Buzz McClain

Military veterans get 'speed mentored' at U.S. State Department

Melanie Balog — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 15:40:28 +0000

Military veterans get 'speed mentored' at U.S. State Department Melanie Balog Thu, 03/21/2019 - 11:40

Government and international politics major and Air Force veteran Sheryl Ann Weatherbee is "speed mentored" at the State Department. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Speed was of the essence for seven military veterans who are students in George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and who were mentored in matters of life and career during a recent visit to the U.S. State Department.

In roughly five-minute intervals, the students were “speed mentored” individually by 13 fellow military veterans, all members of Veterans@State. Members volunteer their time to assist fellow military veterans in early career decisions.

By the end, as students rotated clockwise after each timed conversation, every student had been counseled by all 13 volunteers.

“Our main reason for existing is to support veterans as an affinity group,” said Joseph Giblin, an economic officer in the State Department’s Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement. “As fellow veterans, [the volunteers] have information they can share that might be helpful to both of them.

“It’s a growing process,” the U.S. Army veteran added. “For the mentor, he or she gets to share their experiences; the mentees get to learn from the mentors and benefit from those experiences.”

Mason has more than 3,500 students who are either active military, veterans or members of military families. It also is one of 103 institutions ranked by U.S. News and World Report as among the “best for veterans,” and is ranked as “military friendly” by guidetoonlineschools.com and militaryfriendly.com.

Michael Williams, a nondegree graduate student at the Schar School and a U.S. Marine veteran with leanings toward homeland security, wanted to hear “different perspectives from different departments” at the State Department.

Political science graduate student Ali Nayyef, an infantryman in the Virginia Army National Guard and a 2018 Pat Tillman Foundation scholarship recipient, wanted to learn more about the State Department and the differences between the diplomatic corps and the foreign service.

Michael Williams, a non-degree graduate student and Marine veteran, gains insight about career and education options. Photo by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Did he gain insight?

“Absolutely,” he said. “I feel I really did have an inside look at the inner workings of the departments and how there are so many diverse opportunities in the State Department as a veteran, as a student and as a scholar.”

The speed aspect of the session was not a drawback, he said.

“I feel like it was a benefit because it forces you to give that elevator pitch, summarizing who you are and where you want to be, and having that ability to communicate that with people who don’t know your background can really be an asset,” he said.

First Marine Corps Congressional Fellows enrolled in Schar School's Master of Public Policy Program

Melanie Balog — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 10:00:32 +0000

First Marine Corps Congressional Fellows enrolled in Schar School's Master of Public Policy Program Melanie Balog Thu, 11/08/2018 - 05:00

From left, Marine Captains Jose 'Chris’ Romero, Benjamin Leape, Benjamin Broadmeadow, Matt Somers, Jorge "Jay" Hernandez, Josh Culver, Levi Hofts and Adam Link and Major Jason Bowers are the first group enrolled in the USMC Congressional Fellows program at Mason. Photo by Ron Aira

The first students in a new Headquarters Marine Corps program, which makes higher education opportunities available to Marine Corps Officers, began studies in July at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

Nine Marines are enrolled in the Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program, which provides graduates with the skills in policymaking and analysis necessary for understanding and solving critical problems. Once they have earned their degrees they will serve for a year as legislative assistants to members of Congress.

The Schar School’s proximity to the Pentagon, where the officers are stationed, and its favorable cost efficiencies were factors in the Marine Corps Office of Legislative Affairs choosing the Schar School, said Tres Smith, a recently retired Marine lieutenant colonel who chose the students and is teaching one of the courses.

“The adaptability and flexibility to meet our needs and work around the needs of the Marine Corps were important to make this happen," Smith said. "And the curriculum was tailored to what we needed; that’s what sealed the deal for us.”

“This is a great opportunity for Marines to gain higher education,” said Major Jason Bowers, one of the students. “Three of us already have master’s degrees, but this second one for myself allows me an opportunity to do something more focused on what I’ll be doing in the future.”

The advanced degrees are important to the officers if they wish to move up in rank, Bowers said. “As your rank increases, there are additional requirements, and if you want to be competitive, you really need to have a master’s degree,” he said.

They started their studies this summer with PUBP 503 Culture, Organization, and Technology, a 14-week course that was condensed into just six weeks of instruction.

“Because of their background and rigorous training that emphasizes attention to detail, I had no doubt the class would adapt and excel at this advanced pace,” said Rainier A. Sommer, a professor in public policy and enterprise engineering. “I am quite sure that this first cohort will do just as well in all their other program course requirements.”

The officers will also take courses that will prepare them for their work on the Hill by providing instruction and practice on government processes and policy writing, Bowers said. These include classes that emphasize policy analysis, program evaluation and ethical context, said Bonnie Stabile, the research assistant professor who is director of the MPP program.

“The policy analysis answers the question, ‘What should we do?’ The program evaluation answers, ‘How well did we do it?’ And the ethics asks the question, ‘Should we do it?’” she said.

As part of the fellowship, the officers will also attend congressional sessions and meetings on the Hill.

Navy program provides path for enlisted sailor to earn Scalia law degree, join JAG Corps

Melanie Balog — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 19:40:50 +0000

Navy program provides path for enlisted sailor to earn Scalia law degree, join JAG Corps Melanie Balog Thu, 09/14/2017 - 15:40

Christopher Salmon earned his law degree in May 2017. Photo provided.

