Army Spc. David Mcleod recently attended the Paralegal Warrior Training Course (PWTC) at Fort McCoy, Wisc. The class trains paralegal soldiers to support legal operations of the reserve components of the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve and the U.S. Army National Guard.
The two-week course is based on a “crawl-walk-run” philosophy of training.
First, students “crawl,” gaining skills in the classroom, needed to support commanders and military attorneys. The course focuses on military justice, enforcing order and discipline, administrative separations from service, and operational laws that govern war and dictate how U.S. forces handle prisoners of war and civilians on the battlefield.
Next, students “walk,” working in groups of 30 to 40 soldiers as a functioning, simulated legal office. In this stage, instructors role-play as clients and commanders requesting various legal actions and resolution to problems.
Finally, in the “run” phase, students are taken to a large, simulated village where, for three days, they both operate a full legal office in an austere environment, again with role players and legal situations to take part in missions against a simulated uniformed hostile force that is attempting to retake an area recently liberated by the U. S. Army 82nd Airborne Division.
McLeod is currently serving as a paralegal specialist with the 926th Engineering Brigade in Montgomery, Ala.
He is a 2005 graduate of Palm Beach Central High School.
