LAMP Distinguished Service Award Winners
These awards are given for exceptional achievements or for exceptional service to or in support of the military legal assistance effort.
The group awards are in recognition of a superior legal assistance program worthy of emulation, a major legal assistance innovation, or the maintenance of quality legal assistance service through outstanding effort despite limited resources; or exceptional service to, or support of the military legal assistance effort.
The individual awards are in recognition of a major legal assistance innovation, demonstrated superior effort exceeding the performance of routine duties dedicated to providing legal assistance service over a specified period, or rendering exceptional service or support to the military legal assistance effort.
We also commend the many outstanding nominations submitted to the committee that were not selected for the award.
Winners of the 2005 Distinguished Service Award
Major Martinez was chief of Legal Assistance at Fort Carson (Colorado) before volunteering to serve in Iraq with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. He deployed to Iraq in November 2005, and was one of 12 personnel who died when a Black Hawk helicopter went down near Tall Afar, Iraq, on January 7, 2006.
At Fort Carson, Martinez took on the substantial legal assistance needs of a brigade-sized unit from Korea following a one-year deployment in Iraq. He trained and mentored three new legal assistance attorneys fresh from the Judge Advocate Officer's Basic course, enabling them to operate independently in a matter of weeks. Martinez led the legal preparation of thousands of soldiers who were deploying from Fort Carson to Iraq during 2005. He impressed on his personnel the importance of sending soldiers forward unburdened by their personal legal issues. His leadership style was marked by a quiet insistence on taking responsibility for the most challenging cases, his volunteerism and selfless service, and his continuous support of and loyalty to his personnel, whom he was always quick to praise.
In Iraq, Martinez was Deputy Staff Judge Advocate with the 3d ACR. Upon his arrival in November, he quickly and expertly revamped the legal assistance operation. Though only part of his weekly schedule was dedicated to legal assistance programming, he always cleared his calendar when a soldier came in on another day.
He traveled to forward operating bases throughout Iraq on numerous occasions to provide legal services to service members at remote sites.
Martinez's easygoing style and ever-present smile won him instant friends wherever he went, and his service was characterized not only by his extraordinary competence as a lawyer, but by the personal interest, care and compassion he brought to his soldier clients and his colleagues. Always focused on serving others, Martinez made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedoms.
Office of the Staff Judge Advocate 81st Training Wing Keesler Air Force Base for its highly innovative and superb response to Hurricane Katrina. In the immediate aftermath of the most physically devastating storm in American history, the legal assistance team members of Keesler Air Force Base, 81st Air Training Wing, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, distinguished themselves by their refusal to yield to physical hardship and complex legal challenges as they helped those hard hit by the storm. The Keesler legal team: (i) having lost its offices, worked tirelessly to open temporary legal assistance quarters within days of the hurricane; (ii) quickly developed competence in bankruptcy, landlord-tenant law and insurance law to assist clients at risk in those areas of law; (iii) proactively brought in subject-area legal experts for ad hoc training seminars and invited legal staff from other uniformed services to attend; (iv) aggressively intervened on behalf of clients to stop and correct post-Katrina unethical practices by landlords and auto dealers, reaching out to civilian law authorities to curb business abuses; (v) sought, received and applied specific post-Katrina bankruptcy law guidance from the Justice Department; and (vi) handled more than 2,250 office visits, 600 cases requiring attorney consultation and 700 powers of attorney, between the time of the hurricane and 9 Nov 05. By its determination, innovation and compassion, the Keesler team has set a high mark for a military installation's legal assistance response to a natural disaster.
Mr. Dwain Alexander, Naval Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia for significant innovation and superior effort in the provision of legal assistance services. As a civilian attorney with NLSO Mid-Atlantic, Mr. Alexander has worked tirelessly to enhance the quality and range of legal assistance services and training. Mr. Alexander initiated the Auto Fraud Symposium at Naval Station Norfolk, educating JAG officers from all services, as well as Legal Aid attorneys, on abusive auto fraud practices affecting their clients. As an advocate, he testified before state legislators in opposition to legislation that would have weakened consumer law protections that benefit Navy personnel and other consumers. As an instructor, Mr. Alexander designed and led an enhanced attorney education program that trained 19 accession judge advocates in 2005. As an innovator, he devised a Personnel Qualification Standard (PQS) instrument that was so well regarded it was subsequently implemented throughout the Navy JAG Corps. Mr. Alexander has distinguished himself as a model lawyer, instructor and colleague who has rendered exceptional service to the United States Navy, his legal colleagues and his clients.
