Col Jack D. Spencer is the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for Air Force Reserve Command at Robins AFB, GA. He provides legal advice for civil, operational, and military justice issues for HQ AFRC, 2 DRUs, 3 NAFs, and 39 flying wings. He also oversees legal services at 9 stand-alone Reserve wings and helps manage the Category A and B programs for The Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
Colonel Spencer entered the United States Air Force through the Direct Accessions Program. He attended Commissioned Officer Training at Maxwell AFB, Alabama in 1999. While assigned to Rhein-Main Air Base, he deployed to Camp Butmir, Bosnia in support of Operation Joint Forge where he was an assistant legal advisor in charge of NATO contract reviews. Colonel Spencer later deployed to Task Force 134 in Baghdad, Iraq in 2006 where he provided advice regarding detainee operations. In 2008, Colonel Spencer served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base. Colonel Spencer most recently deployed to Combined Joint Inter-Agency Task Force 435, Kabul, Afghanistan where he served as the Chief of Detainee Operations.
Upon leaving active duty, Colonel Spencer served as a prosecutor in the Drug and Firearm Division in the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He then worked as an attorney in the Employment Law Division in the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Legal Office at Tinker Air Force Base. Colonel Spencer is an attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Atlanta, Georgia. Colonel Spencer is married to the former Mindi Goure and they have two daughters, Emilee and Abigail.
EDUCATION
1994 BA, Oklahoma Baptist University (Cum Laude)
1997 JD, University of Oklahoma College of Law
1999 Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course, Maxwell AFB, AL
2002 Squadron Officer School, Correspondence
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL
2012 Air Command and Staff College, Correspondence
2017 Air War College (Academic Distinction), Maxwell AFB, AL
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1999-November 2000, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
2. November 2000-July 2002, Director of Defense Services, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Georgia
3. July 2002-August 2002, Student, Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
4. August 2002-March 2005, Chief of Civil Law and Claims, 469 Air Base Group, Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany (October 2002-December 2002, Assistant Legal Advisor, Camp Butmir, Bosnia)
5. March 2005-November 2005, Individual Mobilization Augmentee, 469 ABG, Rhein-Main AB Germany
6. November 2005-September 2007, Individual Mobilization Augmentee Assistant Staff Judge advocate, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (March 2006-September 2006, Judge Advocate, Multi-National Force Iraq, Task Force 134 Detainee Operations, Baghdad, Iraq)
7. October 2007-December 2009, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, 507 ARW, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (June 2008-September 2008, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, 436 AW, Dover AFB, Delaware)
8. January 2010-July 2013, Staff Judge Advocate, 507 ARW, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (September 2011-August 2012, Judge Advocate, Combined Joint Inter-Agency Task Force 435, Kabul Afghanistan)
9. July 2013-July 2016, Chief of Reserve Plans and Programs, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Georgia
10. July 2016-June 2017, Student, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell, AFB, AL
11. July 2017-June 2018, Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, 22 AF, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, GA
12. June 2018-June 2020, IMA to the Staff Judge Advocate, 5 AF, Yokota AB, Japan
13. June 2020-May 2021, IMA to the Staff Judge Advocate, 15 AF, Shaw AFB, SC
14. May 2021-July 2022, Staff Judge Advocate, 22 AF, Dobbins ARB, GA
15. Aug 2022-Present, Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, HQ AFRC, Robins AFB, GA
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (4 OLC)
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal (2 OLC)
Joint Service Achievement Medal (1 OLC)
Air Force Achievement Medal
2012 AFRC Nominee for Harmon Award
2023 Judge Advocates’ Association Outstanding Career Judge Advocate (AF Reserve)
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES
Supreme Court of Oklahoma
United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
First Lieutenant March 28, 1999
Captain September 28, 1999
Major October 1, 2006
Lieutenant Colonel September 4, 2013
Colonel April 1, 2018
Current as of 12 April 2024