Warfighter 26-3
Warfighters Assemble—Building a Multi-Component, Multi-National, Warfighting Team of Legal Professionals to Sharpen the Legal Edge in Large-Scale Combat Operations
By Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas E. Hurd
| Army Lawyer, 2026 Issue #2
Read Time: < 33 mins
V Corps Warfighter 26-03. From left to right: CPT Conrad Sewinski (V Corps Forward); Capt Konrad Szczepański (Polish Legal Advisor); MAJ John Cooper (91st LOD); Capt Florean-Leonardo Stefan (Romanian Legal Advisor); LTC Nick Hurd (V Corps) (Photo courtesy of author).
“[W]hat matters most: advising commanders in the fight, on operations [and] in deployed environments where seconds and minutes count . . . . [A] focus on warfighting, military justice, operational law, the law of armed conflict, deployed contracting, intelligence law, and cyberspace . . . . Everything that sharpens the edge in large-scale combat.” – Secretary of War Pete Hegseth1
In March of 2026, V Corps, the only permanently forward-deployed Corps in the U.S. Army, completed Warfighter Exercise 26-3 (WFX 26-3). With the goal of increasing readiness and enhancing interoperability, WFX 26-3 tested V Corps’s ability to fight in coordination with its higher headquarters and allied nations to certify the Corps as a warfighting headquarters ready for large-scale combat operations (LSCO) in the European theater.2WFX 26-3 ensured the Corps staff was trained and validated in the operations process and prepared to fight and win in a multinational environment against peer or near-peer threats. In the real world and in exercises, V Corps is uniquely positioned to enhance interoperability, rapid response capabilities, and fight as one team from multiple locations. For WFX 26-3, V Corps and its downtrace divisions pushed the boundaries of LSCO by operating in over six different locations around the world, which included the two primary V Corps staff locations, main command post (MCP) located in Poznań, Poland, at Camp Kościuszko (Camp K), and the rear command post (RCP) located at Fort Knox, Kentucky.3
The V Corps team consisted of judge advocates (JAs) and paralegals from all three components (COMPOs)—the active-duty Army teammates were from the V Corps Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), its organic brigades (41st Fires Artillery Brigade, 2d Cavalry Regiment, and 12th Combat Aviation Brigade), its rotational division (3rd Infantry Division), and its downtrace units from 1st Armored Division and 1st Infantry Division. A large contingent of COMPO 2 teammates from the Alabama and Kentucky National Guards (NGs) joined the V Corps main at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and a JA from the Pennsylvania NG provided support to the 1st Lithuanian Division in Grafenwoehr, Germany. We also had the great support of our COMPO 3 teammates from the 91st Legal Operations Detachment (LOD) based out of Darien, Illinois. In addition, we had phenomenal support from military legal advisors (LEGADs) from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations of Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom (UK).
Each member of the WFX 26-3 team brought a unique perspective and breadth of experience to unite all members fighting as one team from two primary locations across the world, making the WFX 26-3 V Corps legal team truly exceptional.4The warfighting challenges the team faced and the legal solutions the team provided all simulated legal warfighters advising commanders in the fight under stress and urgency in a Europe-focused LSCO environment. Establishing a truly talented and effective team like the V Corps WFX 26-3 team required a great deal of planning, preparation, and training. We hope to provide you with some meaningful insight as to how to best assemble, train, and onboard your next warfighting team. This article also seeks to share lessons learned from the fight to sharpen the edge for future LSCO and any future LSCO fight involving multinational partners and allies.
The Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps Strategy Line of Effort – Readiness: “prioritizing our legal practice in support of warfighter readiness, improving integration and synchronization across JAG Corps components, and enhancing training and education for all [Judge Advocate Legal Services] members.”5
Assembling the Team
Winning the before is key to warfighter success. Assembling the team began six months prior to WFX 26-3. With a strong relationship already established between the 91st LOD and the V Corps OSJA, our 91st LOD teammates were ready to engage in the preparation for WFX 26-3.6Six members of the 91st LOD augmented the V Corps OSJA for WFX 26-3. Three members fought from the RCP at Fort Knox and three fought from the MCP in Poland. Over the years, we have come to know many of our 91st LOD teammates well as they join us in exercises, training, and warfighters. Several have become well-known and beloved advisors among the corps staff, especially in the Joint Targeting Effects Cell (JTEC). In addition to the 91st LOD, NG team members were added to legal team early in the team formation process.7Having all three COMPOs together training and preparing for WFX 26-3 and then fighting together as one seamless team was a unique experience that truly demonstrated the strength of our JAG Corps’s exceptional talent, expertise, and experience when integrated, synchronized and united in effort.
From our NATO allies, we had the privilege of working with three LEGADs from the UK, Poland, and Romania. Our LEGAD from the UK joined from the 3rd UK Division—the “Iron Division.” Our Polish LEGAD joined as an advisor to the 2nd Polish Corps, observing V Corps legal operations during WFX-26-3. Unlike many other 2nd Polish Corps WFX 26-3 officers who were observing WFX 26-3, our Polish LEGAD trained, prepared, and actively served as a vital member of the V Corps legal team. We also had the opportunity to have a Romanian LEGAD work alongside us in support of our operations. With our very diverse and talented team assembled, we focused on ensuring our team was prepared and ready by providing extensive onboarding sessions and foundational training.
