On today’s podcast we have an interview with Mr. Fred Borch, Professor of Legal History and Leadership at The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, and the Regimental Historian and Archivist for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. On today’s episode, Mr. Borch and MAJ Wellemeyer discuss the Ansell-Crowder controversy of 1917-1920, and its relation to the modern military justice system.

The episode begins with Mr. Borch describing the relationship between modern courts-martial and federal courts (Article 36, UCMJ), and the state of the military justice practice in 1917 under the Articles of War. He provides a historical backdrop of Major General Enoch Crowder and Brigadier General/Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Ansell, their dispute, and how the dispute put courts-martial practice onto the path to judicialization.

Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during the episode:

00:00 Episode Introduction

01:12 Modern military justice practice

02:39 The Army JAG Corps in 1917-1918

06:39 MG Enoch Crowder and BG/LTC Samuel Ansell

08:32 1917 Camp Logan Court-Martial

13:42 The Articles of War

17:20 MG Crowder’s view v. BG Ansell’s view

20:16 Result of suggested reforms

22:52 Path to judicialization/modern courts-martial practice

25:03 Book Recommendations

31:34 End of Episode

If you’re interested in learning more about some of the topics covered during this episode, we recommend the following additional reading and resources:

“The Crowder-Ansell Dispute: The Emergence of General Samuel T. Ansell” by MAJ Terry Brown

Mr. Borch’s Book Recommendations:

“Born at Reveille” by COL (RET) Russell P. Reeder
“Dorothy Must Die”; “The Wicked Will Rise”; “The Yellow Brick War” by Danielle Paige
“Cinder” by Marissa Meyer

For more information related to FCD you can follow us on Twitter @jagfcd or by visiting our webpage. If you have recommendations or suggestions about future topics or guests, please send us an email at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-tjaglcs.list.tjaglcs-doctrine@mail.mil, or you can leave us a comment by signing in below. Finally, if you like what you hear, please leave us a review on iTunes and subscribe to “Battlefield Next” on your favorite podcast app. While this is a podcast created by US Army Judge Advocates from Future Concepts Directorate, our goal is to reach other judge advocates and lawyers across the DoD, law students, and members of academia. Your reviews help make this possible.

For more information about the US Army JAG Corps, you can go here. If you’re interested in joining the Army JAG Corps, you can get more information by contacting the Judge Advocate Recruiting Office (JARO) or by visiting their webpage.

*Music by Joseph McDade

**The views expressed on the podcast are the views of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, the Army, the Department of Defense, or any other agency of the US Government.