United States Coast Guard Hurricane Response Legal Assistance Team
CG Headquarters (COMDT G-L-6), Washington, DC
CG MLCA Legal Division, Norfolk, VA
CG MLCP Legal Division, Alameda, CA
Eighth CG District, New Orleans, LA
Integrated Support Command Kodiak, Kodiak, AK
Ninth CG District, Cleveland, OH
Seventh CG District, Miami, FL
Thirteenth CG District, Seattle, WA
For its superbly conceived and executed legal-assistance response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. In a time of most dire need for Coast Guard members and families scattered across several states in the wake of these historic storms, the Coast Guard Hurricane Response Legal Assistance Team (LAT) delivered critical legal help expertly, immediately and compassionately. Forward legal assistance teams who were deployed into the hurricane zones overcame extreme logistical challenges caused by massive infrastructure failure to reach and assist clients with urgent property-loss, housing and other challenges. In the wake of Katrina, an estimated 60 percent of Coast Guard members in the affected region of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi suffered near-catastrophic losses, and all members and employees required some level of legal assistance. In many instances, the Coast Guard legal assistance teams were the first service representatives to reach and assist members stranded in badly hit areas. The Coast Guard LAT response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma represented the largest legal assistance effort ever undertaken by the Coast Guard, drawing in legal personnel from across the country. The LAT distinguished itself and the Coast Guard by its unprecedented performance in a great national emergency.
Office of the Staff Judge Advocate Third Infantry Division and Fort Stewart United States Army for innovative excellence in the delivery of legal assistance to deploying and deployed soldiers of the Third Infantry Division and their families. The Staff Judge Advocate's Legal Assistance Office of the Third Infantry Division and Fort Stewart developed exceptionally effective service models on multiple fronts: (i) implementing the ground-breaking Soldier and Family Emergency (S.A.F.E.) program, which safeguards children of deployed soldiers in circumstances where the home-based parent becomes incapacitated; (ii) arranging the swearing-in of 66 Army personnel as U.S. citizens, in the field in Iraq, a culmination of a focused year-long effort to support soldiers in their dream of citizenship; (iii) developing aggressive preventive programs to educate and protect soldiers and their families from a rise in unethical business practices, such as home contractor fraud; (iv) going to extraordinary lengths to assist survivors of soldiers who died in Iraq, as well as gravely wounded soldiers and their families; (v) implementing pro-active preparedness programming that proved to be of great benefit to soldiers and their families before and during deployment; and (vi) deploying with Division soldiers in Iraq and delivering timely legal assistance in the field. The lawyers, paralegals and staff of the Office have served their clients most capably and resourcefully, and are commended for their surpassing achievement in the field of military legal assistance.
Naval Legal Service Office Central, Pensacola, Florida for extraordinary legal assistance services in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Dennis. Despite personal hardship from the hurricanes, NLSOC legal team members put the needs of the Fleet first in providing emergency legal advice and claims assistance to disaster victims. The NLSOC team staged an extraordinary effort to assist thousands of Navy personnel and family members on the Gulf Coast suddenly left without shelter or sustenance. Among the first on the ground in Gulfport, Pascagoula and New Orleans, NLSOC personnel improvised to fit emergent circumstances, providing direct humanitarian assistance as well as legal services. In the weeks after Katrina, the Navy team quickly developed state-of-the-law briefs to guide delivery of urgently needed legal assistance on such subjects as landlord-tenant and insurance law within the affected states. The NLSOC team also provided more than 30 briefings on disaster assistance to Department of Defense and Navy civilian personnel. The NLSOC legal team worked with great economy and cohesion, sharing information on emerging legal issues and resources to achieve uniformity in the legal assistance rendered to victims. It also extended outreach services to thousands of displaced persons quartered on Navy ships and at NASA facilities. In addition, the NLSOC team personally contacted and assisted all Navy family members with self-assessed legal needs, resolving all emergent cases before 15 December 2005. Naval Legal Service Office Central is commended for its extraordinary and exemplary service to Navy personnel and families and others in duress, in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Dennis.