Training
How do you train a team of legal professionals from all three COMPOs and LEGADs, all with different steady state assigned responsibilities, civilian employment schedules, divergent time zones, geographic locations, and system access? By providing predictable, thorough, and conveniently accessible training sessions. The V Corps OSJA National Security Law (NSL) section focused on the connectivity and flexibility that Microsoft Teams provided. A shared WFX 26-3 Microsoft Teams page was created that contained administrative announcements, documents, and resources such as a tailored legal rucksack organized by warfighting functions: sustainment, protection, fires and effects, and command and control. Microsoft Teams allowed all team members the ability to access resources on their schedule by bridging the time, schedule, and location considerations.
The V Corps OSJA NSL team’s preparation for WFX 26-3 was constant and included independent education, training sessions, and other corps and higher-level exercises, with full-scale focus beginning two months prior. The preparation process began with the assignment of roles and responsibilities to all incoming team members, including their operational location. Team members were provided the ability for self-education before the fight began using the resources provided in the digital legal rucksack and their assigned role. Next, professional development sessions tailored to a NATO LSCO environment were conducted on a weekly basis. The training series included foundational basics on areas such as LOAC for a JA operating in a JTEC. Guest speakers from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) supported our efforts by providing an overview of NATO and how to operate as a NATO legal officer. We also had sessions to introduce teammates to the operating system they would be working on during WFX 26-3, specifically, the Maven Smart System (MSS).8All training sessions were recorded to ensure all COMPOs and LEGADs could complete the training as their schedule permitted or rewatch specific sections to prepare for the exercise. The recorded sessions also allowed downtrace legal units and legal personnel the opportunity to learn. For WFX 26-3, the five downtrace divisions and multiple other downtrace units were given access to and trained on all the products created by the V Corps OSJA NSL team. Using the digital tools created by V Corps, all members of the WFX 26-3 legal team had the training necessary to prepare to win the fight before the exercise occurred.
In March 2026, V Corps conducted Warfighter 26-03 at Fort Knox, KY. Back row, from left to right: PFC Eric Ohm (310 ESC); MSG Devin White (V Corps); SPC(P) Kyle Strouse (V Corps); MAJ Lucas Beaty (ALNG); LTC David Callan (V Corps); SGT Justus Williams (V Corps); SGT Charles Herring (V Corps); SGM Ian Northrup (V Corps); MAJ Curtis Sherwood (KYNG); LTC Roger Wright (KYNG); CPT Robert Kudlicki (91st LOD); 1LT Trevor Knapp (91st LOD); CPT John Bradley (ALNG); SFC Cherly Gordon (ALNG); CPT Jacob Smith (V Corps); MAJ Jason Miller (310 ESC); MAJ Phil Tonseth (V Corps). Front row, from left to right: SSG Sandy Perez (91st LOD); CPT Jacob Haavisto (V Corps); CPT Scott Dezouche (ALNG); LTC Daniel Curley (V Corps); COL Tonya Blackwell (V Corps); LTC Stephanie Bankson (310 ESC); CW3 Beatriz Hendricks (V Corps); CW2 Edgell Ratliff (V Corps) (Photo courtesy of author).
Onboarding
After assembling and training the team, the next challenge was ensuring they were onboarded and prepared to fight. Many of our COMPO 2 and 3 and LEGAD team members arrived less than thirty-six hours before the start of WFX 26-3. The ability to engage and fight within a few days or hours of arrival demanded a razor-sharp, focused onboarding program. As would be expected in LSCO, our COMPO 2 and 3 teammates would quickly come in to support the mission at various locations—preparing units to deploy on the ground at Fort Knox and forward throughout Eastern Europe. They came ready to prepare and advise Soldiers and the command and staff with “dead-on legal advice that enables decisive action” upon arrival.9
Prior to the start of WFX 26-3, each member of the team was assigned a role and legal portfolio. All inbound augmentees were also provided a list of requirements they had to complete during the onboarding phase to ensure they were properly trained and fully informed of potential WFX 26-3 legal issues and our PACE plan—our system of communication and coordination among the V Corps OSJA team, the five downtrace divisions, and multiple other downtrace units. Requirements that were essential for the team to complete included viewing all eight recorded Leader Professional Development sessions (LPDs) and reading materials assigned by the V Corps chief of staff; the V Corps OSJA’s welcome packet; the V Corps OSJA’s COMPO 2 and 3 Smart Book; and all folders in the V Corps OSJA’s digital legal rucksack.10
As our teammates completed their self-certification, the V Corps NSL team worked closely with each individual to orient them to their environment, the OSJA leadership, and key staff members. They also ensured each member had access to all operating systems and personalized instruction for each operating system, with a heavy focus on the MSS.11Our COMPO 2 and 3 teammates did not have access at their home station to the Army’s Mission Partner Environment (MPE) network; thus, network and system access requirements were requested, staffed, and managed by the V Corps paralegal team ahead of arrival. Network access was critical because if they could not access networks or systems, they could not fight.12Finally, to drive home the “one team two locations” mindset, during the onboarding process, all members of the MCP and RCP gathered for a meet and greet video call to introduce themselves and get to know one another in preparation for WFX 26-3, which was scheduled to begin in just a matter of hours.
