Two members of the Navy JAG community – Capt. Charles Passaglia and Cmdr. Clif Hutchinson – were honored with Outstanding Career Judge Advocate Awards.
The awards – which are presented annually to officers from all branches of service – recognize judge advocates making outstanding contributions to the military. The awards were presented to Passaglia and Hutchinson by the Judge Advocates Association (JAA) and the Judge Advocates Foundation (JAF) during an awards dinner at the Army and Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va.
“I am honestly and truly humbled by my selection for the award,” said Hutchinson, who serves as the executive officer of Region Legal Service Office (RLSO) Northwest. “As a new judge advocate, I recall attending a speech given by a former Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Navy, who stated that we – judge advocates, legalmen and civilian staff – are the ‘constitutional conscience’ of the Navy,” Hutchinson added. “I hope that, through the mentoring and guidance I have received throughout my career from both senior and subordinate personnel, I have lived up to that mandate through the judicious and ethical application of the law in support of the fleet.”
During his career, Hutchinson has demonstrated outstanding service in remote duty stations and challenging operational environments, including in Iraq and at sea. He also has mentored and developed numerous junior judge advocates. His previous duty stations include Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, RLSO Southeast, the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and Submarine Group Nine. He also completed deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
"I've had a fantastic career as a judge advocate," said Passaglia. "To be recognized by the Judge Advocate Association, a group of exceptional current and former judge advocates of all services, was a singular honor. I was humbled by the fact that I could not have had the career I have had without the support of my family and the incredible officers and enlisted members of the Navy JAG Corps with whom I've served."
Passaglia, Head of International Law and Specialty Law Programs (“Pillar 3”), Navy Reserve Law Program, has extensive operational law experience having worked in the areas of information operations and space law while assigned to United States Space Command; domestic operations and homeland defense while assigned to North American Aerospace Defense Command/United States Northern Command; international and operational law while assigned to the International Law Department of the Naval War College; and he supported the Cyber, Information Operations and Intelligence Law Division (Code 18) of the Navy’s Office of the Judge Advocate General.
The JAA has been performing crucial work in the field of military law since its establishment in 1943. Its members are dedicated to continuing the organization's mission to uphold the honor of the profession of law, and to foster the development of military law and cooperation between military and civilian practitioners and among the various JAG branches of the military. Other awards – the Maj. Gen. William K. Suter Distinguished Judicial Service Award, the Chief Justice John Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Chief Judge Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Life Service Award – were presented during the dinner, as well.