What’s new from the Military Law Task Force?
Statement On Military Racism
Below is our new statement on racism in the military: The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild was formed in...
Appeal for Your Support
o ensure that the MLTF can fulfill its mission of keeping a critical legal eye on the US military...
MLTF Training Series CLE #2 – Ethics
Our second session in our year-long series of continuing legal education seminars introducing military law to civilian...
Statement: Overturn of Roe v. Wade’s Effects on Women in the Military and Military Families
NLG MILITARY LAW TASK FORCE STATEMENT ith its disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the...
Announcing first session of MLTF’s 2022 Training Series “Advocacy & Activism through Military Law”
The MLTF is launching a year-long series of monthly trainings that will serve as an introduction to military law. All...
MLTF 2022 Training Series: Advocacy & Activism through Military Law
The MLTF is launching a year-long series of monthly trainings that will serve as an introduction to military law for lawyers...
MLTF Responds to New DoD Instruction on Extremism
The MLTF has released the following statement about the DoD's Dec. 20 release of an updated instruction on extremism in the...
On Watch Fall 2021 Now Available to Public
Free public access is about 30 days after publication. Get each issue when it's published by joining MLTF or subscribing to On...
MLTF Events During 2021 NLG Virtual Convention
Visit...
Responses to Reprisals for Sexual Assault Reports
December 2019 By Sabrina Merold Sexual assault has continued to be a serious problem in the armed forces and rates of Service...
White Supremacy and Racism in the Military
By Kathleen Gilberd Memo compiled from On Watch articles and updated, September 2021 White supremacy and extremism in the...
Military Patients’ Rights
Updated September 2021 By Kathleen Gilberd Counselors and attorneys hear many accounts about denial of military medical care...
Afghanistan – Lessons Ignored or Forgotten
By David Gespass What we are now witnessing in Afghanistan is not just Biden’s fault. It certainly appears that the departure...
Lawsuit Prompts Modification of DoD Dissent Instruction Relating to National Guard
The following press release refers to a case in which MLTF member James M. Branum was one of the two attorneys representing...
Fort Hood: A Toxic Culture
By Jeff Lake Following the April 2020 murder of Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood at the hands of another soldier, the military was...
Minor Changes on Milpersman Reveal Navy Bias Against Conscientious Objectors
By Bill Galvin In December the Navy issued new conscientious objector regulations, Milpersman 1900-020. It is essentially the...
‘In-Service Transition for Transgender Servicemembers’ Policy Updated
By Jeff Lake As discussed in the last issue of On Watch, the President has issued an Executive Order which allows transgender...
New Policy Allows Military Medical Malpractice Claims
by Aaron Frishberg When Congress passed, and the president signed, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, a bill was...
New NDAA provision to allow medical malpractice claims (but not litigation)
In keeping with last year's National Defense Authorization Act, DoD has just published an interim final rule on administrative...
Free speech in the military – the case of Cpt Alan Kennedy
by James M. Branum See update. In the messaging put out by US military recruiters, one common theme is that the military...
Supreme Court refuses to weigh constitutionality of male-only draft
“Worst news in years for opponents of the draft and draft registration” Editor's Note: Due to the timely and critical nature...
Transgender Ban Update
By Jeff Lake On January 25, 2021, after years of confusion and litigation, the ban on military service by transgender...
Discharge upgrade for Vietnam vet part 2: the legal roadmap
The Story of JG: September 20, 1950 – May 20, 2020 By Deborah Karpatkin Here continues the story of JG, a Vietnam combat...
Department of Defense Survey Shows Racial Bias Permeates U.S. Military
By Aaron Frishberg In 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) conducted a “Workplace and Equal Opportunity Survey of Active Duty...
2021 National Defense Authorization Act – Personnel Provisions
By Kathleen Gilberd The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021, passed on January 1 over President Trump’s veto,...
In Memoriam: Reber Boult
By David Gespass Kelly-Ingram Park in Birmingham, across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham...
MLTF anti-racism committee
Challenging Military Racism and White Supremacy In recent months, public attention has been drawn to racism in the...
MLTF Provides Legal Resources on 2020 Election Response for Military
Responding to broad concerns about the possibility for unlawful orders regarding the 2020 election, MLTF is providing new and...
