The Judge Advocate General of the United States Army (TJAG) is the commanding officer of the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

. Under Title 10 of the United States Code

Title 10 of the United States Code

Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of armed forces in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense...

, the TJAG is appointed by the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

. Suitable candidates are recommended by the Secretary of the Army. Title 10 requires the TJAG to hold the rank of lieutenant general

Lieutenant General (United States)

In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...

 and sets the term of office to four years. (10USC3037)

Creation

The position of Judge Advocate General was the brainchild and creation of General George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

. In a letter to the Continental Congress

Continental Congress

The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....

 he wrote, "I would humbly propose that some provision should be made for a judge advocate, and provost-marshal. The necessity of the first appointment was so great that I was obliged to nominate a Mr. Tudor, who was well recommended to me, and now executes the office under an expectation of receiving captain's pay--an allowance (in my opinion) scarcely adequate to the service, in new raised troops, where there are court-martials every day." Congress agreed with Washington and Tudor was formally commissioned as a lieutenant colonel.

U.S. Army Judge Advocate Generals

	Name	Photo	Term began	Term ended
1.	LTC William Tudor William Tudor William Tudor was a wealthy lawyer and leading citizen of Boston. His eldest son William Tudor became a leading literary figure in Boston...		July 29, 1775	April 9, 1777
2.	COL John Laurance John Laurance John Laurance was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:He emigrated to the United States in 1767 and settled in New York City where he read law and entered private practice in 1772. At the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, he was a warm adherent of the revolutionaries...		April 10, 1777	June 3, 1782
3.	COL Thomas Edwards		October 2, 1782	November 3, 1783
4.	CPT Campbell Smith		July 16, 1794	June 1, 1802
5.	Bvt. MAJ John F. Lee		March 2, 1849	September 3, 1862
6.	BG Joseph Holt Joseph Holt General Joseph Holt was a leading member of the Buchanan administration and was Judge Advocate General of the United States Army, most notably during the Lincoln assassination trials.-Early life:...		September 3, 1862	December 1, 1875
7.	BG William M. Dunn William M. Dunn William McKee Dunn was a U.S. Representative from Indiana and the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army.-Early life and career:...		December 1, 1875	January 22, 1881
8.	BG David G. Swaim David G. Swaim David G. Swaim was Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from February 18, 1881 to December 22, 1894.Born in Salem, Ohio, Swaim became a lawyer in 1859. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, he joined the 65th Ohio Infantry as a first lieutenant. He was later promoted to...		February 18, 1881	December 22, 1894
9.	BG Guido Norman Lieber Guido Norman Lieber Guido Norman Lieber was a United States Army lawyer and jurist.-Biography:He was the son of jurist Francis Lieber...		January 3, 1895	May 21, 1901
10.	BG Thomas F. Farr		May 21, 1901	May 22, 1901
11.	BG John W. Clouse		May 22, 1901	May 24, 1901
12.	MG George B. Davis		May 24, 1901	February 14, 1911
13.	MG Enoch H. Crowder		February 15, 1911	February 14, 1923
14.	MG Walter A. Bethel		February 15, 1923	November 15, 1924
15.	MG John A. Hull		November 16, 1924	November 15, 1928
16.	MG Edward A. Krieger		November 16, 1928	February 28, 1931
17.	MG Blanton C. Winship		March 1, 1931	November 30, 1933
18.	MG Arthur W. Brown		December 1, 1933	November 30, 1937
19.	MG Allen W. Gullion Allen W. Gullion Major General Allen Wyant Gullion, USA was an American Army officer who served as the 19th Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from 1937 to 1941 and the 17th Provost Marshal General of the United States Army from 1941 to 1944.-Further reading:...		December 1, 1937	November 30, 1941
20.	MG Myron C. Cramer		December 1, 1941	November 30, 1945
21.	MG Thomas H. Green		December 1, 1945	November 30, 1949
22.	MG Ernest M. Brannon		January 27, 1950	January 27, 1954
23.	MG Eugene M. Caffey		February 5, 1954	December 31, 1956
24.	MG George W. Hickman, Jr.		January 1, 1957	December 31, 1960
25.	MG Charles L. Decker		January 1, 1961	December 31, 1963
26.	MG Robert H. McCaw		January 1, 1964	June 30, 1967
27.	MG Kenneth J. Hodson Kenneth J. Hodson Major General Kenneth Joe Hodson, USA was an American military lawyer who served as the 27th Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from 1967 to 1971.-Career:After retiring from the Army in 1971, Gen...		July 1, 1967	June 30, 1971
28.	MG George S. Prugh		July 1, 1971	June 30, 1975
29.	MG Wilton B. Persons, Jr.		July 1, 1975	June 30, 1979
30.	MG Alton H. Harvey		July 1, 1979	July 31, 1981
31.	MG Hugh J. Clausen		August 1, 1981	July 31, 1985
32.	MG Hugh R. Overholt		August 1, 1985	July 31, 1989
(Acting)	MG William K. Suter		August 1, 1989	July 25, 1991
33.	MG John L. Fugh		July 26, 1991	September 30, 1993
34.	MG Michael J. Nardotti, Jr. Michael J. Nardotti, Jr. Major General Michael Joseph Nardotti, Jr., USA is an American lawyer and retired Army officer. He served as the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from 1993 to 1997.-Awards and decorations:-Further Reading:...		October 1, 1993	August 4, 1997
35.	MG Walter B. Huffman Walter B. Huffman Major General Walter Burl Huffman, USA was an American military lawyer who served as the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from August 5, 1997 until September 30, 2001. He has been the dean of the Texas Tech University School of Law since 2002.- Awards and decorations :-Further...		August 5, 1997	September 30, 2001
36.	MG Thomas J. Romig		October 1, 2001	September 30, 2005
37.	LTG Scott C. Black Scott C. Black Lieutenant General Scott C. Black is a retired American military lawyer who was the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from October 1, 2005 to October 1, 2009. He was the first Lieutenant General to hold that position....		October 1, 2005	October 1, 2009
38.	LTG Dana K. Chipman Dana K. Chipman Lieutenant General Dana Kyle Chipman, USA is an American military lawyer who is currently the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army....		October 1, 2009	Incumbent

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