F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- It takes a certain caliber of NCO to manage and maintain a section with in a legal office, providing a full spectrum of legal services for a wing and various agencies.
The 90th Missile Wing Legal Office is split into a military justice section and a civil law section. Military justice involves legal actions between the wing and Airmen while civil law deals with issues such as DUIs.
“We provide customer service, whether it’s to a commander, an Airman or an agency with legal issues, we are here to help,” said Lt. Col. Tiaundra Moncrief, 90th Missile Wing staff judge advocate.
Staff Sgt. Jessica Thomas, 90th MW legal NCO in charge of military justice, runs her section by working with first sergeants and commanders to address any adverse actions or discipline issues.
As the NCOIC of military justice, she ensures communication and coordination between her office and first sergeants is running smoothly so commanders can continue executing their own missions, Moncrief said.
“My role is to help leadership set Airmen back on the right track and to help them maintain order and discipline within their units,” Thomas said.
Although she deals with adverse actions in the wing, Thomas feels like she has the opportunity to help Airmen.
“I think much of my work helps serve as a wake-up call to Airmen, telling them that if they continue down their current path, they will be led out of the Air Force,” she said. “Airmen get the opportunity to correct their actions and bounce back before they are removed.”
Thomas cross-trained into legal and arrived at F.E. Warren last January.
“In my last career field, I didn’t feel like I was making enough of a difference on others, which is why I joined in the first place,” Thomas said. “I chose to come into legal because it had more opportunities to do something impactful for others in the Air Force.”
She believes the work she does here can help, not only the wing, but the Air Force as a whole.
“I feel like my work helps both sides of the spectrum,” she said. “It helps rehabilitate good Airmen so they can stay in, but also helps get bad Airmen out.”
Though Thomas has only been here less than a year, Moncrief said her work effort and commitment has really helped the team, but what really makes her shine is her attitude.
“What makes Sgt. Thomas stand out is that she accepts every single task with a smile,” Moncrief said. “Sometimes it is a hard office to remain positive in, since much of our work deals with adverse actions. Sgt. Thomas’ smile and positive attitude help the rest of us remain more positive.”
Thomas said that since her attitude is under her control, remaining positive can be the difference in how others around her feel at the end of the day.
“I feel like everybody makes a choice when they get up and come into work: they either choose to be miserable, or they choose to be happy,” Thomas said. “We deal with a lot of negative things on a day-to-day basis and it can really get to you. I feel that all it takes is one person, one smile, one positive attitude to change someone's outlook on a situation.”
Thomas said that her positive attitude helps her perform her job quickly and efficiently, which benefits everyone.
Above all, legal’s mission is to help everyone in the wing to ensure they are ready to complete the mission, Moncrief said.
“We are a helping agency, and many people forget that,” Moncrief said. “We have a lot to offer Airmen. We encourage our clients – Airmen, commanders or other agencies – to contact us and not go through any legal struggles on their own. We are here for you.”
For legal assistance, contact the legal office at 773-2256.