JAG experiences the field

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Dalton Smith | “I am following in my relatives’ footsteps by joining the Army,” 1st. Lt. Grey Jensen, a Judge Advocate General (JAG) attorney with the 347th Regional Support Group of the Minnesota National Guard, said. Also a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Jensen is the third JAG Soldier within his family. After being an attorney for four years, 1st. Lt. Jensen graduated from the U.S. Army law school at the University of Virginia in May of 2021. “My long-term goal is to work at the federal level in some capacity within my career field,” 1st. Lt. Jensen said. “Now I am preparing to be trail counsel for a possible deployment in the U.S. Central Command area of operation.” (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. Dalton Smith)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

08.16.2021

Story by Spc. Salome Denoon 

326th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT MCCOY, Wis. – A Judge Advocate General (JAG) attorney, with Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear donned and a M16 rifle in hand, is not the normal sight to be seen at an entry control point in the sweltering Wisconsin heat at Fort McCoy in August 2021.

1st. Lt. Grey Jensen, a JAG attorney, with the 347th Regional Support Group of the Minnesota National Guard, usually sits in the Tactical Operations Center and attends to his legal role, advising commanders on rules of engagements in various situations, while participating in Combat Training Support Exercise (CSTX) 78-21-04.

“Soldiers on the ground have to make decisions in real time. Our decisions are after the fact,” Jensen said. “I volunteered today to go guard the gate because it puts me in the shoes of the soldiers, to understand the substance of what they do. It helps me make better decisions by being out in the field.”

CSTX provides soldiers with real life training scenarios, like perimeter control and protection, simulated chemical attacks while living in austere environments. JAG officers typically work behind the scenes as support personnel and are not exposed to field duty.

This training provided us an opportunity to experience uncomfortable work environments, Jensen said. The experience will contribute to empathy for those soldiers doing this job. It will give us a deeper understanding of the responsibilities the boots on the ground carry.

“This was an expeditionary type of training,” Capt. Eric Jungels, public affairs officer for the 347th RSG, said. “Teaching us how to set up Large Scale Combat Operations.”

• Date Taken: 08.16.2021
• Date Posted: 08.16.2021 15:35
• Story ID: 403180
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US