5 MAY 1950: President Harry Truman signed the Military Justice Act of 1950, establishing the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Drafted by a working group comprised of both civilian and military attorneys, the bill called for the creation of a single system of justice for all members of the United States Armed Forces. The resulting changes to military justice not only increased the JAG Department’s workload, but also required massive training efforts to familiarize judge advocates with the new procedures and Manual for Courts-Martial. Major General Reginald C. Harmon, Air Force TJAG, did not support the changes and remained critical of the UCMJ throughout his career. In a 1952 address to the Judge Advocates Association, General Harmon likened the effects of the UCMJ to “a train being pulled too far down a track by too much momentum, unable to stop when needed.”
Source: Mr. Wade Scrogham, AF JAG Corps Historian
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