INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. –
The Office of the Staff Judge Advocate of the 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) conducted legal training January 25-27 at the 310th ESC Headquarters here in Lawrence.
The event brought together Army Reserve attorneys and paralegals of the 310th ESC and subordinate units in order to focus on legal actions, specifically tailored to Reserve Soldiers. The training was a combination of substantive and program system training blocks tailored to issues faced by legal teams across the command’s footprint.
This was the second year that this legal training has been conducted at the 310th ESC. This year the primary focus of the training was schoolhouse guidance and professional career development.
“This is a yearly training program that allows us to put faces to names,” said Lt. Col. Gary Stokes, 310th ESC Staff Judge Advocate. “We are able to meet our down trace counterparts and make sure that we are synced up from the battalion level, to brigade, to ESC level.”
The three-day training event consisted of an informational day focused on the structure of the 310th ESC and how subordinate units work with the SJA’s at each level. The second day’s focus was on the day-to-day actions that a SJA or paralegal will prepare including separation packets and investigations. Finally, the last day was tailored around professional career development for both Judge Advocates and paralegals.
“I really support this because there is not much training that relates to the day-to-day operations of Reserve attorneys and paralegals,” said Maj. Michael Evans, Chief of Administrative law for the 310th ESC. “Our teams need the legal tools to support commanders and that leads to increased readiness.”
In addition to providing hands on instruction for legal matters pertaining to the Army Reserve, the instruction provided one Soldier insight to the benefits of serving as both a Reserve Soldier and civilian.
“I’m a sophomore at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and my career goal is to become a U.S. Marshal,” said, Pvt. Joshua Messersmith, Paralegal assigned to the 380th Quartermaster Battalion. Being a paralegal in the Army Reserve provides me an understanding of the law; that understanding and my military background looks good on my resume for future career opportunities.”