1 May 1955: A Career Field is Born.

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Author: Allen, Andre R.1

Prior to 1955, an enlisted legal specialty in the Air Force did not exist. Administrative specialists who received on-the-job training within legal offices accomplished "Paralegal' duties. The Paralegal career field that we know today evolved from the publishing of Air Force Manual 35-1C, Warrant Officer and Airman Classification Manual, I July 1954. This manual officially established the "legal specialist" career field, which was implemented on 1 May 1955. No longer did our early paralegal pioneers have to move from base to base with only a letter from a Staff Judge Advocate in their records as verification of their training and experience; they now had an established foundation on which to build a career field of skilled, trained enlisted professionals.

This year, as we celebrate our 50th anniversary as a career field, we should take a moment or two to reflect on our proud history. We owe a debt of gratitude to those trailblazers who paved the way; a once rough road is now a superhighway on which we can travel with ease, limited only by the speed of our imagination and creativity. Our predecessors have planted the seeds and they have taken root; today, we are a vital part of the JAG Corps. We should not be content to merely reap the fruits of the hard labor of those who have led the way; we should water and cultivate the vast garden of knowledge, history and tradition that they left behind. We should honor their legacy by planting new seeds and clearing new paths for the Air Force paralegals of tomorrow.

In the summer of 1970, Chief Master Sergeant Steve Swigonski was ready to retire unexpectedly, he was asked to withdraw his retirement papers so he could be considered for the Special Assistant [to TJAG for Legal Airmen Affairs] position. Initially, he was not interested, but a number of people convinced him to change his mind. One of those was General Vague (PACAF SJA) himself. Chief Swigonski had previously worked for General Vague and frequently had asked for his help in making improvements to the career field. Now General Vague told the Chief that he had a chance and therefore a responsibility to do something about it. General Cheney's Executive Officer announced on 15 Sept 1970, that CMSgt Swigonski had been selected as the first person to occupy the newly created position of Special Assistant to TJAG for Legal Airmen Affairs. His responsibilities were "managing the legal airmen career program" and he reported directly to TJAG. This appointment would have an incredibly positive and notable affect on the enlisted legal career field.

Chief Swigonski left immediately for Washington. General Cheney told him that the number one problem he needed to tackle was the retention rate and training in the enlisted legal field. At the time, retention was an amazing 0% for first-termers. General Cheney gave the Chief carte blanche to decide how to fix these problems. Chief Swigonski decided that the best place to focus his initial efforts would be on an Air Force paralegal training course. Legal specialists at the time were still attending the Naval Justice School in Rhode Island. In early 1969, the Special Activities Group had conducted a study and proposed that the Air Force establish its own school for training legal specialists. The Air Force responded that the proposal was not feasible due to lack of funds and that it would make more sense to continue devoting scarce resources to supporting the Navy school. General Cheney thought Chief Swigonski would be "spinning his wheels" to pursue that course again, but told him if he wanted to try, it was up to him.

Chief Swigonski made a trip to the Naval Justice School in 1971 to observe the operations there. While there, he met with the Air Force attendees and was particularly shocked by the conditions. He also reviewed the courses and confirmed the course was too Navy and geared to the level of an administrative assistant, not a paralegal. He said he could not convince the staff at the school of the high level of responsibility that legal specialists had in the Air Force â€" they simply would not believe him.

Armed with this information, Chief Swigonski found the previous package that the Office of TJAG had submitted requesting establishment of the school and resubmitted it with additional justification. In less than a year, he received approval for the course. He picked four individuals to initiate the program, headed by MSgt Bill Sutton. The small staff was assigned a building on Keesler Air Force base. Chief Swigonski credited those four individuals with literally creating the school's facilities out of nothing, painting the building as a self-help project and building shelves out of salvage material. The school opened in January of 1972, less than a year after Chief Swigonski first started pursuing its establishment. Seventeen years after the establishment of the career field our own paralegal course is developed and the doors open.