Past Award Recipients
2004 LAMP Distinguished Service Award Winners
TEAM PACAF. "Team PACAF" (Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), 15th Airlift Wing (PACAF), 354th Fighter Wing (PACAF) and 154 Wing (Air National Guard), Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii provided exceptional service to the armed forces legal assistance effort through its innovative Legal Readiness Program. Team PACAF's Legal Readiness Program is a command-wide program addressing the legal needs of the military members and their families. The first phase of the two phase effort is a web-based tutorial that educates the service member regarding the essential elements of simple estate planning: wills, powers of attorney, living wills, durable powers of attorneys, and life insurance. At the completion of the web-based education phase the military member completes a survey to identify any areas in which they may need legal assistance or preparation of legal documents. If the survey identifies any areas that classify the military member as not legally ready they are directed to consult with their wing legal office for a mandatory face-to-face general legal readiness briefing. During this second phase, the airmen's legal assistance needs are further assessed and they are charged with making their own informed and deliberate choices about the need for an estate plan and associated legal documents.
Captain Luisa Santiago as chief of Client Services, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, and Command Judge Advocate, Joint Task Force Wings, Combined Joint Task Force 76 Afghanistan was responsible for the provision of legal assistance to military members in the entire country of Afghanistan. Captain Santiago worked tirelessly to establish an efficient, jointly manned, service oriented operation capable of providing legal assistance to over 1,450 service members from all military branches. During her seven month tour of duty she personally assisted more than 350 service members with a myriad of personal legal issues. Her hands-on approach to the provision of legal assistance included engaging in six legal assistance missions outside of Bagram Airfield and arranging for others in her command to travel on eight missions to assist service members who would otherwise not receive legal assistance. Captain Santiago personally organized the first naturalization ceremonies for deployed service members that took place under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2004. This U.S. ceremony conducted on 1 October 2004, was the first of its kind in the world and was the direct result of Captain Santiago's tireless coordination with the Citizenship and Immigration Service, the U.S. Embassy, and the twenty-four applicants who took the citizenship oath while serving in the armed forces of their new country in a deployed environment. In addition to all of the above duties, Captain Santiago fulfilled her duties as senior Foreign Claims Commission officer by processing more than 390 claims, some as old as two years, by leading teams to forward locations and working with Coalition forces, local leaders and villagers to bring prompt, accurate, and appropriate resolution to foreign claims submitted. In her role as Command Judge Advocate, Captain Santiago advised the Joint Task Force Wings Commander and fully executed her duties including prosecuting three court-martials, processing Article 15s, and administrative separations for her command.
Captain Eric S. Montalvo is the Head of the Legal Assistance Office, Quantico, Virginia. During his tour of duty at Quantico, Captain Montalvo's determination to enhance the legal services delivery system at Quantico, the home of the Marine Corps, resulted in many quantifiable and sustained improvements. Innovations and service improvements to the naturalization process developed and implemented by Captain Montalvo resulted in a reduction in the application processing time from an average of two years to, in some cases, less than six months. Even more significantly, the historical 80% failure rate for initial naturalization package submissions dropped to a less than 1% failure rate. These improvements were realized through intensive staff retraining efforts, systemic improvements, and increased interaction with the Washington District Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS). As a direct result of these efforts, MCB, Quantico hosted a formal CIS naturalization ceremony for forty new citizens at MCB, Quantico which was attended by numerous dignitaries further fostering awareness of the citizenship and naturalization base aboard the base. Captain Montalvo also reduced the potential cost of running the MCB Quantico Tax Center from $146,000 to $500 through aggressive advocacy that outlined the unique features of the Tax Center resulting in the utilization of existing computer resources and systems and avoiding unnecessary changes. Captain Montalvo also implemented a quality assurance program that cut in half the Tax Center's error and rejection rate and earned more timely and efficient tax processing for service members and their families.
Lieutenant Jonathan Scott Simpson is the Branch Head, Navy Legal Service Office Europe and Southwest Asia, Branch Office London. Upwards of 24% of tenants in UK believe they have been unjustly deprived of all or part of their security deposit according to a recent BBC report. As might be expected, unscrupulous landlords, recognizing that U.S. military personnel are moving out of the country, take additional advantage to unjustly retain what can be an average $5,000 security deposits in the high cost UK market. Lieutenant Simpson developed a multi-staged effort including preventive legal education for Newcomers Briefings, mediation in contested situations, document preparation for Magistrate's court cases, and a unique in-court Expanded Legal Assistance Project (ELAP) effort to address this pervasive problem. Lieutenant Simpson researched UK Civil Procedure to develop the basis for appearing in court and successfully obtained Navy senior legal counsel approval to appear in court in particularly egregious situations. Todate, Lieutenant Simpson has assisted 25 military and civilian personnel recover more than $70,000.
