Photo By Staff Sgt. Erin Vandehoef | U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Donald Reichard (left) and 2nd Lt. Cheyanne Reichard, both...... read more read more
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Portsmouth, N.H. – Donald and Cheyanne Reichard have already done something few Marines, and even fewer couples, ever achieve. The husband-and-wife team completed Officer Candidates School together this year and are now preparing for The Basic School while finishing law degrees at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce Law School.
Less than one percent of Americans serve in the Marine Corps, and even fewer serve as officers. Within that small community, Marine Corps judge advocates represent an especially tight circle. The Reichards now stand on the threshold of both.
“OCS was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done,” said Cheyenne. “But knowing he was going through it right beside me made all the difference.”
Donald joined the Navy right out of high school after an ACL tear redirected his career plans. Throughout his time serving as a U.S. Navy Corpsman, he worked alongside Marines. At the time, this was the closest he could get to becoming a Marine. Two years into his enlistment, he reconnected with Cheyanne, they were then married in 2017.
By 2020, Donald set his sights on becoming a Marine Corps judge advocate. He earned his bachelor’s degree for free through military tuition assistance as an active-duty Sailor.
“I figured as a JAG I can make a bigger difference and help more people as a lawyer than I could as a Corpsman,” Donald said.
Cheyanne Reichard is the first in her family to graduate from college and the first to pursue a law degree. She found her calling in law with the help of her family.
“Anytime there was a question that needed answering, they always ask me to look things up,” she said. “I always did the research, and so at some point in my life, I figured that I could do law as a career.”
Cheyanne’s dream of becoming a lawyer has been a steadfast pillar throughout her childhood. Her family came to her with questions about how to navigate the court system. She liked helping her family when it seemed like the information was otherwise inaccessible to people who didn’t have the time to scour government websites and American law doctrine.
As Cheyanne helped her family, she decided this was something she could do professionally, and the dream continued into her undergraduate studies. All she knew was that she wanted to be a lawyer and help people; the idea of doing that through military service didn’t cross her mind until later.
During her time as a Navy spouse in a Marine unit, she was provided with the opportunity to learn about all the different careers the Marine Corps offers. Through one of these classes Cheyanne attended, she learned about the Marine law pathway. The camaraderie and support that came from being surrounded by Marines gave her confidence that she would be in good hands if she decided to start on this path.
“I always felt like I owed something back to the Marines for all the support they gave me while Donald was deployed or training,” Cheyanne said. “Now I get to give back while doing the work I love.”
While applying to law schools, the pair focused their efforts on the New England area due to the very high concentration of law schools. They were both accepted to the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.
In Fall 2023, Cheyanne moved to New Hampshire and completed her first two years of law school at UNH Franklin Pierce, and Donald joined her in early 2025 to start his journey alongside Cheyanne.
Over the summer of 2025, they both attended Officer Candidate School, Donald for the 10-week Platoon Leaders Course Combined, and Cheyanne for the six-week seniors’ course. This allowed them to complete OCS and be aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico at the same time. They graduated within weeks of each other and are now back in New Hampshire.
They both are continuing to work toward law degrees while preparing for The Basic School, the next step in their Marine Officer journey. TBS is where every newly commissioned Marine officer trains in the fundamentals of leadership and warfighting.
They will then attend the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island, where they learn the fundamental principles of military justice, civil and administrative law, and procedure. Afterward, they will be welcomed into one of the smallest, most tightly knit communities the Marine Corps has: judge advocates.
“It’s a hard road,” Donald said. “But it’s easier when the person you love most is on it with you.”
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2025 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 549737 |
| Location: | CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, US |
| Hometown: | CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,400 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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