In March 2026, V Corps conducted Warfighter 26-03 at Camp Kościuszko, Poland. From left to right: CPT Conrad Sewinski (V Corps Forward); CPT Rachel Rosen (V Corps Forward); SSG Andrew Taylor (91st LOD); MAJ Jason Vogler (91st LOD); MAJ John Cooper (91st LOD); MAJ Ralph Williams (41st FAB); LTC Nick Hurd (V Corps Forward); Capt Konrad Szczepański (Polish Legal Advisor); MAJ Camilla Gane (UK DIV); SSG Conner Ruskey (V Corps Forward); MAJ Marissa Dominguez (V Corps); Capt Florean-Leonardo Stefan (Romanian Legal Advisor) (Photo courtesy of author).
Execution
Our assembled multi-component, multi-national warfighting team successfully advised the command at echelon in a complex simulated fight under the high stress and unrelenting urgency of a LSCO environment in Europe. V Corps’s unique fighting structure optimized personnel talent among the staff across two locations, with each site focusing on different warfighting functions. The MCP at Camp K focused on fires and effects and command and control, while the RCP at Fort Knox focused on sustainment and protection. We also had several team members sitting at various locations throughout the area of operations (AO). Each team member possessed a distinct role and portfolio aligned with the warfighting functions at their location, and each was expected to be situationally aware of all the warfighting functions. They also had to understand the interplay between the functions to properly understand the battlefield framework and current and future operations to properly advise the OSJA leadership and the command and staff. The team leveraged knowledge sharing using the MSS chat and chat group features, and multiple legal syncs and touchpoints throughout the twenty-four-hour battle rhythm. This deliberate synchronization and full-spectrum overview of the warfighting functions from both locations unified the geographically dispersed team as “one team, two locations” and ensured V Corps’s success by providing accurate, principled, and swift legal advice to the command and staff.
Challenges
Some challenges to working with multi-component and multinational legal professionals arose during WFX 26-3. First, with a lack of access to the MPE network at their home stations prior to arrival, teammates from COMPOs 2 and 3 and several LEGADs had to read, examine, and understand classified source documents such as the operation orders, fragmentary orders, and rules of engagement once they arrived at the MCP or the RCP. The lack of immediate familiarity with the classified source documents limited their full-spectrum understanding before the start of the exercise. We attempted to overcome this challenge through the onboarding phase by guiding them through the pertinent source documents, allowing time to digest and understand the material, and allowing team members to ease into their roles and responsibilities during the start of the exercise. Future considerations to overcome this challenge would include advanced system access at the home stations, which would allow source documents to be viewed and discussed during the training phase. Additionally, V Corps OSJA team members and COMPO 2 and 3 teammates could meet during a battle assembly weekend or temporary duty trip to discuss and view source documents in a secure setting prior to their arrival at the exercise.
In LSCO, all legal team members, including LEGADs, must provide legal advice in accordance with the customs, laws, treaties, and policies established by their own country. During the execution phase, while working with multinational LEGAD teammates, we were challenged by their limited ability to advise on anti-personnel mine issues if their country was a signatory to the Ottawa Convention.13For WFX 26-3, our UK LEGAD served as the night shift current operations (CUOPS) attorney at the MCP. If an issue regarding the use of anti-personnel mines arose, it would flow through the CUOPS station either on the MSS legal chats or in-person to the CUOPS attorney from other V Corps staff members, such as the engineers. Due to the UK being a signatory to the Ottawa Convention, the UK LEGAD informed the MCP V Corps legal team that she could not advise on anti-personnel mine issues. We overcame the conflict by first identifying the issue prior to the exercise and by directing all anti-personnel mine issues to the RCP CUOPs attorney or other team members at the MCP. While this challenge was related to mines, it sheds light on other topics or legal issues that embedded LEGADs could be prevented from advising on based on their country’s current position or view. Prior to the fight, legal teams must understand all team members’ capabilities and the scope of their permissible legal advice in order to effectively provide legal support in a dynamic LSCO environment.
V Corps Warfighter 26-03. Capt Florean-Leonardo Stefan (Romanian Legal Advisor) (left) and MAJ John Cooper (91st LOD) (right). (Photo courtesy of author).
