RAF MILDENHALL, England -- When Airmen think of the base legal office, a common association they make is with punishment and discipline.
While the legal office serves an important role in advising base leadership on proper disciplinary action to help maintain a professional fighting force, they also provide legal services to support Airmen and families.
“I think people are reserved to the idea of visiting the legal office,” said Tech. Sgt. Devan Taylor, 100th Air Refueling Wing judge advocate NCO-in-charge of general law. “When people think of the legal office, it has a negative connotation to it. People automatically think that if they go in there, somebody is going to think they’re in trouble.”
What isn’t talked enough about are the variety of resources the paralegals and attorneys of the legal office provide to Airmen and families at RAF Mildenhall.
“We’re very helpful with Airmen in their day-to-day duties,” said Airman Gisselle David, 100th Air Refueling Wing judge advocate military justice paralegal. “Paralegals can provide Airmen and their families services like power of attorneys and notarization.”
Attorneys are also available to offer more in-depth legal services to Airmen.
“Divorce and child custody are some of the things the attorneys can assist with,” Taylor said. “Or maybe somebody bought a car from someone off base and a week later it breaks down. They can come to the attorney to see how they can try to get their money back.”
The legal services the attorneys and paralegals provide are having a huge impact on Airmen and families. The base legal office has saved individuals approximately $93,200 in legal fees during the calendar year 2019.
“It is rewarding to know we’re providing services that Airmen don’t have to pay for,” David said. “In the civilian world, those same services are expensive to have done. We save Airmen a lot of money because all of it’s free for them.”
The base legal office saves Airmen money in the valuable resources they provide. If Airmen take the initiative to utilize the services available to them, they will find the base legal office ready and willing to help.
“We’re here to support people,” Taylor said. “Everyone on the base is our client. We’re a helping agency.”