Lisa Johnson is the Legal Assistance Regional Paralegal Specialist for NLSO Southeast reporting directly to the Regional Legal Assistance Director in support of the five legal assistance offices throughout the Southeast. Ms. Johnson's exemplary performance has made the extraordinary become routine. Her critical review of incoming client and legal assistance attorney correspondence and evaluation of appropriate resource allocation to address the matter is an invaluable component ensuring the smooth operation of NLSO SE operations. Her job duties include assisting with the coordination of numerous reserve and active duty mobilization evolutions in support of the efforts in Iraq in her AOR which includes the third largest fleet concentration in the world of active duty and reserve commands. Her paralegal duties encompass preparation of draft pleadings for ELAP and pro se litigant cases and assistance with probate and guardianship services.
2003
Mr. Kenyon E. Luce, Washington State Bar Association
Captain Pete Seidler, Head, United States Coast Guard Office of Legal Policy & Program Development
Lieutenant Jeremy Kimball Call, NLSO PAC, Yokosuka, Japan
Lieutenant Edward K. Westbrook, NLSO SW Branch Office, Naval Air Station Leemore, California
311th Support Command Corps (COSCOM)
2002
Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego CA
Naval Legal Service Office Southeast, Jacksonville, FL
Captain Brandy Falk
Colonel George Hancock
Mr. Stephen Lynch
Captain Samuel F. Wright
2001
Joint Services Family Assistance Center Legal Team
September 11th Pro Bono Legal Relief Project
Colonel John S. Odom, Jr.
Captain Bruce E. MacDonald
Captain Jerry Alonzo Stevenson II
Captain Steven Fromm
2000
Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Legal Office, Georgia
Task Force Falcon Legal Assistance Office, Office of the Legal Advisor, Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo
Mr. Paul K. Davis, Southeast Regional Office, Federal Trade Commission, Georgia
Maintenance & Logistics Command Pacific Legal Assistance Program, California
Joint Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California
Naval Legal Service Office Southwest, San Diego, California
1999
Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA
Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA
Mr. Lou Sherman and the Fort Polk Legal Assistance Division, Ft. Polk, LA
3WG/JA Legal Assistance Program, Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK
Captain James Key, USAF, Anderson Air Force Base, Guam
Mr. John McHenry, Naval Legal Service Office Southwest, San Diego, CA
1998
Naval Legal Service Office Northwest, Naval Base Seattle, WA
Task Force Eagle Legal Assistance Office, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Tuzla, Bosnia Herzegovina
Mr. Jim Brennan, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fort Eustis, VA
Legal Assistance Section, Client Services Division, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fort Sam Houston, TX
Lieutenant Brandon S. Keith, JAGC, USNR, Naval Legal Service Office, Southeast Detachment, Mayport, FL
Captain Theresa Bruno, USAF, Peterson Air Force Base, CO
1997
Captain Aaron E. Kornblum, USAF, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, WY
Mr. Kenyon E. Luce, Washington State Bar Association
Ms. Robin Coll, Civilian, Naval Legal Service Office, Mid-Atlantic
1996
US Army 2nd Infantry Division Tax Center
Lieutenant Commander Ronald Johnson, JAGC, U.S. Navy, Naval Justice School, Newport, RI
Legal Assistance Office, Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, NE
Legal Division, Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic
Mr. Richard Arkow, Chief, Marine Corps Legal Assistance Consolidated Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, NC
Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC
Legal Assistance Division, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fort Benning, GA
Legal Assistance Office, Joint Law Center, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Santa Ana, CA
Legal Assistance Office, Legal Services Center, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe, HI
1995
Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Block, USA, Chief, Legal Assistance Branch, The U.S. Army Judge
Advocates Generals' School, Charlottesville, VA
Elisa Holland, Eighth Coast Guard District Legal Office, New Orleans, March, 1995
Angel Caldwell, Eighth Coast Guard District Legal Office, New Orleans, March, 1995
Joint Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, CA
Naval Legal Service Office, Southeast Jacksonville, FL
1994
Lieutenant James Walsh, JAGC, USNR, Naval Legal Service Office Northeast, Groton, CT
Lieutenant Colonel George Hancock, USA, The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, VA
Captain Samuel W. Morris, USA, 1st Infantry Division (Mech) and Fort Riley, Fort Riley, KS
Mr. Jerry E. Shiles, Chief, Legal Assistance Division, 21st Theater Army Area Command Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, NC
