U.S. Military Operations

Geoffrey S. Corn is a Professor of Law at South Texas College of Law in Houston; he retired in 2004 from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. Professor Corn's teaching and scholarship focuses on the law of armed conflict, national security law, criminal law and procedure, and prosecutorial ethics. He has appeared as an expert witness at the Military Commission in Guantanamo, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and in federal court. Professor Corn is the lead author of The Law of Armed Conflict: An Operational Perspective, co-author of The War on Terror and the Laws of War, Second Edition, and a co-author of Principles of Counter-Terrorism Law.

Rachel E. VanLandingham is an Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles; she retired in 2012 from the U.S. Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel. Her teaching focuses on national security law, criminal law, and criminal procedure. The Vice President of the National Institute of Military Justice, Professor VanLandingham's scholarship includes articles on both military justice and international humanitarian law, the latter greatly influenced by her operational experience as the Chief, International Law at HQ, U.S. Central Command while on active duty.

Shane R. Reeves is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. He is an Associate Professor and the Deputy Head in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy, West Point. Additionally, he is also the Program Director for the Law and Legal Studies Major and the Course Director for Constitutional and Military Law, which is required of all cadets. A 1996 West Point graduate, LTC Reeves served in several operational positions as both an Armor officer and as a Judge Advocate. He has a number of publications and lectures often on the law of armed conflict.

LTC James Barkei is an active duty Army Judge Advocate. LTC Barkei deployed in support of the 1st Infantry Division, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and United States Forces-Afghanistan in Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively.

Anthony Bell, a Lieutenant is a Colonel in the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps. He previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Law at the United States Air Force Academy where he taught Cyber Law, National Security Law and Introduction to Law.

Colonel Jeff Bovarnick is a U.S. Army judge advocate. Col. Bovarnick's prior assignments include: Chief, International and Operational Law, Combined Joint Task Force-180, Bagram, Afghanistan; Chief, Investigative Judge Team, Law and Order Task Force, Forward Operating Base Shield, Iraq; Chair, International and Operational Law Department.

Gary D. Brown, Colonel, USAF (ret.) was the first Staff Judge Advocate at U.S. Cyber Command. He served as the senior legal advisor to America's cyber command from 2009-2012.

Colonel Gary P. Corn is a Judge Advocate, United States Army. His most recent assignment is as the Staff Judge Advocate/principal legal advisor for the Commander of US Cyber Command.

Geoffrey S. Corn is The Presidential Research Professor of Law at South Texas College of Law in Houston Texas, who retired in 2004 from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Colonel James H. Dapper is an active duty Air Force judge advocate. Currently, Col Dapper serves as the senior legal adviser for the Air Force's Air Mobility Command.

Renn Gade, Colonel, U.S. Army (ret.), is currently the Senior Legal Counsel at the National Counterterrorism Center. While in the military, he served as the Staff Judge Advocate to a number of joint and Army commands, including US Special Operations Command, Multinational Force-Iraq, Multinational Corps-Iraq, XVIII Airborne Corps, and the 82nd Airborne Division.

Kevin H. Govern is an Associate Professor of Law at Ave Maria School of Law, and Executive Board Member at the University of Pennsylvania Law School's Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law.

Matthew R. Grant is Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Judge Advocate General's Corps; Director of Legal Services, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - United Kingdom.

Richard C. "Rich" Gross, Brigadier General, U.S. Army. He is currently serving as the Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington DC.

Ian Henderson is Group Captain for the Royal Australian Air Force.

Sandra L. Hodgkinson is currently a Captain in the Navy JAG reserves. She is a former member of the Senior Executive Service in the U.S. Government. She has taught National Security Law at Catholic University Columbus School of Law since 2007.

Todd C. Huntley is Captain, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy; Head, National Security Law Department, International and Operational Law Division, Office of the Navy Judge Advocate General and Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center.

Chris Jenks is Assistant Professor of Law and Criminal Justice Clinic Director, SMU Dedman School of Law, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired), U.S. Army.

Stanley A. McChrystal, General, United States Army, Retired.