Legal Interoperability
While the V Corps staff and the V Corps OSJA executed WFX 26-3 from the MCP and the RCP, WFX 26-3 was much larger than V Corps. For WFX 26-3, V Corps was the higher headquarters for five divisions: two from the United States and one each from Poland, Lithuania, and Germany. Mission accomplishment for WFX 26-3 depended on the ability of allies to integrate, effectively and efficiently, to achieve tactical, operational, and strategic objectives. In other words, mission accomplishment depended on interoperability.14To assess interoperability, V Corps used the four Army-recognized levels of interoperability: Level 0 (not interoperable); Level 1 (deconflicted); Level 2 (compatible); and Level 3 (integrated).15Our legal mission necessitated Level 3 legal integration for WFX 26-3. This integration required all three dimensions of legal interoperability: the legal technical dimension, the legal procedural dimension, and the legal human dimension.16
For WFX 26-3, with V Corps and its downtrace divisions operating in six different locations around the world, legal technical interoperability revolved around the use of MSS.17The V Corps Chief of Staff, Colonel (COL) Kevin Jackson, stated, “From those locations [V Corps was] able to integrate and have a common operating picture utilizing . . . the Maven Smart System technology that we integrated into [all V Corps] operations. . . . This is the first time in four years that I’ve seen this happen across U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF), where all of the commanders, all five divisions, and the corps were operating on a common operating picture.”18
This technical interoperability and use of MSS also included legal operations and provided a common legal operating picture to the V Corps Staff, the V Corps OSJA, and all of the downtrace units. Our V Corps OSJA MSS legal platform, which contained the ROE matrix and ROE briefing products, was a method of communicating, discussing, and disseminating critical legal information to all downtrace legal personnel, and was the primary system to collect and track all legally significant events, such as potential law of armed conflict violations. Using MSS allowed the V Corps OSJA and all downtrace personnel to have visibility on significant events occurring in the entire AO, to collectively access legal resources updated in real time, and to communicate a common understanding of legal issues to their respective commands. Our use of and integration with MSS produced legal technical interoperability with all downtrace legal units and enabled timely command action. When referencing mission command integration, COL Jackson stated, “Our commander was able to make timely decisions based on everybody having that same sight picture.”19The legal technical interoperability of MSS that enabled a common legal operating picture also dovetailed with legal procedural interoperability for the OSJA during WFX 26-3.
V Corps Warfighter 26-03. Capt Florean-Leonardo Stefan (Romanian Legal Advisor) (left) and MAJ John Cooper (91st LOD) (right). (Photo courtesy of author).
Legal procedural interoperability addresses processes and procedures that support and organize activities among allies to minimize confusion, misunderstandings, and hesitation.20In preparation for and during WFX 26-3, the V Corps OSJA established processes and procedures to create a legal common operating picture to increase legal procedural interoperability. The procedural systems for communication and collaboration that the V Corps OSJA established included the PACE communication plan; daily internal V Corps legal syncs built into the battle rhythm; daily external legal syncs with V Corps and downtrace units to capture unit legal priorities and to provide V Corps SJA guidance; and an authorities working group to process requests from downtrace units or requests to higher headquarters. The standardized common processes and drills that V Corps established were a legal annex that spelled out requirements and methods for reporting legally significant events and established battle drills for all legal teams. The systems, processes, and procedures were disseminated, presented, and tested with all downtrace legal teams during the lead up to WFX 26-3. This allowed the procedures to be refined and tuned to meet both the needs of the multinational downtrace units and the intent of the V Corps OSJA leadership. The systems increased procedural interoperability, allowed the V Corps OSJA and downtrace units to integrate effectively and efficiently, and minimized confusion and hesitation during the exercise.
V Corps Warfighter 26-03. LTC Nick Hurd (V Corps) (left) and Capt Konrad Szczepański (Polish Legal Advisor) (right). (Photo courtesy of author).
WFX 26-3 tested the V Corps OSJA, downtrace U.S. legal teams, and allied-nation legal teams to increase legal readiness and enhance legal interoperability. Human interoperability concerns mutual trust and understanding achieved by strengthening relationships in training and on operations.21The legal human dimension addresses human-based activities that develop shared understanding with an ally.22WFX 26-3 increased human interoperability by building mutual trust and understanding among the V Corps OSJA, other U.S. legal teams, and the multinational legal teams throughout the training lead-up and exercise execution.
Executing WFX 26-3 with U.S. and multinational legal teams established and strengthened the necessary relationships and established familiarity and understanding for all legal stakeholders to build upon in the future. COL Jackson stated, “As we look at the future, and what our continued operation activities and investments are with all the NATO Corps and divisions across Europe, I think we will continue to lead the way as America’s only forward-deployed Corps.”23
Future Considerations
Forecasting what legal support is necessary in future LSCO is an enduring project focused on identifying potential gaps, proposing and implementing solutions, and capturing lessons learned. When we must engage in LSCO, we will be ready; we will keep the legal sword sharp and strengthen the profession by sharing ideas, engaging in debate, and ensuring our lessons learned are generously shared up, down, adjacent, and at echelon.24
During WFX 26-3, we identified three LSCO gaps and developed solutions to share them with the greater legal community to further sharpen our legal sword. Though WFX 26-3 simulated the EUCOM AOR, the lessons learned apply to any future LSCO fight involving multi-component teammates and multinational partners and allies.
