investments and intellectual
property rights; review military contracts;
craft instructional documents for military
training; and represent service members
at formal hearings and appeals.
“Other areas of individual representa-
tion the JAG Corps provides our airmen
include defense counsel and victim counsel
services,” he says. “Like in other criminal
justice systems, airmen accused of a crime
or facing other adverse actions are entitled
to zealous representation to protect their
due process rights. Similarly, in a relative-
ly new program to the military, victims of
sexual assault are entitled to representation
to ensure their voices are heard and rights are
protected throughout the justice process.”
As part of his lifelong commitment to
service of country, Rockwell has had sev-
eral overseas assignments and significant
Rockwell and his family at his daughter’s white coat ceremony
beginning her first year at the WVU School of Pharmacy.
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