Naval Legal Service Office, Europe and Southwest Asia
Colonel Alfred F. Arquilla, USA, Chief, Army Legal Assistance
1993
Captain Laurel L. Wilkerson, USA, Legal Assistance Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General, U. S. Army
Major Mary L. Hostetter, USMC, The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, VA
Captain Kerry M. Wheelehan, USA, Chief of Legal Assistance, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, NC
Captain Janet K. Mansfield, USA, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, HQ, I Corps and Fort Lewis, WA
Consolidated Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, NC
Mr. Gunter D. Filippucci, Chief of Legal Assistance, Southern Law Center, Mannheim, Germany
Mr. Daniel McKernan, Fort Bliss, TX
1992
Mr. Juan J. Turull Echevarria, Coast Guard Greater Antilles Section, San Juan, PR
Legal Division, Coast Guard Maintenance and Logistics Command, Atlantic Legal Office, 7th Coast Guard District
Legal Assistance Office, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, NY
Captain Michael McWright,USA, 24th Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, GA
Captain Kurt D. Schmidt, USA, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, NC
Captain Julie Schrenk, USA, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, NC
Office of the District Counsel, Jacksonville District, South Atlantic Divison, US Army Corps of Engineers
Air Force legal personnel involved in the Hurricane Andrew relief efforts
1991
Naval Legal Service Office, Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines
Legal Assistance Offices, Clark Air Force Base, Philippines and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
Naval Legal Service Office, Jacksonville, FL
1990
Legal Assistance Office, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Warner Robins, GA
Lieutenant Commander Jay J. Kessler, JAGC, USN, Naval Legal Service Office, San Francisco, CA
The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army
The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy
The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Air Force
The Director, Judge Advocate Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
The Chief Counsel, U.S. Coast Guard
Lieutenant Colonel Gregory M. Huckabee, USA, Deputy Chief, Army Legal Assistance
Major James P. Pottorff, Jr.,USA, The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, VA
1989
Captain Anthony M. Cacavio, USAF, Eglin Air Force Base, FL
Naval Legal Service Office, San Diego, CA
Family Law Center, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, HI
Major Bernard P. Ingold, USA, The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, VA
1988
Naval Legal Service Office, Naval Base, Charleston, SC
Major General Hugh R. Overholt, USA, Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army
1987
Major Richard H. McCall, Jr., USA, Chief, Legal Assistance Division, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, NC
The Office of the Attorney General, State of North Carolina
Chief Petty Officer Stephen C. Bowles, USCG
1986
Captain Joseph P. Dugdale, USMC
Major Steven K. Mulliken, USA
Legal Assistance Office, U.S. Army, Berlin
1985
Consolidated Legal Assistance Section, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, NC
Major Charles W. Hemingway, USA
Gander Legal Assistance Support Team, U.S. Army
Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, CA
Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Plattsburgh Air Force Base, NY
1984
Elmendorf Base Legal Office, Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK
1983
Legal Assistance Office, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fort Dix, NJ
Joint Legal Assistance Office, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, CA
Major Harlan M. "Mike" Heffelfinger, USA
1982
Captain Timothy J. Grendell, USA
Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, RAF, Alconbury, England
Major J. Edward Reaves, Jr., JAGC, USAF
Captain Steven H. Muse, USA, Chief of Legal Assistance Office, Fort Sam Houston, TX
Legal Assistance Office, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Sam Houston, TX
1981
Legal Assistance Office, U.S. Army Air Defense Center and Fort Bliss, Fort Bliss, TX
Legal Assistance Office, Air Force Systems Command
Lieutenant Byron C. Rhodes, JAGC, USNR
Nellis Law Center, Nellis Air Force Base, NV
Legal Assistance Branch, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 7th Infantry Division and Fort Ord, CA
Lieutenant Leonard F. Villa, JAGC, USNR, Naval Service Office, Norfolk, VA
1980
Legal Assistance Office, Naval Legal Service Office, San Diego, CA
Mrs. Elizabeth F. Buchanan, Legal Assistance Attorney, Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa
1979
Legal Assistance Office, Patrick Air Force Base, Satellite Beach, FL
Mr. James Costello, Legal Assistance Attorney, Seventh Coast Guard District, Miami, FL
Legal Assistance Office, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, TX
