Publication of Field Manual (FM) 3-84, Legal Support to Operations
This year, The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS) completed a two-year revision to the JAG Corps’ only doctrinal publication, FM 3-84 (previously FM 1-04).
As an Army, we define Army doctrine as fundamental principles, with supporting tasks, techniques, procedures, terms and symbols, used for the conduct of operations and as a guide for actions of operating forces, and elements of the institutional force that directly support operations in support of national objectives (ADP 1-01). Field Manual 3-84 establishes a common language for legal support to operations and provides guidance on how to provide that support.
In October 2022, the Army republished the capstone doctrinal publication, FM 3-0, Operations, describing how the Army fights and addresses challenges the United States faces between now and 2030, as well as provides a framework for Army operations, and a baseline for all future Army doctrine. The updated FM 3-0 established multidomain operations as the Army’s operational concept, with a focus on large-scale combat operations against peer adversaries who possess the capability to contest the joint force in all domains.
As the JAG Corps’ proponent for training and doctrine, TJAGLCS constantly reviews our JAG Corps doctrine for currency and conformity with other Army, multiservice, Joint, and allied doctrine, and ensures our doctrine accurately describes how our Corps provides legal support to the Army. The update to FM 3-0, the renumbering of Joint Publication 3-84, Legal Support to Operations, and changes in our Corps structure necessitated an update to our doctrine.
Key updates to FM 3-84 include: incorporating the new operational concept of multidomain operations; the Army strategic contexts; the focus on large-scale combat operations and convergence; updated doctrine on echelons from the theater to brigade; updated geographic division of the area of operations; updates to include multinational operations; our Four Constants; rules of allocation to allow Army and JAG Corps planners to determine staffing requirements to provide legal support to the Army; and updates to the National Guard structure and organization that reflect the role of full-time support attorneys and paralegals to be certified as defense investigators to assist with cases.
Field Manual 3-84 is available for download in electronic format through Army Publishing Directorate on armypubs.army.mil. I expect all members of our Corps to read through this short publication. Our doctrine provides a frame of reference, provides common professional language, and enhances operational effectiveness. Individual members of our Corps cannot effectively provide legal support unless they understand both how the Corps provides that legal support, and how our client expects support to be provided.
This publication does not address the Office of the Special Trial Counsel and how that will affect the military justice legal function. Doctrine contains validated principles and TTPs, and is built from lessons learned and the accumulated knowledge of the profession. Expect an update to FM 3-84 as the OSTC is manned, equipped, and we build the institutional knowledge to turn the concept into doctrine.
As always, we’ll meet you on the high ground!
STUART W. RISCH
Lieutenant General, USA
The Judge Advocate General
JOSEPH B. BERGER III
Major General, USA
Deputy Judge Advocate General