CLE Training: The Limits of the Illegal Orders Defense
MP3 Audio of Presentation Possible Alternative Protections Under Military Law during the 2020 Presidential Election and its...
Statement on Government Suspension of Diversity Training
The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild strongly condemns the actions of the President and the Office of...
Justice delayed, but not denied: discharge upgrade for Vietnam vet
Part 1: JG’s Story, September 20, 1950 – May 20, 2020 By Deborah H. Karpatkin Here is the story of JG, a Vietnam combat...
I Ain’t Marching Anymore: Dissenters, Deserters and Objectors to America’s Wars
Two-and-a-half centuries of dissension in the ranks New book chronicles the long tradition of dissent in U.S. armed forces I...
Review and update of the military transgender ban, Fall 2020
By Jeff Lake There are continuing developments in the struggle to overturn the transgender ban regarding military enlistment...
Justice For Vanessa Guillen action campaign
The organizers of #JusticeForVanessaGuillen (#JusticiaforVanessa) has just sent out an education and action packet about a...
MLTF Mourns the Loss of SPC Vanessa Guillen
The members of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild wish to express our deepest condolences to the family...
Trump’s Illegal Use of Military Against Anti-Racist Uprisings Portends Battles Ahead
Sidebar: See MLTF Statement on Use of National Guard for Anti-Racism Protests. BY MARJORIE COHN | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT...
US Military Response to COVID-19
BY DAWN BLANKEN AND JEFF LAKE On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared that the spread of the COVID-19...
Future of the Draft Goes to Congress after National Commission Recommends Expansion to Women
BY EDWARD HASBROUCK The National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service (NCMNPS)1 has released its final...
National Commission Recommendation Features Creeping Militarism
BY LIBBY FRANK The National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service was created by the National Defense...
Immigration Update: Selected Provisions of National Defense Authorization 2020
BY ANA MARIA BONDOC Signed into law on December 17, 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020...
Transgender Ban Update, Summer 2020
BY JEFF LAKE There has been a significant development concerning the ban on military service by transgender individuals...
CLE Training: Help National Guard members avoid deployment against anti-racist protesters in US cities
NOTE: This CLE (continuing legal education) seminar is free to watch at the link below. If you wish to receive a certificate...
Activist Training: What to say to National Guard Members facing orders to deploy against Anti-Racist protesters
What Do You Say to National Guard MembersWho Don’t Want to Deploy Against Anti-Racist Protesters?Where Do You Send Them for...
Statement on Use of National Guard Against Anti-Racist Protests
The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild strongly condemns the use of National Guard and active duty troops...
Vet Groups Call on National Guard Troops to Refuse Deployments Against #BLM
Two anti-war veterans groups, Veterans for Peace and About Face: Veterans Against the War (formerly Iraq Vets Against the War)...
MLTF Statement on COVID-19
The Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers's Guild has issued the following statement regarding the U.S. government's...
Challenging Reprisals for Sexual Assault Reports
by Sabrina Merold Introduction Sexual assault has continued to be a serious problem in the armed forces, and rates of Service...
Congressional Debate on Selective Service, Coming Soon?
BY EDWARD HASBROUCK As sabre-rattling and escalation of US military conflict prompted fears that all-out war with Iran might...
Personnel Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act
BY KATHLEEN GILBERD The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)[1], which was signed into law on December 20, 2019,...
Transgender Ban Update, Spring 2020
BY JEFF LAKE There have been a few new developments regarding the administration’s ban on military service by transgender...
The Afghanistan Papers
BY DAVID GESPASS Veteran civil rights activists often say, everything has changed and nothing has changed. That is the feeling...
Unlawful Orders memo series expands to include Middle East Wars
In November of 2018, MLTF published Deployed to the Border, a memo providing guidance to servicemembers being ordered to...
Facing War in the Middle East: A Test of Conscience for GI’s
Critical legal information for US servicemembers concerned about the legality and morality of deployment to and orders about...
Resources to address concerns about Selective Service registration and the draft
The current situation in Iraq/Iran is leading many people to wonder about the possible return of the draft. The National...
NLG releases statement on illegal U.S. actions in Middle East that violate international law
NLG's International Committee, with some imput from MLTF, crafted this statement on recent US actions in Iran, issued today by...
