air reserve component

MORE WAYS TO SERVE IN THE RESERVES AND AIR NATIONAL GUARD

You’re dedicated to serving your country. And we’re dedicated to giving you possibilities to enrich your career, even if you already have a good one. There are a number of ways you can become a JAG through our exclusive programs in in the Reserves and Guard.

THE FIRST STEP IN A LONG CAREER

The JAG application process is competitive, rigorous and highly selective. We evaluate each candidate using the "whole person" concept, which means we look at academic performance, extracurricular activities, community service, prior military record (if any) as well as work and leadership experience. We also conduct interviews with every candidate to discuss your potential in person.

Keep your civilian job while serving as a JAG part time. The Air Reserve Component, which includes the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserves, offers a part-time program for lawyers and paralegals. By design, this program is flexible enough to work with most civilian schedules, so you can serve your country while enhancing your current career.

For more information about service in the Air Reserve Component, please email
AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil.

qualifications

ATTORNEY QUALIFICATIONS

• You are a United States citizen
• You graduated from an ABA-accredited law school
• You are a member in good standing of a bar of a state or territory of the United States, or D.C.
• You do not exceed the applicable age limit. If you have never served as a commissioned officer in the military, you must be commissioned as an officer in the military by your 42nd birthday, this process can take up to 8-10 months to accomplish. If you have served as a commissioned officer, slightly different rules apply; contact us for more information.
• You meet medical qualification criteria for appointment in the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard

Considerations Before Applying

• Successful applicants must be commissioned before their 42nd birthday; a smooth, successful application process normally lasts at least 8-10 months before commissioning occurs.
• We are unlikely to accept a candidate with a recent criminal record or history of drug abuse. Additional factors bearing on competitiveness may include work history and academic and bar exam performance.
• We may have to assign you to a duty location far from your home, especially if you live near a major metropolitan area. As you gain seniority, it becomes more likely that we will assign you to a distant duty location. You may be responsible for some or all of your travel costs in getting to your duty location.
• Applicants must be immediately available for training and/or duty upon commissioning.

service commitment

You do not incur a service commitment until your accept your JAG assignment. The initial service commitment is four (4) years, which begins on the day you depart for Officer Training School (OTS).

Required Training

• Officer Training School (8.5 weeks)
• Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course (9 weeks)

prior military service

If you are selected for direct appointment and are prior active duty, National Guard or Reserve, you will be credited by length of service for pay purposes. Prior commissioned service can also advance entry grade and date of rank. All active duty service is credited toward retirement.

how to apply

application process

NOTE: This section applies only to those applicants who are NOT separating active duty Air Force judge advocates. Separating active duty Air Force judge advocates should follow the instructions under the Separating Active Duty Air Force JAGs section.

For Air National Guard Judge Advocate applicants: Review the Air National Guard Judge Advocate section.

Completed applications may be emailed to AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil. You must submit all application materials on or before the established deadline for a given selection board. Please note that at the moment, the file size limit is 25 MB. If your package is larger than that, you will need to compress it, or break it up into separate PDF files and submit them separately via email. In addition to your online application, you will interview with a Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) at an Air Force base (AFB). After the interview, the SJA will prepare a report that is forwarded to our office. We will contact you if your application is incomplete. We will also contact you to schedule your SJA interview once we receive your complete application.

If you need to add materials to your application after submission, please contact us. We generally respond within 2-3 business days after receipt of your application. If you do not hear from us within that time frame, please contact us at AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil to confirm that we received your application. If you submit your application on the Application Deadline Date, email us for confirmation immediately. Once the deadline passes, we cannot accept applications.

• Application Period Opens: November 1, 2024
• Application Deadline: November 30, 2024
• Interviews Conducted: December 1, 2024 – January 13, 2025
• Board Meets: Month of January 2025

Download and complete all required forms and documents listed in the Checklist

Scan your completed application components into a single document and email your application to AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil.

• AF Form 24 Instruction
• AF Form 24
• AF Form 2030 Instruction
• AF Form 2030
• ARC JAG Recruiting Package Checklist

sja interview

After emailing your application materials, we will contact you to schedule your SJA interview at an Active Duty Air Force Base. You can find a map of all AFB locations here: BASE LOCATIONS. If you have a preferred location, please let us know, and we will try to accommodate.

recommendation letters

Recommendation letters should be written by someone who can attest to your work ethic, duty performance, leadership potential, etc. Address all letters to "Selection Board Members." Do not mail recommendation letters directly to the selection board. Rather, attach them to your application.

If you are currently serving as an Active Duty Air Force JAG, but intend to separate, you can continue your JAG career in the Air Reserve Component. By design, this program is flexible enough to work with most civilian schedules, so you can continue to serve your country while enhancing your new civilian career.

qualifications

Things to Know Before Applying

• This is a two-fold process. You will be working with either a Reserve or ANG recruiter, as well as AF/JA to transition to the ARC JAG Corps. Any delays in providing documents to this office or your recruiter will cause a delay in the overall process, and potentially cause a break in service.
  
