The 50th Anniversary Edition of The Reporter profiled The Judge Advocates General (TJAGs) from the beginning of our Corps until the turn of the century. We expand upon this effort to chronicle the TJAGs from the past 25 years.
The Judge Advocates General
(1999-2024)
Major General William A. Moorman (1999-2002) – The 13th TJAG [1]
A graduate of the University of Illinois, both undergraduate and law school, Major General William A. Moorman was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and entered the Air Force in September 1971. After assignments at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base (AFB), Missouri, and Yokota Air Base (AB), Japan, in August 1977 Major General Moorman served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate (DSJA), then Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, Homestead AFB, Florida. After completing Air Command and Staff College in July 1980, Major General Moorman became the SJA, 832d Air Division, Luke AFB, Arizona, followed by tours in Washington, D.C., beginning in July 1983 as Chief of Preventive Law and Legal Aid Group, then as Chief, Career Management and Plans Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General, and in August 1988, as a student at the National War College. In June 1989, Major General Moorman became the SJA for 12th Air Force/US Southern Command Air Forces, Bergstrom AFB, Texas. In August 1991, Major General Moorman assumed duties as the DSJA, Strategic Air Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, followed by a tour as the SJA, United States Strategic Command from June 1992 to July 1993. Returning overseas in August 1993, Major General Moorman next became the SJA, United States Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany.
Upon his return to the United States in July 1995, Major General Moorman assumed command of the Air Force Legal Services Agency, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C., serving until March 1996, when he began his tour as the SJA, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia. Appointed by the President, Major General Moorman became the 13th TJAG on 27 January 1999. Major General Moorman retired in April 2002.
Colonel Thomas J. Fiscus (2002-2004) – The 14th TJAG
Colonel Thomas J. Fiscus was appointed by the President in February 2002 as the 14th TJAG and was relieved from that position in September 2004.[2] The Secretary of the Air Force directed his retirement in the permanent grade of colonel effective 1 February 2005.[3]
Editor’s note: No official photo on file of Colonel Fiscus at his effective grade at retirement.
Lieutenant General Jack L. Rives (2006-2010) – The 15th TJAG [4]
Graduating from University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, Lieutenant General Rives received his commission through AFROTC in 1974. He completed his legal education at University of Georgia as well and entered active duty in 1977. Lieutenant General Rives served in his first assignment at Griffiss AFB, New York, where after six months on active duty, he became the Area Defense Counsel. In September 1978, he was stationed overseas as the DSJA at Kunsan AB, South Korea. He then served at Hellenikon AB, Greece, from October 1979 to June 1981. In June 1981, he moved to Clark AB, Philippines, to be a Circuit Defense Counsel. Officer at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. A year later, he became the SJA for Plattsburgh AFB, New York. From July 1986 to April 1990, he headed the Judge Advocate Professional Development Division’s Officer Branch. In May 1990, Lieutenant General Rives became an Appellate Judge on the United States Air Force Court of Military Review and served in that capacity until August 1992. He then attended the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., graduating as a distinguished graduate in June 1993. After graduation, he was assigned as Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From August 1995 to March 1998, he served as the Commandant of The Judge Advocate General’s School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
In March 1998, Lieutenant General Rives was tasked to lead the Air Force Executive Issues Team at the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Then, from February 2000 to February 2002, he served as the SJA, Headquarters, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia. Lieutenant General Rives became the Deputy Judge Advocate General (DJAG) in 2002, and in 2006, the President appointed him as the 15th TJAG. In July 2008, he became the first TJAG in any service to serve in the grade of Lieutenant General. Lieutenant General Rives retired in February 2010.
Lieutenant General Richard C. Harding (2010-2014) – The 16th TJAG [5]
A graduate of the University of Arkansas, both undergraduate and law school, Lieutenant General Richard C. Harding entered the Air Force with a direct commission in January 1980, serving as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate assigned at Bitburg AB, Germany. He next served as the DSJA at Dyess AFB, Texas. From July 1986 until August 1988, Lieutenant General Harding served as the Deputy Chief and later Chief, Executive Services Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters, US Air Force, Washington, D.C. After an assignment as Chief of the Special Law Branch and Chief of the Information and Privacy Law Branch, General Law Division, Headquarters, US Air Force, Washington, D.C., Lieutenant General Harding served as the Chief of Officer Accessions, The Judge Advocate General Professional Development Division.
In July 1992, Lieutenant General Harding left Washington, D.C., to become the SJA for the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph AFB, Texas, followed by an assignment as the SJA for the 3d Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska from July 1995 to July 1998. From October 1998 to April 2000, Lieutenant General Harding served as the Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, US Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Illinois. Afterwards, he transitioned to be the SJA, US Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Nebraska. From there, Lieutenant General Harding served as an SJA three more times. He served as the SJA, Headquarters 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; SJA, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado; and again, from May 2006 until June 2007, as SJA, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Viriginia.
From June 2007 until February 2010, Lieutenant General Harding commanded the Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C. In February 2010, Lieutenant General Harding became the 16th TJAG, appointed by the President and serving until his retirement in February 2014.
