Washtenaw County 14A District Court Magistrate Camille Horne is heading for five months of National Guard training.
By Frank Weir
Legal News
An inner call to expand her legal horizons and to serve others inspired Washtenaw County 14 A District Court Magistrate Camille Horne to join the Army National Guard.
In a process that began in 2008, Horne was commissioned as a first lieutenant last September and has been drilling monthly with the 177th MP BDE, a military police unit in Taylor, since her commissioning.
But at the end of this month, she will be taking a five-month leave of absence to complete officer’s training in Virginia and Georgia.
“I have a lot of family members who were in the service,” Horne said. “My dad served in the Korean War and some of my uncles have served. But my impetus to serve was to learn more about the military aspects of the practice of law and to see where I could be of greater service.
“I’m really enjoying the one-on-one counseling I am experiencing in Taylor each month and I hope to have more involvement advising command staff and participating in strategic planning as I proceed through my eight-year enlistment,” she said.
In addition to drilling monthly, Army National Guard members are subject to deploy during their term of enlistment.
During such deployments, “you assist the unit that you are deployed with by analyzing military justice issues and sorting out various legal complexities relative to operational law, international law and criminal law.
“Military law encompasses a vast array of legal resources. In addition, there are political nuances to the application of the law during times of war and peace which can compound even the most basic issues.”
She added that thus far, she has met more female enlisted soldiers than female officers.
“I’m sure that as my military career continues and expands, I will meet more female officers, and I really am excited about being a part of female leadership in the Army because it is important to mentor and support female soldiers.”
Horne added that in the next five months, she will spend three months at the University of Virginia Law School “learning how to be an Army lawyer” and receiving extensive instruction in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which is the foundation of military law in the U.S., she noted.
After that, she will spend six weeks in basic officer leadership training at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
“That will be the part where I learn to be a soldier.”
Horne said that in her absence, the court’s three judges, Tabbey, Simpson, Conlin, and Magistrate Truesdell, will handle her caseload.
Horne’s current judicial coordinator and court recorder, Harmony Wiseman, will remain in place and is ready to field any questions in the Magistrate’s absence.
Wiseman noted that, “I will miss Magistrate Horne during her military leave of absence, because the two of us have worked together for nearly five years; however, I am excited about being in the new 14 A Court once Magistrate Horne returns in November 2010.”
Judge J. Cedric Simpson, with whom Horne shares court space at the Service Center and camaraderie, said that he has “mixed feelings about Camille leaving but I’m extraordinarily proud of her for doing this.
“I have great empathy for those willing to serve and I am mindful of the fact that every day people are willing to sacrifice so that all the rights afforded to us in the courtroom remain intact. I consider it a blessing having been here with Camille and Harmony for five years now.
“It’ll be difficult for the court to function in her absence but we’ll find a way to make it happen. We will be awaiting her return in November and at that point, we’ll be back to normal operations.”
Horne concluded that she regrets not being available for the grand opening of the new 14 A District Court facility on July 16 but will enjoy coming back in November to the new facility.
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