After the JAG Corps: Navigating Your Career Progression

In this episode, recently retired Air Force Colonel Dustin Lane shares his career progression after more than two decades in uniform to now working as a civilian counsel with Berry Law.

After a seamless transition from the Air Force to a job with the Department of Homeland Security, Marc walked away from the job to which he was recruited without a back-up plan. He has since struck out on his as a Strategic Advisor as Founder and Principal of Eagle Edge, LLC. Hear all about it in this episode.

Andy Decker originally served as a Surface Warfare Officer before becoming a JAG via the Legal Education Program. After an early retirement, Andy is now charting a new course in private practice in Houston, Texas.

This week, Pavan Parikh talks about his career in public service at the state and federal level.

This week, Marcus Duffy shares his journey from Ireland to the U.S. Air Force to a civilian practice in Flagler Beach, FL.

In this episode, retired Navy Captain Jeff Luster shares his journey as an active duty Navy judge advocate to the Navy and now Air Force's Office of General Counsel as an environmental law attorney where he now supports the missions of both the Air Force and Space Force.

In this episode, we meet John Saran who's never gave up on his journey to joined the military, affiliating with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in 2025. His demonstration of perseverance is the same trait that he encourages all military attorneys transitioning to a post-military career to embrace.

in this episode, Ebenezer Gyasi takes us through his career as a school teacher, judge advocate, and now civilian attorney. The parents of first generation immigrants who instilled him the obligation of public service, Ebenezer explains the joy he derives from giving back and helping others.

In this episode, retired Navy Commander Jonathan Odom or "Odom" shares how a pivotal event in his life has shaped his entire outlook on life and why he did not worry about successfully finding an opportunity to continue his love of teaching and writing.

In this episode, Cory Chipman takes us through his journey to the U.S. Army JAG Corps, talks about his stint in the Army, and then about his journey to civil practice, which started in all places, church.

Greg Saybolt had no previous connection with Omaha, Nebraska, before accepting a position with Fiserv. In this episode, Greg takes us through his approach to his career progression and explains how he ended up as a Cornhusker.

In this episode, Allen Linken shares his transition from active duty to becoming a professor at the University of Alabama.

In this episode, I talk to Jennifer Johnson who joined the Navy JAG Corps after graduating law school, passing the bar, and working in the civilian sector. Jennifer then went onto to serve almost 12 years in a variety of billets in the United States and overseas before deciding to resign her active commission and return to the civilian sector in San Diego, CA.

A motivational episode for all judge advocates leaving military service. John Kiel's career progression is a culmination of a military career: from facing unplanned contingencies and learning and mastering new areas of the law, John's post military journey has been unusual but very rewarding.

As a U.S. Army Soldier, Selfless Service was one of the core values instilled into Glenn Hardwood. His decision to run for the District Attorney for Midland County, Texas, demonstrates that while an individual can easily leave military service, foregoing these core values is not. In this episode, Glenn takes us through the challenges of trying to land his desired job with a U.S. Attorney while sta...

As we leave the service, we tend to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what we want to do and what road we want to travel. Jake Pugh shows us that sometimes choosing the best can be found in the road that one has already traversed. He has successfully done that, This is his story.

By any account, Frank "Max" Wood has had a successful and varied legal career. From judicial clerk to active duty Air Force JAG serving in Wyoming, the Philippines, and Texas, to then serving as a prosecutor, U.S. Attorney, Georgia's Chief Administrative Law Judge, and Director of the Office of Hearings and Appeals for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among others, and continued s...

In this episode, we hear from Adam Torem, a retired U.S. Air Force judge advocate whose intention was to leverage his environmental law experience in the civilian sector, but ended up relying on his other skills and experiences to eventually become a career administrative law judge for the State of Washington.

This week, I talk with Bill Rogers, who has a very diverse legal career: civilian practice, Air Force, Air Force Reserve, government servant, general counsel, advisor, BnB owner/operator, back to private practice, and farmer. In light of that, the title of this podcast is a hat tip to the Grateful Dead.

This week, I catch up with Denise Krepp, who has made a career of filling a niche since she left the Coast Guard in 2002, and a person always willing to take on the fights that need to be fought.

This week, a conversation with former Navy judge advocate Rachel Reddick whose post military career has included a brush with political office, service with Military Commissions Defense Office, a move across country, the California bar exam, a stint as an employment lawyer, and now as an attorney with an Investigations firm.

As a young officer, Jennifer was told that that her job with the Naval Support Group Activity at Fort Meade was not conducive to long-term success for a career in the Navy JAG Corps. Taking the hint, Jennifer started applying for jobs, but having made a good impression on a civilian attorney with whom she often collaborated, Jen landed at the National Security Activity, where she has been for over...

In this episode, Rachel Flannery, U.S. Army Reserve, takes us through her career progression from the Active Component to a career as a National Security Attorney at the Department of Homeland Security, via Georgetown and an LLM, in pursuit of her goal to "Pivot With Intention."

This week, we hear from former Marine, steelworker, FBI agent, Navy JAG, NCIS special agent, counter-intelligence officer, volunteer, and fisherman, John Smallman. From investigating crimes to prosecuting them, John has had a dynamic and interesting career. Full of great sea stories and laughs, there is no better way to close-out the year than talking to John about his career.

In this episode, we hear from Shelby Hladon whose desire to spend more time with her sons has led to a post-military career as a volunteer, especially when it comes to youth and veterans.