JAG member completes ‘verification’ aircrew training Published Oct. 16, 2018 By 2nd Lt. Emileigh Rogers 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- As part of their training, aircrews are sent through “verification,” a week-long training that tests their ability to plan missions. Recently, a 366th Fighter Wing Judge Advocate General joined aircrew and intelligence members in the verification training, providing valuable legal guidance and building trust for greater mission effectiveness. Capt. Julia Ziegler participated in the training as the JAG “rules of engagement” expert, answering questions and providing guidance on Operations Law to the aircrew members. While JAGs have not usually participated in the training in the past, her involvement provided the aircrew with JA knowledge and resources that parallel those available to them in other operational areas. “Opportunities like this give us the chance to gain credibility with operational teams, to show them they can trust us and that we’ll be able to help them when they need it,” Ziegler said. The training included scenarios that presented real-world circumstances in which air crews must plan missions and make decisions in accordance with rules of engagement. Having a JAG representative at the training allowed them to include scenarios that are more complex than aircrews encounter in previous training. For JAG, the training helps them better understand the environment in which aircrews operate and the challenges they face. Aircrews learn more about JA and the Operations Law expertise they can provide. In addition to increasing trust between teams, the verification process also provided Ziegler with experience that will help her better contribute to the mission in the future. “It was really good training for me because Operations Law is something that JAGs don’t usually get into until they’re at least a Major,” Ziegler said. “The opportunities we get at this base are really unique.”