What does the military acronym JAG mean with respect to its three components...

[bosod...@gmail.com]

"Judge", "Advocate", and "General" — and what is JAG as an acronym trying to say in simple English? —— sounds like it's trying to say something legal and vaguely familiar but is it a distinction without a difference or not?

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

On Wed, 5 Aug 2020 16:12:43 -0700 (PDT), bosod...@gmail.com wrote:

>"Judge", "Advocate", and "General" — and what is JAG as an acronym trying to say in simple English? —— sounds like it's trying to say something legal and vaguely familiar but is it a distinction without a difference or not?
>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Advocate_General%27s_Corps

<quote>
The Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps) is the branch or
specialty of a military concerned with military justice and military
law. Officers serving in a JAG Corps are typically called judge
advocates. Only the chief attorney within each branch is referred to as
the Judge Advocate General; however, individual JAG Corps officers are
colloquially known as JAGs.

Judge Advocates serve primarily as legal advisors to the command to
which they are assigned. In this function, they can also serve as the
personal legal advisor to their commander. Their advice may cover a wide
range of issues dealing with administrative law, government contracting,
civilian and military personnel law, law of war and international
relations, environmental law, etc. They also serve as prosecutors for
the military when conducting courts-martial. In the United States
military, they are charged with both the defense and prosecution of
military law as provided in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Highly
experienced officers of the JAG Corps often serve as military judges in
courts-martial and courts of inquiry.
<endquote>

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 7:40:07 AM UTC-4, PeterWD wrote:
> On Wed, 5 Aug 2020 16:12:43 -0700 (PDT), bosod...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> >"Judge", "Advocate", and "General" — and what is JAG as an acronym trying to say in simple English? —— sounds like it's trying to say something legal and vaguely familiar but is it a distinction without a difference or not?
> >
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Advocate_General%27s_Corps
>
> <quote>
> The Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps) is the branch or
> specialty of a military concerned with military justice and military
> law. Officers serving in a JAG Corps are typically called judge
> advocates. Only the chief attorney within each branch is referred to as
> the Judge Advocate General; however, individual JAG Corps officers are
> colloquially known as JAGs.
>
> Judge Advocates serve primarily as legal advisors to the command to
> which they are assigned. In this function, they can also serve as the
> personal legal advisor to their commander. Their advice may cover a wide
> range of issues dealing with administrative law, government contracting,
> civilian and military personnel law, law of war and international
> relations, environmental law, etc. They also serve as prosecutors

I.e., neither judges nor advocates! Military-speak at its finest.

I never watched an episode of *JAG*, so I don't know what the
popular understanding is.

[Chrysi Cat]

Well, ONE member of the corps gets drafted as advocate for the
defendant, and another has (or more likely "gets" considering its
advantages) as an advocate for the prosecution--the court-martial is
still under the adversarial system, rather than using the inquisitorial
one. And of course yet another member of the corps judges.

The part that's almost always a misnomer is "general", which applies
only to the senior officer of the entire corps.

But in general, yes.

--
Chrysi Cat
1/2 anthrocat, nearly 1/2 anthrofox, all magical
Transgoddess, quick to anger.
Call me Chrysi or call me Kat, I'll respond to either!

[Chrysi Cat]

On 8/5/2020 5:12 PM, bosod...@gmail.com wrote:
> "Judge", "Advocate", and "General" — and what is JAG as an acronym trying to say in simple English? —— sounds like it's trying to say something legal and vaguely familiar but is it a distinction without a difference or not?
>
>
>
>
>

That "JAG" sounds like "jag" is probably just coincidence. The US are
big on making multi-word names be able to condense into pronounceable
acronyms--but until the 90s, probably slightly less so on those acronyms
having to have a meaning that matches the expanded name.

That said, the "enough liquor to make a person drunk" meaning might have
some point.

The USAF in particular seemingly PREFERS its officers to be functional
alcoholics, and it might be argued that the other three major services
also feel that way.

[Chrysi Cat]

--"has (or more likely 'gets') TO SERVE".

Why do I always make this type of "fail to notice I'm missing a clause"
error in HERE with half the crowd being ESL folks who then might make
the same mistakes intentionally?

[Horace LaBadie]

In article <JD%WG.193637$CM.1...@fx01.iad>,

"General" is an adjective here, as in "general manager."

> But in general, yes.

Except the Navy, although a Marine can also be the JAG commander of the
Navy.

[bosod...@gmail.com]

Now you got me really confused. So does the G in JAG refer to a 1 to 4 starred general, as in the most senior-ranked stereotypical officer in a branch of the Military? Or in-general meaning most non-specific as in "general manager"? Because if it's the latter as in non-specific, the last term of the acronym would have to be improvised with reference to the tort in every individual case that the advocate is tasked with —— as in the Judge Advocate FOR Petty Thefts, for Murders, Insubordination, Article 5 belt-buckle not shined ENOUGH, et al?

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Friday, August 7, 2020 at 11:56:17 AM UTC-4, bosod...@gmail.com wrote:

> Now you got me really confused. So does the G in JAG refer to a 1 to 4 starred general, as in the most senior-ranked stereotypical officer in a branch of the Military? Or in-general meaning most non-specific as in "general manager"? Because if it's the latter as in non-specific, the last term of the acronym would have to be improvised with reference to the tort in every individual case that the advocate is tasked with —— as in the Judge Advocate FOR Petty Thefts, for Murders, Insubordination, Article 5 belt-buckle not shined ENOUGH, et al?

attorney-general, postmaster-general, surgeon-general

[bosod...@gmail.com]

Does that mean the commander-in-chief whose first and last name was Major Major before becoming president be addressed as General Major Major, Sir?

[Snidely]

on 8/6/2020, Peter T. Daniels supposed :

> On Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 7:40:07 AM UTC-4, PeterWD wrote:
>> On Wed, 5 Aug 2020 16:12:43 -0700 (PDT), bosod...@gmail.com wrote:

> <quote>
>> The Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps) is the branch or
>> specialty of a military concerned with military justice and military
>> law. Officers serving in a JAG Corps are typically called judge
>> advocates. Only the chief attorney within each branch is referred to as
>> the Judge Advocate General; however, individual JAG Corps officers are
>> colloquially known as JAGs.
>>
>> Judge Advocates serve primarily as legal advisors to the command to
>> which they are assigned. In this function, they can also serve as the
>> personal legal advisor to their commander.

>> [....] They also serve as prosecutors

> I.e., neither judges nor advocates! Military-speak at its finest.

Not quite;

advocates:

>> charged with both the defense and prosecution

Judges:

>> Highly
>> experienced officers of the JAG Corps often serve as military judges
>> in courts-martial and courts of inquiry.
>> <endquote>

And in general, members of the department/organization under the actual
Judge Advocate General. Kinda of like saying Tom is from Accounting
even though he isn't the /certified public/ part of being a CPA.

/dps

--
But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason
to 'be happy.'"
Viktor Frankl

[Peter T. Daniels]

I certainly hope they can't serve as judges and advocates in the same case!

Are the ones on the TV series prosecutors or defense attorneys? Or are
they switch-hitters?

[Horace LaBadie]

In article <1f89e01d-2785-44cb...@googlegroups.com>,

The Convening Authority (usually the commanding officer) assigns the
counsel for the prosecution and defense. The defendant can request a
particular counsel or hire a civilian lawyer to defend, assisted by the
appointed military lawyer. Any counsel can serve as either prosecutor or
defender at the CA's discretion.