1. FRED L. Borch Regimental Historian & Archivist 26 July 2017
The Judge Advocate General’s Corps: Writing the History of Recent Operations
FRED L. Borch
Regimental Historian & Archivist
26 July 2017

2. Assumption
Significant (large scale) US Army involvement in both Afghanistan and Iraq will end within five years
(hard to write a good and complete monograph if you don’t know the end of the story)

3. But even if our Army’s involvement does not end within five years, it will at some date Not too early to get started writing about the two conflicts

4. Vision
Two volumes:
“Judge Advocates in Afghanistan: Law in Military Operations from 2001-XXXX”
“Judge Advocates in Iraq: Law in Military Operations from XXXX”

5. Challenges / Decisions
Author(s)?
Research team(s)?
Theme ?
Organization?
Sources?
Timeline?

6. Author(s) & Team(s) One overall history project manager
One principal author for each book?
Two research/writing teams
Who? (Active/Reserve/Guard)
How many?
How long?

7. Theme
Operational law
Strategic level
Operational level
Tactical level

8. Operational law topics
Law of Armed Conflict
Targeting
Detainees & interrogation
War crimes
Rules of engagement

9. Courts-martial & Civilian Courts
U.S. v. Bales, Lorance
Blackwater killings

10. Contract/Fiscal Law Construction Combat related contracting
Contract fraud

11. Administrative law ‘green-on-blue’ investigations
Friendly fire investigations
Other investigations (COP Keating)

12. Claims
Solatia (goodwill) payments
Combat & non-combat related claims

13. Rule of Law
building Afghan, Iraqi judicial systems

14. Sources
Interviews
Identifying subjects (i.e. all staff judge advocates/legal advisors; selected individuals)
Conducting interviews

15. Documents
Unclassified
Electronic?

16. Timeline? Backwards planning
Six years (research to finished manuscripts)
Start: September 2017

17. Conclusion
Two volumes (Afghanistan & Iraq) on Army lawyers in military operations
Long term (six years plus)
Challenges will be finding the right authors/researchers and continuity