Joseph B. Berger III
Joseph B. Berger III | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Born | c. 1970 (age 54–55) |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1992–2025 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | Judge Advocate General of the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School United States Army Legal Services Agency |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit (5) Bronze Star Medal (4) |
Joseph B. Berger III is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who last served as the 42nd Judge Advocate General of the United States Army from 15 July 2024 to 21 February 2025. He had previously served as the Deputy Judge Advocate General of the United States Army and had served as the commanding general and commandant of the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School. He also previously served as the senior legal advisor for the Joint Special Operations Command, the U.S. Army Cyber Command, and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. [1][2][3]
In May 2024, Berger was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and assignment as the 42d Judge Advocate General of the United States Army.[4]
In February 2025 Berger was dismissed from his post without notice by the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, along with the Judge Advocate General of the U.S Air Force, Lt.Gen Charles L. Plummer. Berger's dismissal was part of a broader removal of senior U.S. Military officers by the Second Trump administration referred to as the "Friday Night Massacre."[5][6]
On Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's personal recommendation, on June 30, 2025, President Trump personally approved Berger's retirement as a Lieutenant General, finding his firing involved "exceptional or unusual circumstances" and that "no potentially adverse or adverse" information existed.[7]
References
- ^ "Profile - Lieber Institute West Point". Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Deputy Judge Advocate General U.S. Army Major General Joseph B. Berger III" (PDF). jagcnet.army.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Major General Joseph B. Berger III - General Officer Management Office". www.gomo.army.mil.
- ^ "PN1810 — Maj. Gen. Joseph B. Berger III — Army". U.S. Congress. 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Hegseth says he fired the top military lawyers because they weren't well suited for the jobs". Yahoo News. 25 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ Toropin, Thomas Novelly,Konstantin (24 February 2025). "'People Are Very Scared': Trump Administration Purge of JAG Officers Raises Legal, Ethical Fears". Military.com. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Memorandum from Secretary of Defense to the President of the United States of America, dated April 25, 2025" (Document). Office of the Secretary of Defense.
External links
- Media related to Joseph B. Berger III at Wikimedia Commons