While other graduates of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University were contemplating representing clients after their graduation in May, Christopher Salmon was thinking about representing an entire fleet.

Salmon is the first enlisted sailor to have his law degree paid for by the Navy’s In-Service Procurement Program, a highly selective program that provides a pathway and funding to the elite Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

“The program was an answered prayer,” he said. Otherwise, Salmon would have had to resign from the Navy, transfer to the Naval Reserves, attend and graduate from law school, and then reapply for the Navy and the JAG Corps—and hope for acceptance.

Salmon is an Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class stationed at the Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C. He enlisted in the Navy in 2006 and earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Hawaii Pacific University in 2013 before his transfer to the Navy Yard.

In 2013 the Navy instituted the In-Service Procurement Program, which pays for one enlisted sailor to attend law school and earn a commissioning as a judge advocate each year. Salmon was chosen over the 11 other eligible sailors who applied.

Salmon said he chose George Mason because “it’s a Tier 1 law school in Washington that is very military friendly and has a national security focus.” His classmates included military veterans, another active duty sailor and a Navy lieutenant, as well as civilians from various fields.

The professors he encountered, he said, were impressive as well: “They were leaders in their fields and usually were on the cutting edge of the law, either testifying before Congress, writing books or leading conferences.”

Salmon is an Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class. Photo provided.

The student also made an impression on his professors.

“His combination of intelligence, quiet persistence and devotion to family, to faith, to academics and to the military was amazing,” said Scalia Law professor Helen M. Alvaré.

“He was a marvelous and engaged student in class—and kindness personified, to me, and to the students from many religions and no particular religion who signed up for my Law and Religion seminar . . . He is a student I am proud to know and be associated with and will be even prouder, I am sure, as the years go by.”

The proximity to Washington, D.C., was also beneficial for Salmon. He completed four internships, including stints at the Navy’s and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s international law offices and the Fairfax County Circuit Court.

With his bar exam behind him—he took it this summer in Hawaii and is awaiting the results—Salmon is working at the Region Legal Services Office at the Navy Yard until he can begin his career with the JAG Corps.

Legal help for veterans: Taking the case for those who have taken up arms

Melanie Balog — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 13:04:00 +0000

Legal help for veterans: Taking the case for those who have taken up arms Melanie Balog Fri, 01/06/2017 - 08:04

Jameson Goodell (left) and Fernando Cota-Wertz (right) are 3rd year law students working in the Fairfax County Veterans Drug Treatment Legal Clinic with military veterans. Photo by Evan Cantwell.

Veterans of combat often return home from conflict zones with mental and emotional traumas. Sometimes those traumas lead to unhealthy or illegal involvement in drugs and alcohol. If veterans are apprehended in Fairfax County, Va., chances are they’ll be introduced to the Fairfax County Veterans Treatment Docket, Virginia’s only court-supervised program specifically for military veterans.

The federally funded, multi-department program is supported by the Antonin Scalia Law School’s Mason Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic, also called M-VETS. The clinic helps staff the docket with third-year law students who volunteer to perform a number of specialized tasks. The students gain hands-on experience and access to criminal court cases with real-world consequences.

It’s a two-semester, nine-month commitment, said clinic director and law professor Timothy MacArthur.

Clinic volunteer Jameson Goodell said the clinic has been as instructive as his time in the classroom.

“What we deal with is [the client’s] treatment, and you have to know their history, their life, their home life, the problems they’ve had to deal with,” Goodell said. “It’s more about the human aspect,” instead of getting bogged down in legal minutiae.

Goodell’s position with the Fairfax County Public Defender Office means he has a direct pipeline to the judge to work to resolve cases while minimizing adverse effects on the veterans.

Fernando Cota-Wertz’s position with the Commonwealth Attorney’s office puts him in a role where he is “passing judgment on people,” he said, which is a different aspect than his usual legal studies.

“I sift through the cases and I actually make determinations of the candidates for acceptance into the program,” he said.

These are non-adversarial cases, which means the client has already admitted guilt and now faces treatment options, including attending rehabilitation, undergoing drug testing and performing community service. Without admission into the program, veterans would have to pay for the cost of the rehabilitation treatment, but in the program, the treatment is provided for them.

Goodell, who is originally from Richmond, Va., said his experience as an undergraduate at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va., influenced his decision to work in the M-VETS clinic.

“Many of my friends from VMI are in the military and that motivates me to help vets,” he said.

Cota-Wertz, whose family is from Mexico City, completed his undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. He also has empathy for veterans.

“They go overseas and experience a lot of bad things on our behalf. When they come back, it’s the least we can do to try to help them.”

Cota-Wertz is applying for the Judge Advocate General’s Corps—JAG—the legal branch of the U.S. military.

Besides gaining valuable practical legal experience, said MacArthur, the law students also gain insights into military and veteran culture “and the unique issues facing those who have served our country in the armed forces.

“The docket is the only one in the commonwealth and is very selective when choosing clients and attorneys,” he said. “To my knowledge, they are the only law students in Virginia detailed to this program, and this experience will translate into employment opportunities in veterans law, criminal justice and numerous fellowship opportunities.”