MLTF’s ‘Discharge Upgrades’ memo gets substantive update
The MLTF has updated its Discharge Upgrades memo to include important changes in Discharge Review Board and Board for...
Presidential Pardons Destroy Accountability for Criminal Behavior on the Battlefield
By David Gespass Donald Trump has put the issue of criminal behavior on the battlefield squarely before the world with his...
Winter 2019 Issue of On Watch
Vol. 30 No. 4
New Army Co Regulations
Military Patients’ Privacy Rights
When Reservists Live Distant From Their Unit (Update)
Policy Guidance For Discharge Review Boards And Boards For Correction
Opinion: President Trump And Military Accountability
Free Resources On Military Law
Waging Peace In Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers And Veterans Who Opposed The War [Book Review]
2019 NLG Convention Report
New Army CO Regulations
BY BILL GALVIN For the first time in 13 years, the Army issued new conscientious objector (CO) regulations (AR 60043) on May...
Military Patients’ Privacy Rights
BY KATHLEEN GILBERD Privacy and confidentiality of military medical records and information have long been of concern to...
When Reservists Live Distant from their Unit
Regulations defining reasonable commuting distance for reservists have changed. BY BILL GALVIN The Spring 2019 issue of On...
Policy Guidance for Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Correction
BY KATHLEEN GILBERD Recent memoranda from the Department of Defense have provided helpful guidance to the services’ review...
Opinion: President Trump and Military Accountablity
BY DAVID GESPASS Donald Trump has put the issue of battlefield criminal behavior squarely before the world with his pardons of...
Free Resources on Military Law
Thanks to Global Military Justice Reform for information about the following books: The Military Commander and the Law (2019)...
NLG 2019 Convention Report
BY JEFF LAKE The 82nd National Lawyers Guild Convention met in Durham, North Carolina on October 16-20, 2019. The Military Law...
Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War
Book Review By Matthew Rinaldi Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War Ron Carver, David...
2019 UCMJ Changes– a Summary
BY JAMES M. BRANUM In this article, I will be providing a short summary of what I think are the most important changes of the...
Military Patients Rights
BY KATHLEEN GILBERD Counselors and attorneys hear many accounts about denial of military medical care and inadequate...
Transgender Ban Update, Fall 2019
BY JEFF LAKE Since the last issue of On Watch, several developments have occurred regarding the President’s attempt to ban...
The Debacle in Vietnam Informs Today’s Costly Militarism – Book Review
BY CHRIS FORD “Vietnam! The word carries a dark, heavy stigma,” intones author John Ketwig, whose information-packed volume,...
Vietnam Reconsidered: The War, the Times and Why They Matter
By Chris Ford The debacle in Vietnam informs today’s costly militarism Vietnam Reconsidered: The War, the Times and Why...
MILITARY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY – AIR FORCE REGULATIONS
BY AARON FRISHBERG Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part review of Military Equal Opportunity policies. The...
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE REPORT ON MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT
BY KATHLEEN GILBERD On May 2, 2019 the Department of Defense (DoD) released its...
TRANSGENDER BAN UPDATE, JUNE 14, 2019
BY JEFF LAKE The spring of 2019 has seen the implementation of the ban on military service by transgender individuals. ...
EX-DIRECTOR OF SELECTIVE SERVICE CALLS FOR END TO DRAFT REGISTRATION
BY EDWARD HASBROUCK Most reporters covering a federal committee reconsidering the draft ignored this headline news, focusing...
2019 GIRN CONFERENCE REPORT
By James M. Branum The Military Law Task Force has played a key role with the GI Rights Network (GIRN) since its early days,...
In Memorium: Kit Anderton
Note from the Editors: We are saddened to report that longtime MLTF member and GI Rights Hotline counselor Kit Anderton passed...
Summer 2019 issue of On Watch
Vol. 30 No. 2
Military Equal Opportunity Policy – Air Force Regulations
Department Of Defense Report On Military Sexual Assault
Transgender Ban Update
Ex-Director of Selective Service Calls for End to Draft Registration
2019 GI Rights Network Conference Report
Obituary: Kit Anderton
MLTF files statement opposing draft with the NCMNPS
This statement, representing MLTF’s official position on the Draft, was filed with the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service as part of their public hearing process.
Transgender ban still in effect as Ninth Circuit orders new review
by Jeff Lake The spring of 2019 has seen the implementation of the ban on military service by transgender individuals. What...