Increasing Host-Nation Expertise
LSCO will most likely involve multinational allies, partners, and host nations (HNs).25Each HN is sovereign and has its own state laws, international agreements, protected property or infrastructure, national defense plans, and military forces, which are just a few of the factors that contribute to understanding agreements about how U.S. forces operate in the HN.26Operating in a HN during LSCO may require U.S. forces to coordinate with and obtain HN consent for certain operations or effects.
Imagine a LSCO event where a corps or division is operating in multiple HNs. The legal teams will have to advise command and staff on U.S.-based operational and national security law, but they will also have to incorporate into the legal recommendations the HN laws, rules, concerns, and national caveats of multiple HNs.27As USAREUR-AF Judge Advocate, Colonel Andrew M. McKee, mentioned in Mastering Multinational Integration with a Winning Mindset,
A JALS professional in a multi-national setting is expected to contribute an appropriate level of expertise in U.S. law and the customs, courtesies, and procedures of the U.S. Army. However, those personnel lack the same level of expertise in host-nation law, customs, courtesies, procedures, history, and culture.28
There will be a knowledge gap among U.S. legal teams with respect to the HN laws, and humility must be displayed.29This knowledge gap and the challenge of establishing team awareness may be overcome by embedding a HN LEGAD at the corps level or higher to develop deliberate and engaged awareness and humility throughout the mission.
Embedding HN legal officers with the legal team bridges information gaps that may exist between a HN and the legal team. The HN LEGAD’s level of expertise regarding HN domestic and military laws and policies, customs, courtesies, and procedures, combined with the experience and expertise of the legal team regarding operational and national security law, provides effective and efficient operational legal advice to command and staff operating in a HN.
For WFX 26-3, V Corps had a Polish LEGAD officer embedded at the MCP. Our Polish LEGAD provided clarity on Polish civilian and military procedures, laws, and policies for the team, and ultimately, to the V Corps staff. Our Polish LEGAD also gained invaluable insight on how the V Corps OSJA advises the command and staff during LSCO, which he can use with his Polish legal team to prepare for future trainings and operations.30Having an embedded HN LEGAD increases legal team expertise with HN laws, policies, and procedures and prepares NATO LEGADs for a future expanded role in NATO operations.
Human Interoperability with Multinational Downtrace Units
While having an embedded HN LEGAD addresses HN challenges, the same concerns and potential legal knowledge gap regarding HN sovereignty, laws, international agreements, national caveats, and military forces are also present for our teams supporting non-U.S. units under the authority of U.S. units.31Our teams may potentially lack the same level of expertise as a LEGAD from that non-U.S. unit regarding the non-U.S. unit’s organic procedures, non-NATO doctrinal references, steady-state operating processes, and common understanding through country-specific languages. The best way to address this gap is to increase human interoperability by having a LEGAD from the same country as the downtrace non-U.S. unit embedded with the corps OSJA or, alternatively, having a legal team member embedded with the non-U.S. unit.
During WFX 26-3, V Corps and NATO LEGADs at the downtrace divisions addressed the information gap by embedding legal personnel at V Corps and the downtrace divisions. This ensured the legal team could appreciate and understand the customs, courtesies, nuances, rules, and procedures of our non-U.S. downtrace divisions. Our Polish LEGAD who embedded with us knew the customs, courtesies, nuances, rules, and procedures of the 18th Mechanized Polish downtrace division and could coordinate with their legal team regarding significant events during the exercise, which was tremendously helpful.32
Alternatively, the downtrace 1st Lithuanian Division had one of our NG teammates embedded with the Lithuanian LEGAD team and staff to establish open communication and collaboration between the two legal teams and decrease fragmentary information from non-legal staff sections. The embedded attorney helped communicate queries from the V Corps OSJA and staff about significant events.33Having an embedded LEGAD from the non-U.S. downtrace unit with a corps OSJA or, alternatively, having a U.S. attorney embedded with the non-U.S. downtrace unit decreases the knowledge gap, builds trust and understanding, and strengthens legal interoperability for legal teams operating in a multinational environment.
Leveraging COMPOs 2 and 3 through Repetition and Expertise
Holistic integration with our COMPO 2 and 3 teammates is the only way we will be successful in an LSCO environment. The legal COMPOs triad—leveraging COMPOs 2 and 3 in repeated training opportunities with COMPO 1—establishes a foundation of trust and familiarity and develops expertise and confidence in readiness among all team members. Our JAG Corps Strategy mandates we “prioritiz[e] our legal practice in support of warfighter readiness, improv[e] integration and synchronization across JAGC components, and enhanc[e] training and education for all JALS members.”34The V Corps OSJA and team members from the NG and 91st LOD established strong bonds of trust and familiarity through WFX 26-3. At the conclusion of the exercise, the assembled team knew they were synced and prepared to operationally advise the command and staff in LSCO. To truly sharpen the edge of our sword, we must make repeated training across COMPOs the standard in all we do.
