The Mississippi National Guard appointed Col. Lee Thaggard, of Meridian, as its first permanent military judge Oct. 15 at the state Capitol.

Thaggard was sworn in by Judge Virginia Carlton, District 4 Mississippi Court of Appeals, and a former lieutenant colonel in the Mississippi Army National Guard, during the investiture ceremony.

“I’m honored and humbled to be selected to represent the National Guard in this capacity as a military trial judge,” Thaggard said in a statement. “I’ll do that with professionalism, integrity, and fairness and apply the law to the facts as they are presented to me.”

Similar to a civilian judge, a military judge presides over the courtroom and determines sentences for service members accused of a crime under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. They cannot preside over civilian proceedings or service members who commit crimes while not in service.

Mississippi has had military judges appointed for brief periods or to preside over a particular case, but Thaggard is the first appointed to the position permanently.

“We have not had a military judge in Mississippi in 35 years,” said Leslie Southwick, a Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals judge and a former lieutenant colonel in the Mississippi Army National Guard, in his remarks during the ceremony. “I am confident our new judge is setting the right tone. There are going to be very important things for you to do. Welcome to the judiciary.”

Southwick said Thaggard’s integrity, military experience, and sound judgment set him apart.

 

“Not every state has a judge of this level,” said Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, the adjutant general of Mississippi. “It provides a level of impartial governance for our soldiers as well as soldiers that come through Camp Shelby. I’ve worked with (Thaggard) and he has always been an excellent JAG officer. I will miss having him by my side.”

Thaggard is a graduate of the 59th Military Judge Course at the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Va. He is certified as a military judge by the Judge Advocate General of the Army.

Thaggard is a partner in the law firm of Barry, Thaggard, May, and Bailey, LLP in Meridian, where he has a general civil practice with emphasis on governmental law, insurance defense and employment law.

Meridian soldier in Afghanistan

Aaron Anderson, of Meridian, a quality assurance specialist with the 401st Army Field Support Battalion-Afghanistan, oversees contracted maintenance at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Anderson provides quality assurance for ground maintenance items, which include Howitzers, small arms, crew-served weapons, generators and rolling stock.

“The main thing we want to do is make sure that our soldiers are supported,” Anderson said in a statement. “So we go in and oversee the contractor and make sure they have the capabilities to service the weapons, provide maintenance for the soldiers on their weapons, and to provide annual services and things of that nature that the units might not be capable of doing here in theater.”

Although inspections are a primary function of quality assurance oversite, Anderson and his teammates are also responsible for supporting the contractor in the best interest of the warfighter, Anderson said. The 401st AFSBn-Afghanistan often helps contracted maintenance teams by facilitating or providing supplies and specialized tools that the contractor might not be able to get on their own.

“I’ve been out there. I’ve been in combat. I know what the soldiers need,” Anderson said. “We want the soldier to have confidence that the weapon or vehicle, or whatever they draw from us, is solid. Our main focus is quality, and that can’t be taken lightly.”

Anderson previously served in the Army as a wheeled vehicle mechanic and deployed in support of the Gulf War, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Bosnia, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gobbles and Oinks fundraiser 

Mustard Tree is raising funds to buy turkeys and hams for food pantry clients, encouraging patrons to give now so “gobbles and pinks” can be given out for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A donation of $25 will cover a family’s holiday meal.

All donations are tax deductible. Give online at www.mustardtreemissions.org or mail a check to Mustard Tree Missions, Inc., PO Box 8048, Meridian, MS 39303. For more information call 601-934-2575.

Suzanne Marshall writes the Neighbors column for The Meridian Star. Submit items to editor@themeridianstar.com.