President Donald Trump nominated the workers choose advocate to the Marine Corps commandant to function the Division of the Navy’s high lawyer, the Pentagon introduced Tuesday.
Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Bligh is up for the job because the choose advocate basic for the Navy, a place that has been vacant since Vice Adm. Christopher French requested to retire final 12 months. Congress struck down the requirement for the Military, Air Drive and Navy JAGs to be three-stars in 2017, however till now, the Pentagon has continued to appoint service Navy JAGs as vice admirals.
Rear Adm. Lia Reynolds is at present the appearing Navy choose advocate basic, in keeping with the Navy.
Bligh would be the second Marine to carry the title of choose advocate basic for the Navy. The primary was Col. William Butler Remey, who turned the primary uniformed chief authorized officer of the Navy in 1878. He additionally served as the primary Navy JAG after the billet’s creation in 1880.
Since Remey, the place has been solely held by sailors.
The Pentagon notification from Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth didn’t present particulars on Bligh’s choice.
Bligh commissioned into the Marines in 1988 by means of the Platoon Leaders Course following his commencement from Indiana College of Pennsylvania. Earlier than changing into a lawyer, he served in Amphibious Assault Car models as a platoon and firm commander. He acquired his regulation diploma in 1997 from the College of Georgia College of Regulation.
Previous to his appointment because the workers choose advocate to the commandant, Bligh served as deputy workers choose advocate to the commandant and because the assistant choose advocate basic of the Navy, in keeping with his service biography.
“If there’s any Marine lawyer who can transfer into that place and reestablish moral norms by way of private {and professional} conduct, it’s Dave Bligh,” Rob “Butch” Bracknell, a former Marine and army lawyer, instructed USNI Information on Tuesday.
Shortly after Hegseth got here in as secretary of protection, he fired the JAGs for the Military and the Air Drive. He additionally deliberate to exchange the Navy JAG, however French retired earlier than the Senate confirmed Hegseth.
Hegseth instructed reporters that he eliminated the JAGs so they’d not pose “roadblocks to orders which might be given by a commander in chief,” he instructed reporters on the time.
“Finally, I would like the absolute best attorneys in every service to supply the absolute best suggestions, it doesn’t matter what, to lawful orders which might be given, and we didn’t suppose these specific positions have been nicely suited, and so we’re searching for the very best,” Hegseth mentioned on the time.
French requested retirement in December after solely three months because the Navy JAG. He requested to retire as a rear admiral, as a substitute of a vice admiral.
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