Oregon Officers Join the JAG Corps at Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan (VIDEO)

DISPATCHES FROM AFGHANISTAN
Paulson said, “It may take another 25 years to rebuild, but we have to start somewhere, and if we can help them, I just think it is a real worthwhile effort."

Captain Sean O'Day at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan Photo by: Tim King

(KABUL, Afghanistan) - The military base at Kabul, Afghanistan, Camp Phoenix, will be a central area during my time here and for many members of the Oregon National Guard, a permanent duty station. Two of the soldiers I traveled to the mid-east with are officers attached to the JAG Corps. Captain Sean O'Day and 1st Lt. Nick Paulson will serve an instrumental roll in the legal operations of the 41st Combat Brigade.

Captain Sean O'Day explained, "I'll be trial council, so whenever somebody does something that they shouldn't have done, I'll be the lawyer that helps the commander through the military justice process."

O'Day says soldiers who violate the law are an extreme minority, but the Army still must maintain guidelines and policies to ensure that the mission is successful and legal.

Captain O'Day will also be responsible for giving legal advice to commanders in their course of operations. He says that aspect will also be similar to his role in Salem where he frequently provides legal advice to members of city government.

"Oh absolutely, in fact it's remarkable how much my city job as the deputy city attorney is similar to what I do in the military," he said.

Portland attorney Nick Paulson will also assist the military with the experience of his legal career, but he says his biggest hope is to help the Afghan people.

"It is really a post September 11th decision, and then understanding that Afghanistan has been at war for over 25 years and it has been devastated and this is a real chance to give them,” Paulson said, “it may take another 25 years to rebuild, but we have to start somewhere, and if we can help them, I just think it is a real worthwhile effort."

And while O'Day and Paulson make sure the rules are followed, other individuals like Thomas Slaughter are there to ensure that the overall educational process for soldiers is open and ongoing.

"It's changed a lot, it isn't like it was during WWII, these soldiers here, I know that there was that spat for a while about Kerry's comment that soldiers are not educated. I can tell you that we have soldiers out here who are working on master's degrees, bachelor's degrees and associate degrees. And with the portal that's set up now even at the FOB's, the Forward Observation bases we have soldiers who are signing on and doing classes every night," Slaughter commented.

Slaughter says that in his opinion, those who serve in the military are frequently more worldly and educated than their civilian counterparts. And while that is a big help for the future, it is especially helpful for them now.

Watch the Video News Story by Tim King, reporting from Camp Phoenix, Kabul, Afghanistan: Video

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.

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