# Shall I JAG now or JAG later?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shall-i-jag-now-or-jag-later/136302>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 11, 2002, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shall-i-jag-now-or-jag-later/136302 "2002-11-11T18:42:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ResIpsaLoquitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@ResIpsaLoquitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ResIpsaLoquitor)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shall-i-jag-now-or-jag-later/136302/1 "2002-11-11T18:42:39Z")

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So the good news is that I got an offer from the US Air Force to be a JAG officer. (For the layperson, this means I get to be a military lawyer.) This is particularly good news since the job market for freshman lawyers is pretty sparse at the moment: I’m one of the few people in my class to actually have something on the table.

I have several months before I HAVE to make a decision. As I understand, I could actually show up on a base the day of my assignment and say “no thanks.” With that in mind, I’m still hunting for jobs elsewhere. (I’d particularly like to get a judicial clerkship; the government is pretty understanding if you need to take a year off to do that.)

The pros are that I’ll get a great deal of experience and leadership opportunities in the space of a few years, which most new lawyers at large firms don’t get. The downside is that I’ll have no idea where I’ll be stationed, although I’m praying that I get either McGuire or Dover AFB so I’m close to my home in Philadelphia.

Oh, and I’ve got a girlfriend right now, and we’re both concerned about how 4 years in the military will affect us considering she’s still got 2 years of school ahead of her. We’re starting to think long-term, but we realize that even a temporary distance relationship could be a real strain.

With that in mind: can anybody offer me any pointers on what I’m getting myself into?

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**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shall-i-jag-now-or-jag-later/136302/2 "2002-11-12T01:38:03Z")

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I’ve got a friend from Jersey that went this route up here.

So far, his only complaint is that he’s stuck in Minot, ND. 😃

Tripler  
Glad to help.