MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- More than two dozen Marines and sailors listened intently as Chief Warrant Officer Dancy Simons, victim and witness liason officer, lectured on legal matters. The service members from the National Capital Region participated in a semiannual legal refresher class hosted by the NCR’s legal section at the Clubs at Quantico on Oct. 10, 2013.
The class was held to educate unit leaders on various issues including available legal resources and updated legal policies. Some of the briefs given during the eight-hour event concerned topics such as military justice, administrative separations and command investigations.
“Pretty much everything that we do at the Legal Support Section we’re doing here today,” said Chief Warrant Officer Scott Clift, legal administrative officer, Legal Services Support Section-NCR.
Clift continued by summing up the training this way.
“This is not a requirement,” said Clift. “It’s a course made available to units so they can bring their target audiences and get a refresher on the legal process. We talk about changes to policy, changes to orders and we refresh them on their daily job.”
According to Master Gunnery Sgt. Lillian McLaughlin, legal services chief, Legal Services Support Section-NCR, this training can effect all Marines.
“Certain situational cases occur,” said McLaughlin. “Maybe a Marine has trouble with their landlord or someone is a victim of sexual assault. First sergeants and sergeants major need to know who their resources are, and today, they can see who is providing that counsel in the National Capital Region.”
According to Clift, points of contact and changes to policy were two of the most important things he hoped the participants would absorb from the event.
Leaders of the class also commented on the process of preparing future similar events.
“We look at the course critiques and take on board what these individuals want,” said Clift. “We add those topics and, based on their feedback, we conduct the course twice a year.”
Correspondent: samuel.l.ellis@usmc.mil