Another way that CMSgt Steve Swigonski sought to handle the low retention rates for enlisted legal specialists was to initiate the approval of a legal specialist badge. Chief Swigonski queried the field, and the general consensus was that the enlisted legal field needed something that would boost morale, promote teamwork and distinguish themselves as legal specialists. An enlisted specialty badge seemed to be the solution. Unfortunately, Chief Swigonski's request was disapproved.

Refusing to give up, Chief Swigonski continued his quest for increased enlisted legal specialist retention by seeking approval for the wear of a two-line nametag. The two-line nametag would easily identify the enlisted member as a legal specialist and a proud member of the JAG Department (Corps). With the Chief of Personnel's opinion as an ally, Chief Swigonski convinced TJAG to authorize the two-line nametag in August of 1971.

Our trailblazer, Chief Swigonski is very proud of the direction we are heading. We have come an extremely long way in our training and retention of first-term paralegals. The paralegal course moved from Keesler AFB in 1993 to the JAG School at Maxwell AFB. The Paralegal Craftsman Course was developed in 1995. Paralegals are allowed to attend historically attorney only courses. We received approval for the paralegal badge in 1994, through the advocacy of CMSgt Dennis P. Spitz. We moved from 6-part AF Form 176, manual adjudication, basic data entry program CAMP to automated adjudication and electronic data collection program, AFCIMS. We went from the carbon set AF Form 3070 and AMJAM input forms to on-line web based AMJAMS which electronically generates the AF Form 3070.

Our retention rate for first-termers is 92% â€" Chief Swigonski's efforts blazed this trail. We went from a retraining career field only to accepting Non-prior Service applicants. These are but a few of the many accomplishments we have cultivated over the past 50 years. Paralegals have supported and contributed to the security of our Nation and the Air Force, from Vietnam to OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and the Global War on Terrorism.

Our beginnings started with seeds planted by Chief Swigonski and watered through the years by numerous others. We continue today to cultivate and grow these seeds into the best Airmen, paralegals, professionals and leaders of the world's greatest Air Force.

Since 1973 The Reporter has been providing JAGs and paralegals in the field with timely and useful articles relevant to the day to day practice of military law. The Reporter will continue to provide this critical information, albeit in a different format. This issue marks the final issue of the printed version of The Reporter. Beginning with the September 2005 issue, The Reporter will transition to an all-digital format. Expect to receive quarterly e-mails providing you with a link to the latest edition, and back issues will continue to be maintained on the JAG School website. Although there will no longer be a hard copy printing of The Reporter, contributions for the new electronic version are strongly encouraged.

Have you worked an interesting issue in a recent court-martial? Have you found a great technique or approach that could help other base level attorneys or paralegals? Write a short article about it and submit it to The Reporter!

Contributions from all readers are invited. Items are welcome on any area of the law, legal practice, or procedure that would be of interest to members of the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps. Send your submissions to The Reporter, CPD/JA, 150 Chennault Circle, Building 694, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112, attention "Editor â€" The Reporter.'"

PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): CMSgt Steve Swignowski (1) and Maj Gen James S. Cheney stand in front of a display of Chief Swignowski's memorabilia in the Air Force Judge Advocate General School Heritage Room.

PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE): Paralegal graduation photo for class 720329A after training at Keesler AFB. (front, left to right) TSgt De Shaw, SSgt D. Segin, Sgt J. Holland, A1C L. Doyle, A1C G. Outten, A1CF. Cross, Amn T. Baker, and guest speaker Lt Col C. Slagle, Jr.; (back, left to right) Sgt J. Burge, Sgt S. Hefner, Amn C. Nowack, Amn F. Wilkes, Amn S. Rumery, Amn C. Parker, and Amn L. Turner

PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE)

PHOTO (BLACK & WHITE)

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By Andre R. Allen, Special Assistant to the Senior Paralegal Manager to TJAG.

MSgt Andre R. Allen entered the Air Force in 1986 as an Aircraft Electrical Systems Specialist, where he deployed numerous times around the world. In 2001 he retrained into the paralegal career field and served as the NCOIC of Claims, Civil Law and Military Justice with Headquarters 11th Wing, Washington, D.C.