Region Legal Service Office Naval District Washington held a change of command ceremony Apr. 30. During the traditional change of command ceremony, presided over by the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command Rear Adm. James W. Crawford III, Capt. Daniel Eldredge was relieved by Capt. Gregory Smith.
Rear Adm. James Crawford, the deputy judge advocate general of the Navy, visited George Washington School of Law Dean Gregory Maggs, faculty and students. Most of the students are members of the JAG Corps attending GW Law to earn a master’s of law (LLM) in a variety of disciplines from litigation to environmental law. Also attending were several law school students hopeful to become judge advocates.
Fort Meade celebrated Black History Month with the theme of “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.” The annual observance was hosted by Navy Information Operations Command Maryland at McGill Training Center Feb. 14. Rear Adm. James Crawford III, deputy judge advocate general and commander of Naval Legal Service Command, gave the keynote address. Listen to his full speech at JAG Radio.
Rear Adm. James Crawford, III, Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command, presents Lt. Matthew Dursa with an end of tour award.
Rear Adm. (ret.) Charles E. McDowell, JAG Corps, U.S. Navy of Alexandria, VA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 25, 2012 surrounded by his family and devoted caregivers. Born in Manchester, NH in 1923, he was the son of Joseph Curry McDowell from Belfast, Ireland and Mildred Howe Eager also of Manchester, NH. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College (1947, Class of 1944) and the University of Virginia School of Law (1950).
During WWII, he served as the Rifle Platoon Leader; 3rd Platoon, Company A, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, 9th Armored Division; France, Belgium and Germany. He was wounded and hospitalized March 3, 1945. Three days later his platoon captured the Ludendorff Railway Bridge in Remagen Germany. He served in the United States Navy as an attorney from 1951 until his retirement in 1980. During the height of the Vietnam war he served as the Head Legal Officer of the Seventh United States Fleet: Yokosuka, Japan. He went on to serve as the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy and then as the Judge Advocate General of the Navy from 1978-1980. Following his retirement from the Navy in 1980, he continued to practice law in Woodbridge, VA until he retired in 1997.
For thirty-six years he and his wife lived in the Waynewood neighborhood in Alexandria. He was a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church where he was head of the church’s kitchen committee. He found great joy in preparing Wednesday night church dinners and preparing meals for the Route One Community Kitchen. He and his wife were avid swimmers and square dancers. He enjoyed reading, surf fishing and was a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Carolyn “Candy” G. McDowell; daughters Robin (Bruce) Mathews and Patricia “Mimi” (Tom) VanPoole; grandchildren Kristi (Isaac) Maiselman and Kevin (Amanda) Mathews; great grandchildren Charles and Oliver Mathews.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 11am at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria, VA 22308. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO BOX 758517 Topeka, KS 66675 or to Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria, VA 22308.
Ms. Joan Robinson, Mrs. Barb Baskin, and Mrs. Norma Padrigan wave goodbye to Naval Legal Service Office Southwest (NLSO SW) on their last day. The three civilian employees retired after 52 combined years of service to NLSO SW. Baskin retired after 27 years at NLSO SW, Robinson, served NLSO SW for 16 years. Padrigan, retired after nine years of service to the Command. Upon departing they stated, “We are like the Three Musketeers of NLSO SW riding off into the sunset.”
Rear Adm. James W. Crawford, III, Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy, recently visited the Northwest region. During his visit, he addressed both Naval Legal Service Office Northwest (NLSO NW) and Region Legal Service Office Northwest, taking time to speak with all the members of each command, and pausing for a group photo with NLSO NW.
Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command Rear Adm. James W. Crawford III, with Benny Agosto, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) at the 37th Annual Hispanic National Bar Association Convention in Seattle Aug. 22 – 25. Hundreds of attorneys, judges, and students gathered for a four-day program featuring Continuing Legal Education panels with top legal experts, national policymakers and leaders, and pressing issues; networking events and workshops; the nation’s largest Hispanic Career Fair with exhibits from prominent firms, companies, and government agencies. See more photos.
Naval Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic held a change of command ceremony Aug. 26. During the traditional change of command ceremony, presided over by the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command Rear Adm. James W. Crawford III, Capt. Michael T. Palmer was relieved by Capt. Charles N. Purnell.
Rear Adm. James Crawford, III, presenting the ABA LAMP Distinguished Service Award to Lt. Andrew Coffin at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan.