Unified repeated training among the COMPOs creates greater trust, familiarity, confidence, and expertise to function as one team of legal professionals for future LSCO. A great example of our strong relationship with the 91st LOD is its investment in their attorneys and paralegals who regularly participate in our training sessions and exercises. The 91st sends its team to training, exercises, and operational law courses to prepare them to advise commanders in the fight. Two attorneys from the 91st LOD who served as JTEC attorneys with V Corps in previous exercises again were members of the team for WFX 26-3. A 91st LOD major once again was assigned to the JTEC and was seamlessly integrated into the mission and had the trust of the JTEC commander due to his familiarity with the mission and the team. A captain from the 91st who had participated in prior V Corps exercises was assigned to CUOPS at the RCP, a position requiring expanded staff coordination and increased legal visualization. His prior exercise experience in the JTEC role permitted a faster transition to the new CUOPS role and a greater awareness of staff processes for this teammate. A third 91st LOD JA—who worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency in his civilian capacity, where he became familiar with the MSS and attended training courses on LOAC and targeting—was also assigned to the JTEC and performed phenomenally due to his civilian expertise and the skills he developed prior to the exercise.
All three attorneys serve as examples of effectively leveraging the COMPOs: the first JA based on repetition, familiarity, and trust; the second based on repetition, familiarity, and new responsibilities; and the third based on civilian expertise. Engaged participation and commitment to training and fighting together are the keys to success. While repetition is always a key factor in unit training, identifying and developing COMPO 2 and 3 expertise based on civilian experience and expertise or prior military experience will always lead to greater success as one integrated and unified team in LSCO.
Conclusion
The V Corps OSJA’s approach in assembling, training, and onboarding the warfighting legal team for WFX 26-3, along with lessons learned for future considerations, sharpens the edge for future LSCO and applies to any future LSCO fight involving multinational partners and allies. The V Corps OSJA assembled an exceptional multi-component, multinational, legal warfighting team that successfully executed WFX 26-3 by advising the command in the simulated fight under stress and urgency in a Europe-focused LSCO environment. The successful execution and mission accomplishment for the assembled team depended on legal integration and the three dimensions of legal interoperability: technical, procedural, and human.
We must keep sharpening the legal sword to strengthen the profession by sharing ideas, engaging in debate, and learning together; doing so will ensure solutions and lessons are captured and further refined as we pursue excellence in all that we do as members of the JAG Corps advising the warfighter on the ground at echelon. The challenge for all OSJAs is to use these lessons, experiences, and challenges from WFX 26-3 and improve in every phase: assembling, training, onboarding, execution, and interoperability. With reflection, refinement, and repetition, we can prepare to advise the commander in the LSCO fight. It will be done! Victory! TAL
Notes
1. Video posted by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@ secwar), Instagram (Mar. 11, 2026), https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVwsg6zAVIB/?igsh=cHptYnJ-3d2I2OGVk [https://perma.cc/8CEN-L88B]. See also Mathew Olay, Hegseth Calls for Assessment, Alignment of DOW Legal Functions, Operations, U.S. Dep’t of War (Mar. 11, 2026), https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4431680/hegseth-calls-for-assessment-alignment-of-dow-legal-functions-operations [https://perma.cc/A3H4-G62P].
2. The divisions that participated in WFX 26-3 with V Corps consisted of 10th Panzer Division, the 1st Lithuanian Division, the 18th Polish Mechanized Division, 1st Infantry Division (U.S.), and 3rd Infantry Division (U.S.). 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) from Indianapolis, Indiana, also participated. Each downtrace division and the 310th ESC had their own legal team made up of judge advocates (JAs) and paralegals from all three components or North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) legal advisors (LEGADs).
3. V Corps operated from two primary locations—the MCP and the RCP; 10th Panzer Division and the 1st Lithuanian Division operated from Grafenwoehr, Germany; 18th Polish Mechanized Division operated from Siedlce, Poland; 1st Infantry Division (U.S.) operated from Fort Riley, Kansas; and 3rd Infantry Division (U.S.) operated from Bolesławiec, Poland.
4. “Leadership is the activity of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” U.S. Dep’t of Army, Doctrine Pub. 6-22, Army Leadership and the Profession para. 1-74 (31 July 2019) (C2, 6 Feb. 2025). “One Team Two Locations” was the motto used among the V Corps OSJA team during WFX 26-3. The motto was adopted during Avenger Triad 2025 (AVT25) to unify purpose, direction, and motivation for a team working in two different locations separated by six time zones.
5. The Judge Advoc. Gen., Deputy Judge Advoc. Gen., JAG Corps Sr. Civ., Chief Warrant Officer of the Corps & Regimental Command Sergeant Major, Leadership Sends, vol. 43-05, The JAG Corps Strategy (12 Sep. 2025) [hereinafter Leadership Sends] (“The Strategy provides a blueprint for how we will continuously transform to maintain a total legal force postured and prepared to deliver timely expert legal advice and services to the Army. The Strategy is informed by a comprehensive analysis of the critical areas where we must innovate and adapt to best enhance lethality through principled legal support to the Army during large-scale combat operations.”). See also The Judge Advoc. Gen.’s Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Army JAG Corps Strategy (12 Sep. 2025) (providing the full JAG Corps Strategy).