Mark P. Nevitt, Commander (CDR), United States Navy is an active duty Navy judge advocate. He was a Naval Flight Officer who has flown missions from aircraft carriers. CDR Nevitt is currently assigned as the Regional Environmental Counsel for the Mid-Atlantic Region in Norfolk, Virginia

Charles N. Pede, Brigadier General, Commander, United States Army Legal Services Agency and Chief Judge, U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals.

Todd W. Pennington, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col), United States Air Force, is an active duty judge advocate (JAG).

Jody M. Prescott, Senior Fellow, West Point Center for the Rule of Law; adjunct professor, Department of Political Science, University of Vermont.

Shane Reeves is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and an Associate Professor at the United States Military Academy, West Point.

Stephanie M. Smart is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and currently Associate Deputy General Counsel (Intelligence), Department of Defense. While on active duty, Stephanie commanded Naval Legal Service Office Southeast, served as Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Fleet Judge Advocate to Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan.

Rachel E. VanLandingham is an Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern Law School. She was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force (ret). While an active duty Air Force Judge Advocate, Professor VanLandingham served in the position of Chief, International Law at U.S. Central Command from 2006-2010 and as U.S. Central Command Liaison to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Jack Vrett is a former U.S. Army Judge Advocate who served as the Chief of International & Operational Law for the 101st Airborne Division while on active duty and currently practices law in Chicago, IL.

Paul Walker, a Commander in the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, is currently assigned as the Director of the Navy Judge Advocate General's Cyber, Information Operations and Intelligence Law Division.

Dave Wallace is a Colonel in the United States Army and a Professor and the Deputy Head, Department of Law at the United States Military Academy, West Point.

Marc Warren is a senior counsel in the Aviation and Administrative Law & Regulatory practice groups in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office. Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Marc served as acting chief counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Richard M. Whitaker serves as the Director of Sensitive Activities Oversight, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Additionally, he is a retired Colonel, United States Army.

Major Winston Williams, U.S. Army, is a Judge Advocate currently serving as an Academy Professor in the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy, West Point.

"This book should be considered an essential resource for anyone genuinely interested in understanding the law of military operations. No true understanding of the exercise of U.S. military power can be attained without a solid appreciation for how the law shapes military missions and their outcomes. This book contributes to that appreciation, and it does so with a nuanced sophistication I've come to expect from the remarkable ranks of attorney warfighters who are the United States' JAGs." (From the Foreword) -General Stanley A. McChrystal, U.S. Army, Retired

"Before this era of asymmetric warfare, insurgencies, and terrorist attacks by non-state groups law was decidedly a backwater in the execution of military operations. As this book skillfully shows, times have changed. Law is now at the heart of battlefield operations, from planning to execution and after-action assessments. The authors deftly weave together a wide range of operational environments to show just how integral the JAGs are to the fighting force." -William C. Banks, Board of Advisors Distinguished Professor and Director, Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, Syracuse University

"Superb analyses of the hottest legal issues in contemporary military operations, written by leading military law scholars and current and former Judge Advocate Generals based on their experiences in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. From drones to detention to cyber warfare, this book demonstrates how carefully the U.S. military adheres to international law. U.S. Military Operations is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the role of the U.S. military lawyer or the laws applicable to modern warfare." -John B. Bellinger III, former Legal Adviser to the Department of State

"Applying the Laws of War created after WWII to today's 'legally intensive' battlefields has challenged both commanders and their uniformed lawyers. In this text, the editors have gathered the lessons learned and best practices from a wide array of experts whose expertise has been gained in the crucible of personal experience. This insider's perspective is invaluable to all who support the Rule of Law and especially to those who must implement the law in military operations." -Walter B. Huffman, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law, Texas Tech University School of Law, Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

"The genius of the book is in the great selection of authors-all of whom write clearly and concisely-and in the special selection of subjects that take a fresh, unique perspective on the function of law on the battlefield. The authors address, specifically, among many other subjects: Medical Operations, Intelligence Law, Environmental Law, and ICRC operations in the combat theatre." -John D. Altenburg, Jr., Major General, United States Army, Retired, Former Deputy Judge Advocate General, Army, Senior Counsel, Greenberg Traurig