Military releases annual report on sexual assault
On May 2, 2019, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its congressionally-mandated report on sexual assault in the military...
Spring 2019 issue of On Watch
Vol. XXX, No. 1
SPECIAL ISSUE ON THE DRAFT
The End of Male-Only Draft Registration
“A Modern-Day Draft, If Marketed Carefully and Cleverly …”
C.O. Registry Set Up Ahead of Expected Draft Registration Changes
When Reservists Live Distant from Their Unit
Transgender Ban Update
Transgender Ban Update, Spring 2019
BY JEFF LAKE As the year 2019 began, the administration’s attempt to ban military service by transgender people was blocked by...
THE END OF MALE-ONLY DRAFT REGISTRATION
One Federal District Court Judge Says, “Unconstitutional.” What Next? BY DEBORAH H. KARPATKIN On February 22, 2019, the legal...
“A MODERN-DAY DRAFT, IF MARKETED CAREFULLY AND CLEVERLY …”
A preview of what’s ahead for the Selective Service System BY EDWARD HASBROUCK A modern-day draft, if marketed carefully and...
‘PROACTIVE AND PROTECTIVE’ C.O. REGISTRY SET UP AHEAD OF EXPECTED EXTENSION OF DRAFT REGISTRATION TO WOMEN
Interfaith church offers free registry for all opposed to war and concerned about military conscription The Objector Registry...
WHEN RESERVISTS LIVE DISTANT FROM THEIR UNIT
BY BILL GALVIN AND MARIA SANTELLI Staff, Center on Conscience and War There is an update to this article. Imagine: you...
MLTF responds to SCOTUS decision on Transgender ban
As 2019 began, the administration’s attempt to ban military service by transgender people was blocked by four nationwide...
Curl up by the fire with the Winter 2018 issue of On Watch
Volume XXIX, Vol 4
Contents
Deployed to the Border: A Test of Conscience for Service Members
Military Equal Opportunity Policies
New Navy Policy on ‘Other Designated Physical and Mental Conditions’
Army Captain Under Scrutiny for Tweeting Facts About U.S. Military
Update on Military Transgender Policy
Report from 2018 NLG Convention in Portland
Member News
News Release: MLTF publishes guidance on refusing possibly illegal orders
Deployed to the Border: A Test of Conscience for GI’s to be distributed to servicemembers who are part of President Trump’s...
Read the Fall 2018 issue of On Watch, now online for all
Volume XXIX, Vol 3
Contents
Rescuing 17 Year Olds from Military Enlistment Contracts
NNOMY Counter-Recruitment Summit Report
Report on Selective Service Commission Hearings: Chicago
Personnel Provisions of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act
Thinking About MLTF’s Future
Members’ Thoughts on MLTF Future Priorities
Deployed to the Border: A Test of Conscience for GI’s
[download id="3918"] Use the button to download a PDF version of this memo for offline reading/printing. Download and print...
Military Criminal Law
[download id="3908"] (Use the button to download a PDF version of this memo for offline reading/printing.) by James R....
On Watch Summer 2018 now online
Veterans And The Trump Resistance,
DoD Updates Instruction On Conscientious Objection,
Updated MLTF Guide To Challenging Military Sexual Violence,
MLTF Update On Transgender Service Ban,
Guidance On Servicemember Dissent,
On Watch 40 Year Retrospective,
Concerns About Ken Burns PBS Vietnam War Series,
Book Review: Dangerous Grounds,
NLG Convention Report
MLTF Member Obituary: Jeffrey Segal
The MLTF is saddened to announce the death of long-time Task Force member Jeff Segal. A long-time Guild activist, Jeff joined...
Trump Trans Ban 2.0
The Trump administration is trying again to block most transgender individuals from serving in the US military. But the policy...
Countering Military Recruitment
By Libby Frank In 2003, in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, our son, who was a senior at the time, approached us about the...
New Military Policy on Harassment
By Kathleen Gilberd | On February 8, 2018, the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness issued a new overarching...
Understanding and Dealing with Defenses, Mitigation, Extenuation and Aggravation for US Military Absence Offenses – Part 1
by James M. Branum Introduction It is easy for attorneys to get into ruts, to assume that we understand everything that we...