6. The V Corps OSJA and 91st LOD have an established relationship built upon trust and readiness. Over the last four years, we have worked closely with the 91st LOD in training and preparation for LSCO. The 91st LOD invests in its team, ensuring members are given the opportunity to join V Corps for exercises, prepared for the exercise by attending operational law courses, and stewards the profession by capturing lessons from teammates’ experiences and teaching the entire 91st LOD. Familiarity between both units has been built during the training, preparation, and execution of multiple military exercises with 91st LOD teammates joining with the V Corps OSJA both at the MCP and RCP. This established relationship and investment by the 91st LOD prepares both V Corps and 91st LOD JAs and paralegals to be ready for exercises and, should the need arise, to provide real-world LSCO legal support from a forward or rear location.
7. For WFX 26-3, the Kentucky and Alabama NG attorneys and paralegals joined the V Corps OSJA team at the RCP at Fort Knox. The Pennsylvania NG attorney joined the 1st Lithuanian Division in Grafenwoehr, Germany.
8. Over the course of eight weeks, the team created weekly training materials that were presented by the V Corps OSJA personnel and guest speakers. The topics were (1) Initial Orientation; (2) LOAC and Targeting; (3) JALS Roles and Responsibilities in the Corps during WFX 26-3; (4) SHAPE and NATO; (5) NATO ROE and National Caveats; (6) the Road to War; (7) Maven Smart System (MSS); and (8) the V Corps PACE plan. The MSS is an artificial intelligence-enabled, cloud-based software as a service command and control platform that integrates, analyzes, and acts on massive volumes of defense sensor data (drones, satellites, radar) in real-time. “It is the Department of Defense’s most visible artificial intelligence tool, designed to process imagery and full-motion video from drones. Maven combines sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning to modernize battlefield operations, including targeting, logistics planning and predicting supply needs for deployed troops.” Tish Williamson, Contracting Personnel Use AI, Maven Smart System Simulation During Warfighter Exercise, Army.mil (Mar. 3, 2025), https://www.army.mil/article/283473/contracting_personnel_use_ai_maven_smart_system_simulation_during_warfighter_exercise [https://perma.cc/G97Z-9QYL ].
9. Olay, supra note 1 (quoting Secretary of War Pete Hegseth).
10. The required LPD videos were the same eight discussed above. The V Corps chief of staff required readings consisted of (1) an Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative primer, (2) Third Infantry Div., Fighting the Armored Division of 2030 (13 June 2022), and (3) V Corps, V Corps Tactical Standard Operating Procedures (2 Dec. 2024).
11. Our check on access and overview of operating systems for our team focused on MPE, Outlook, Maven Systems, Cisco Jabber, CMS rooms, OneNote, the V Corps OSJA SharePoint, and the PACE plan.
12. The V Corps paralegal team managed many logistical hurdles to get system access for the COMPO 2, 3, and LEGAD personnel. The certificates and documents needed included security clearance verification, DD 2875s System Authorization Access Request Forms for the EUR NIPR, Enterprise MPE, and, if allowed, STRAT SIPR systems, Cyber Awareness, derivative classification, information security program training, annual awareness managing personnel with clearances access to classified information, and the U.S. Army Threat Awareness and Reporting Program. Planning should start early for system access.
13. Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, Sep. 18, 1997, 2056 U.N.T.S. 211.
14. “Interoperability is the ability to act together coherently, effectively, and efficiently to achieve tactical, operational, and strategic objectives.” U.S. Dep’t of Army, Regul. 34-1, Interoperability para. 1-6(a) (9 Apr. 2020) [hereinafter AR 34-1]. See also N. Atl. Treaty Org. [NATO], Allied Joint Doctrine, AJP-01 (ed. F, ver. 1, Dec. 2022) [hereinafter AJP-01] (“Specifically, interoperability enables forces, units and/or systems to operate together, allowing them to communicate and to share common doctrine and procedures, along with each other’s infrastructure and bases. Interoperability reduces duplication, enables pooling of resources and produces synergies among all Allies, and whenever possible with partner countries.”).
15. AR 34-1, supra note 14, para. 1-5; see also The Judge Advoc. Gen.’s Legal Ctr. & Sch., Best Practices of Multinational Legal Interoperability Smartbook, at A-3 (2024) [hereinafter Smartbook] (“Level 0 – Not legally Interoperable: The ally or partner has no demonstrated legal interoperability. The legal personnel of allies and partners operate independently from U.S. Army legal personnel, formations, and operations; and do not have knowledge of the legal or policy issues of their allies or partners.” “Level 3 – Legally Integrated: The ally or partner has substantially complete legal interoperability. Allies and partners are able to integrate into the task organization upon arrival into theater; are knowledgeable about the legal regimes and operational freedoms and constraints of other allies and partners and incorporate them into their own policies and procedures; and regularly and seamlessly exchange legally relevant information and legal personnel between their formations.”).
