Legal Department
Military justice and legal assistance aboard ship.
Justice and Legal Assistance
The Legal Department supported the command in matters of military justice and provided legal assistance to the crew. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it advised the commanding officer, processed disciplinary matters, prepared documentation, and helped ensure that proceedings followed proper procedure and protected the rights of those involved. Good order aboard a warship rests on a justice system applied consistently and fairly.
The department also served the personal legal needs of sailors. Before and during deployment, legal personnel drafted wills, prepared powers of attorney, notarized documents, and offered advice on the civil matters — family, financial, and contractual — that follow service members to sea. For sailors leaving families behind for months, these were not abstractions but the practical means of keeping affairs in order while away.
Aboard Constellation
Preparing a crew of thousands to deploy for six months generated steady legal work. Sailors needed wills and powers of attorney so that a spouse or parent could manage affairs at home — pay a mortgage, register a car, care for children — while the sailor was unreachable for weeks at a time. Legal personnel worked through this volume so that the ship could sail with its people’s affairs in order.
Underway, the department handled the justice matters that arise in any large community living and working in close quarters under pressure. It advised the command, prepared cases, and ensured procedures were observed correctly, far from any courthouse or base legal office. The aim throughout was discipline maintained fairly — the steady administration of law that a deployed warship depends upon.
Roster
Sailors of Legal · Department roster, Legal Department, USS Constellation (CV-64), WESTPAC ’94–95 — transcribed from the original cruise book. Each name links to that Sailor’s page in the scanned book. See a misspelling or a shipmate we missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it.
- LTConnie J. Bullockp. 137
- LNCJames E. Christiep. 137
- LN2Joshua-Paul W. Andersonp. 138
- PO2Angelino M. Mabalotp. 138
- LN2Elgin B. Smithp. 138
- YN3Shahar Y. Bikszerp. 138
Questions & Answers
What kind of personal legal help could a sailor get?
Sailors could have wills drafted, obtain powers of attorney, get documents notarized, and receive advice on family, financial, and contractual matters, especially important before a long deployment so a family member could manage affairs at home.
What is the UCMJ?
The Uniform Code of Military Justice is the body of law governing members of the U.S. armed forces. The Legal Department advised the command on its application and helped ensure disciplinary matters were handled according to its procedures.