Lieutenant General Christopher F. Burne (2014-2018) – The 17th TJAG [6]
A graduate of the University of Scranton and the Dickinson School of Law in Pennsylvania, Lieutenant General Christopher F. Burne followed the lead of his father, a highly decorated World War II Eighth Air Force B-24 bombardier, and received a direct commission into the Air Force in 1983. After an initial three-year assignment at Plattsburgh AFB, New York, Lieutenant General Burne served as the Executive Officer to the SJA, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, from April 1987 to August 1989. He remained at Offutt as a Circuit Defense Counsel until 1990. From there, he served twice as a DSJA at Vandenberg AFB, California, for the Western Space and Missile Center from May 1990 to November 1991 and then for 20th Air Force from November 1991 to July 1992. He deployed as an SJA in Operation DESERT STORM in 1991.
After graduating from Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in June 1993, Lieutenant General Burne became the SJA, 32d Fighter Group, Soesterberg AB, the Netherlands, until the base closed in July 1994. He then became the Director, Operations Law, US Central Command at MacDill AFB, Florida, for three years, deploying as an SJA in Operation SOUTHERN WATCH in 1995. He next served as the SJA at the 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, South Carolina, from July 1997 to July 2000.
In July 2000, Lieutenant General Burne served as Chief, Administrative Law, General Law Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters US Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. From there he attended and graduated from National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., in June 2003. From June 2003 to July 2005, Lieutenant General Burne was the SJA, Air Force District of Washington and 11th Wing, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C. Then, he became the Director, Air Force Executive Issues Team, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, from July 2005 to December 2005. From December 2005 to July 2006, he was the Vice Commander, Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C. Lieutenant General Burne served twice more as an SJA, at Headquarters 8th Air Force, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, from July 2006 to April 2007, and at Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, from April 2007 to May 2014.
In May 2014, Lieutenant General Burne was appointed by the President as the 17th TJAG, and he retired on 1 July 2018.
Lieutenant General Jeffrey A. Rockwell (2018-2022) – The 18th TJAG [7]
Graduating from West Virginia University for both undergraduate and law degrees, Lieutenant General Jeffrey A. Rockwell entered the Air Force through the Direct Appointment Program in June 1987. After his first assignment at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, he served as the DSJA at Zaragoza AB, Spain, from January 1989 to September 1992. Next, he was assigned as Labor Counsel and then a Trial Attorney at the General Litigation Division, Air Force Legal Services Agency, Washington, D.C., from September 1992 to August 1995. From there, he attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and received his Masters in Law in August 1996. Lieutenant General Rockwell then served as Deputy Chief, Operations Law, International and Operations Law Division in Washington, D.C., until June 1998.
In June 1998, Lieutenant General Rockwell went overseas to be the SJA to the Defense Attaché and Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command Representative to Australia, US Embassy, Canberra, Australia. He served in that position until June 2001, where he then became the SJA at the 48th Fighter Wing, Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath, United Kingdom. In July 2003, Lieutenant General Rockwell returned to the United States for his position as Chief, Military Justice Division, Air Force Legal Services Agency, Washington, D.C. From July 2005 until July 2006, he was the Executive to TJAG, Headquarters US Air Force, Washington, D.C. Lieutenant General Rockwell attended National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., and graduated in June 2007. He served three more times as an SJA: from June 2007 to June 2008 at Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida; from June 2008 to June 2012 at US Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany; and from July 2012 to May 2013 at Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado.
In May 2013, Lieutenant General Rockwell assumed command of the Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. From May 2014 to May 2019, he served as DJAG, Headquarters US Air Force, Washington, D.C.
In May 2018, the President appointed Lieutenant General Rockwell as TJAG, where he served as the 18th TJAG for the US Air Force, and the first TJAG for the US Space Force. He retired in May 2022.
Lieutenant General Charles L. Plummer (2022-Present) – The 19th TJAG [8]
Lieutenant General Plummer was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York, Brockport, and his law degree from Capital University School of Law, Columbus, Ohio, Lieutenant General Plummer was admitted to practice law in the State of New York in 1994. Later that same year, he received his Master of Laws in Taxation from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. From August 1994 to September 1995, he practiced as a civilian attorney, and then entered the Air Force by direct appointment in September 1995.
After initial assignments at MacDill AFB, Florida, Osan AB, South Korea, and Hurlburt Field, Florida, from December 1995 to August 2000, Lieutenant General Plummer served as the Chief, Recruiting Branch, Professional Development Division, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters US Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., from August 2000 to May 2003. In May 2003, he became the Assistant Executive to TJAG, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters US Air Force. From there, Lieutenant General Plummer served twice as an SJA, from July 2004 to July 2006 at the 423d Air Base Group, RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom, and from May 2005 to July 2006 at the 501st Combat Support Wing, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom.
After returning to the United States, Lieutenant General Plummer graduated from Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in June 2007. He remained at Maxwell AFB, graduating from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies in June 2008. From July 2008 to July 2010, Lieutenant General Plummer was assigned as Deputy Legal Counsel, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
In June 2011, Lieutenant General Plummer was a distinguished graduate from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. He then served again as an SJA, Air Force Personnel Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, from July 2011 to February 2014. In February 2014, Lieutenant General Plummer became the Director, Professional Development Directorate, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters US Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Then, in October 2016, he assumed command of the Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. From May 2018 to May 2022, Lieutenant General Plummer served as DJAG, Office of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters US Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., while also maintaining his command of the Air Force Legal Operations Agency.
In May 2022, the President appointed Lieutenant General Plummer as TJAG, where he presently serves as the 19th TJAG of the Air Force and the second TJAG of the Space Force.
Edited by: Major Allison K.W. Johnson (Editor-in-Chief) and Major Andrew H. Woodbury
Layout by: Thomasa Huffstutler
Endnotes