16. Legal interoperability is “the achievement of sharing understanding of respective authorities, permissions, restrictions, obligations, and interpretations of international and domestic law and policy that enables the Combined Force to act together lawfully, coherently, effectively and efficiently to achieve tactical, operational and strategic objectives.” Smartbook, supra note 15, at A-3 (providing the three legal dimensions of interoperability); see also AJP-01, supra note 14, para. 3.65 (“Technical interoperability concerns systems and equipment, such as communication and information systems, and their ability to operate together. Procedural interoperability is based on measures such as a common doctrine, procedures and terminology. Human Interoperability concerns mutual trust and understanding achieved by strengthening relationships in training and on operations”); see also Colonel Matthew A. Kopetski & Lieutenant Colonel Grzegorz Janiszewski, Strengthening Legal Interoperability: The Urgent Need to Sustain Mil-to-Mil Legal Engagements Across NATO, Army. Law., no. 1, 2026, at 37 (discussing legal interoperability and its application at length and offering a framework for its assessment).
17. Legal technical interoperability “addresses the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the legal network hardware, services, and applications that support the exchange of data and information between allies.” Smartbook, supra note 15, para. 1-27.
18. Specialist Hector Blanco, V Corps Validates the Future of European Defense During Warfighter Exercise 26-03, Army.mil (Apr. 7, 2026), https://www.army.mil/article/291643/v_corps_validates_the_future_of_european_defense_during_warfighter_exercise_26_03 [https://perma.cc/PFN3-TM37].
19. Id.
20. “The legal procedural dimension of interoperability addresses processes and procedures that support and organize activities among allies to minimize confusion, misunderstandings, and hesitation. It builds on trust, purpose, and unity of effort.” Smartbook, supra note 15, para. 1-26.
21. AJP-01, supra note 14, para. 3.65.
22. Smartbook, supra note 15, at A-3.
23. Blanco, supra note 18.
24. Lieutenant General Milford “Beags” Beagle, Jr., Lieutenant General Joseph B. Berger & Lieutenant Colonel Jack D. Einhorn, Lethal Force, Risk, and LSCO: Preparing for Permissive Rules of Engagement in Large-Scale Combat Operations, Mil. Rev.: Online Exclusive, Jan. 2025, at 1, 3 (citing Letter from Michael R. Weimer, Randy A. George & Christine E. Wormuth, subject: Message to the Army Team (26 Oct. 2023)).
25. Host nation (HN) refers to a friendly or neutral nation in which U.S. forces are operating. Enemy territory or states should be distinguished from HNs for this proposal.
26. NATO nations are sovereign and have defense plans that NATO and each troop contributing nation (TCN) must harmonize. AJP-01, supra note 14, para. 3.49. “All forces operating in a multinational construct have two chains of command. The first is the chain of command constructed either by the Alliance or a coalition. The other is a national chain of command that extends back to the national government of each participating military. National sovereignty can be a difficult issue ” Id.para. 4.24. In addition, each HN has its own national customs, courtesies, procedures, history, and culture that must be understood by U.S. Forces.
27. Colonel Andrew M. McKee, Mastering Multinational Integration with a Winning Mindset, Army. Law., no. 1, 2025, at 2.
28. Id. at 3.
29. COL McKee offered three traits that members of the JAG Corps can adopt to successfully approach multinational integration: openness, humility, and fearlessness. Id. at 3–4. “Approaching the multinational environment with a full awareness of one’s knowledge gaps and a willingness to learn from others regardless of expertise in other legal domains will prevent alienating allies and contribute to building comfort and trust.” Id. at 3.
30. “[The] broad policy for Europe should prioritize . . . [e]nabling Europe to stand on its own feet and operate as a group of aligned sovereign nations, including by taking primary responsibility for its own defense ” The White House, National Security Strategy of the United States of America 27 (Nov. 2025). “Our NATO allies are therefore strongly positioned to take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense.” U.S. Dep’t of War, 2026 NDS: National Defense Strategy 11 (23 Jan. 2026).
31. In the NATO context, this is done under the Transfer of Authority (TOA) process. See N. Atl. Treaty Org. [NATO], Allied Joint Doctrine for the Conduct of Operations, AJP-3 (ed. D, ver. 1, Aug. 2025).
32. During WFX 26-3, when one significant event regarding a potential enemy LOAC violation occurred, the embedded Polish LEGAD directly contacted his counterpart at the Polish Division and, within minutes, helped us understand the status of the event and how it was being processed.
33. The U.S. team member embedded with the Lithuanian unit was not only a liaison for the legal team but also for the V Corps staff. During WFX 26-3, a legal issue that demanded a complete picture of the supply constraints faced by the Lithuanian unit was accurately resolved in a timely manner based on the information the Lithuanian Division provided through the embedded personnel to the V Corps staff.
34. Leadership Sends, supra note 5 (“The Strategy provides a blueprint for how we will continuously transform to maintain a total legal force postured and prepared to deliver timely expert legal advice and services to the Army The Strategy is informed by a comprehensive analysis of the critical areas where we must innovate and adapt to best enhance lethality through principled legal support to the Army during large-scale combat operations.”).
Author
LTC Hurd is the Chief of National Security Law for V Corps with headquarters at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Camp Kościuszko in Poznań, Poland.