• Reserve Applicants: Start working with the In-service Recruiter (ISR) at your base by contacting your local MPF.
• Air National Guard Applicants: Start working with the recruiter at the ANG unit you are joining.
• Once you are scrolled or told by your recruiter, start the Palace Chase/Palace Front application process in accordance with DAFI 36-3211.
• The timetable under the application process section is a guideline for submitting your application, but it does not guarantee that your transition will be complete by your Date of Separation (DOS). We suggest that you submit your application at least 7-8 months out from your anticipated DOS.
• You may want to extend your DOS if it is less than 6 months away, or outside the application window in the timetable listed under the application process section, especially if you have not been in contact with a recruiter.
• You can find our current Assignment Vacancy list on our FLITE KM page. This list is updated quarterly. We will also reach out to you to discuss what assignments we have available shortly after submitting your application.

how to apply

application process

For Air National Guard applicants: please work through the Guard unit you are interested in joining to submit your application. Download and follow the ARC JAG Recruiting Package Checklist below and submit your completed application to the unit you are applying to. Do not email it directly to us. The unit will forward your application on or before the established application ready date on the timetable below. The unit also needs to provide a memorandum stating they have a position available, and if you will be an overage, an explanation of the unit’s manning plan. This memo will need to be signed by the unit Staff Judge Advocate and endorsed by the State Staff Judge Advocate.

For Reserve applicants: Completed applications may be emailed to AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil. You must submit all application materials on or before the established application ready date on the timetable below.

For All Applicants: Please note that at the moment, the file size limit is 25 MB. If your package is larger than that, you will need to compress it, or break it up into separate PDF files and submit them separately via email. We will contact you if your application is incomplete.

If you need to add materials to your application after submission, please contact us. We generally respond within 2-3 business days after receipt of your application. If you do not hear from us within that time frame, please contact us at AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil to confirm that we received your application.

• AF Form 24 Instruction
• AF Form 24
• AF Form 2030 Instruction
• AF Form 2030
• ARC JAG Recruiting Package Checklist

application submissions table

FY Quarter

14 Feb or later

14 May or later

14 August or later

14 November or later

For more information about service in the Air Reserve Component as a JAG, please email
AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil.

Keep your civilian job while serving as a JAG part time. The Air National Guard offers a part-time program for lawyers and paralegals. By design, this program is flexible enough to work with most civilian schedules, so you can serve your country while enhancing your current career. For more information about service in the Air National Guard as a JAG, please email
AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil.

qualifications

ATTORNEY QUALIFICATIONS

• You are a United States citizen.
• You graduated from an ABA-accredited law school.
• You are a member in good standing of a bar of a state or territory of the United States, or D.C.
• You do not exceed the applicable age limit. If you have never served as a commissioned officer in the military, you must be commissioned as an officer in the military by your 42nd birthday, this process can take up to 8-10 months to accomplish. If you have served as a commissioned officer, slightly different rules apply; contact us for more information.
• You meet medical qualification criteria for appointment in the Air National Guard.

Considerations Before Applying

• Successful applicants must be commissioned before their 42nd birthday; a smooth, successful application process normally lasts at least 8-10 months before commissioning occurs.
• We are unlikely to accept a candidate with a recent criminal record or history of drug abuse. Additional factors bearing on competitiveness may include work history and academic and bar exam performance.
• Applicants must be immediately available for training and/or duty upon commissioning.

service commitment

You do not incur a service commitment until you accept your JAG assignment. The initial service commitment is four (4) years, which begins on the day you depart for Officer Training School (OTS).

Required Training

• Officer Training School (8.5 weeks)
• Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course (9 weeks)

PRIOR MILITARY SERVICE

If you are selected for direct appointment and are prior active duty, National Guard or Reserve, you will be credited by length of service for pay purposes. Prior commissioned service can also advance entry grade and date of rank. All active duty service is credited toward retirement.

how to apply

application process

NOTE: This section applies only to those applicants who are NOT separating active duty judge advocates. Separating active duty judge advocates should follow the instructions on the Separating Active Duty Air Force JAGs tab above.

For Air National Guard judge advocate applicants: please work through the Guard unit you are interested in joining to submit your application. If you do not have a unit, please use the following link to find one in your area: BASE LOCATIONS. Download the ARC JAG Recruiting Package Checklist below and submit your completed application to the unit you are applying to. Do not email it directly to us. The unit will forward your application. The unit also needs to provide a memorandum stating they have a position available, and if you will be an overage, an explanation of the unit’s manning plan. This memo will need to be signed by the unit Staff Judge Advocate and endorsed by the State Staff Judge Advocate.

Your unit must submit all application materials on or before the established deadline for a given selection board. Please note that at the moment, the file size limit is 25 MB. If your package is larger than that, you will need to compress it, or break it up into separate PDF files and submit them separately via email. In addition to your online application, you will interview with a Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) at an Active Duty Air Force base (AFB). After the interview, the SJA will prepare a report that is forwarded to our office. We will contact you if your application is incomplete.

If you need to add materials to your application after submission, please contact us. We generally respond within 2-3 business days after receipt of your application. If you do not hear from us within that time frame, please contact us at AF.JA.ARCJAGRecruiting@us.af.mil to confirm that we received your application. If you submit your application on the Application Deadline Date, email us for confirmation immediately. Once the deadline passes, we cannot accept applications.

AIR NATIONAL GUARD BOARD DATES:

Application Period Opens