Ensuring the availability of legal advice to commanders

Section 806(b) of title 10, United States Code (article 6(b) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), as redesignated by section 561(a)(1) of this title, is amended— (1) by striking The assignment and inserting (1) The assignment; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) The assignment for duty of judge advocates pursuant to this subsection shall include qualified judge advocates in numbers sufficient to provide legal advice to all commanders responsible for planning and organizing military operations (including commanders of and within commands assigned to a combatant command or the United States element of the North American Aerospace Defense Command as established pursuant to sections 161 and 162 of this title) and all commanders authorized to convene courts-martial under sections 822 through 824 of this title (articles 22 through 24). The qualifications of judge advocates assigned to provide legal advice to commanders under this paragraph shall include— (A) the qualifications set forth in subsection (a)(1); and (B) any additional education, expertise, or experience determined to be necessary to fulfill the requirements of this paragraph by the Judge Advocate General of the armed force concerned, or in the case of the Marine Corps, by the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps..