United States Air Force Paralegals: Law, Order, and Excellence
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 13 Dec 2025
Today at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, a new group of Airmen completed their final requirement at the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s School— Paralegal Apprentice Course 25-005.
With that step finished, the class closed one chapter and moved into another. Less academic now. More consequential.
The ceremony reflected the profession itself— measured, restrained. Paralegals are trained for accuracy and attention to detail. At the JAG School, instruction covers military law, research, writing, and case support, but that’s only part of it. Judgment under pressure matters just as much. Most of the work happens quietly. It still shapes outcomes.
Paralegals operate at the intersection of command authority and individual rights. They help ensure decisions are properly documented, procedures followed, and outcomes grounded in law and order. When that balance holds, few people notice. When it doesn’t, everyone does.
(L-R) Colonel Shannon L. Sherwin, who serves as Commandant of The Judge Advocate General’s School at Maxwell AFB, Staff Sergeant Louis Vincent Rivera, Chief Master Sergeant Holly Bambarger (Paralegal Career Field Manager), and Chief Master Sergeant Terrell "TERRY" Mickens (Senior Enlisted Leader, The Judge Advocate General's School)
Among the graduates was Staff Sergeant Louis Rivera. For his family, the moment carried meaning well beyond the certificate itself. As a Filipino American Airman entering the Air Force legal profession, his path reflects a continuity of service shaped by family history and expectation— much like earlier generations of Filipino boxers and Pinoy immigrants who became part of the American tapestry. Watching him cross the stage was not simply a moment of pride. It felt like a continuation…Filipino and American identity in one.
Royal Air Force Base at Mildenhall (England, May 26, 2022)
“Made in the USA, Minted in the Philippines,” as one aspiring writer might say.
The keynote address was delivered by Major General Mitchel S. Neurock, who performs the duties of The Judge Advocate General, Headquarters USAF, The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
He spoke about integrity and the less visible burdens of legal service— not in slogans, but in reminders: prepare carefully, be fair, do the work right, especially when no one is watching.
Rivera family (November 3, 2024, Lakenheath AFB, England)
Louis’ wife Kirsten and their daughters, Evangeline Giselle and Eleanor Grace, now of Omaha, Nebraska were a big part of that moment.
So too with the Rivera family of San Leandro, California— parents Bethany and Emmanuel, and his brother Grant— the day also carried quiet remembrance.
His late grandparents, Hermie and Cristina Rivera, along with Grandma Frances— whose values still guide how service and duty are understood across generations— are surely beaming from up above.
For the Class of 2025, graduation did not signal completion so much as a transfer of responsibility. These Airmen and women now move on to bases around the world, where their work will support and advise JAG leaders, and help ensure the law is applied with consistency and care.
They may never draw attention to themselves, but as silent heroes, their work keeps shaping decisions and the people affected by them.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Emmanuel Rivera, RRT.
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