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April 8, 2016 SPOTLIGHT Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
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IMA goes from throwing dice to giving legal advice
A casino worker huddled behind “I knew what I was walking and was accepted into Arizona Tech. Sgt. Louis Vega
a craps table pondering a life of into,” Freeland said. “It seemed State University’s Sandra Day
rolled snake eyes while a gunman like it would be challenging and O’Connor College of Law, he was Being an individual mobilization augmentee has allowed Tech. Sgt.
aimed at gamblers on a Missis- interesting, always changing, and able to continue his education on Wayne Freeland the freedom he needs to complete law school.
sippi riverboat in January of 2001. I would have a chance to feel like a full-time basis.
I actually made a difference by civilian sector. He said being an on a casino table used what the
It was 15 years ago when now coming to work each day. I made “Before joining the Reserve, I Air Force paralegal paved the road Air Force offers to land himself
Tech. Sgt. Wayne Freeland, 56th a great choice.” was attending night school, which for him to attain his goals and will in a courtroom where clients will
Fighter Wing paralegal, found meant I often left the office before enhance his future career. look to him for a different kind of
himself listening in fear to gun- In 2009, Freeland deployed my Airmen,” he said. “I felt like favorable outcome.
fire and considering how his life to Iraq where he assisted in I was putting my goals above “Grueling hours, attention to
accomplishments would later be investigating and prosecuting the mission. I needed to choose detail, critical thinking, multitask- For more information about how
described to his infant son. war criminals. This resulted in whether I wanted to be a military ing and public speaking are things to cross-train or join the Air Force
the discovery of more than 2,000 paralegal or an attorney.” Air Force paralegals do nearly ev- Reserve as a paralegal, call Se-
“Even a bricklayer can point to witnesses of war crimes, which ery day,” Freeland said. “All of this nior Master Sgt. Penny Thornton
a building and tell his children he reduced the risk to investigators Freeland chose the Reserve’s in- brings confidence and the ability at 478-327-0469 or via email at
helped build that,” Freeland said. in the field. dividual mobilization augmentee to think quickly.” penny.thornton@us.af.mil.
“If I died that night, what had I program because it allowed more
accomplished or done for my son? “That shaped who I am today flexibility in his busy schedule. The man who once threw dice Courtesy of af.mil
I knew I was capable of more; I because I learned of the horrible
knew I wasn’t going to grow while things people do to one another in “Being a law student, I am
living inside my comfort zone.” a region that can be very violent,” swamped. If I’m not in class, my
he said. “It was some of the most mind still is,” Freeland said. “Be-
After carefully considering mul- important work I have ever done. ing able to schedule my Reserve
tiple military options, Freeland At least some of those people time to fall between semesters or
decided the active-duty Air Force were put to death before we re- during spring breaks is a bless-
would provide the fulfilment he deployed. I truly believe we saved ing.”
was looking for and chose to be- lives by stopping these people.”
come the third generation of his Freeland said the traditional
family to serve as an Airman. With three enlistments and two Reserve program might have also
deployments under his belt, in worked for him, but there was
“Initially I came in as a com- 2014 Freeland wanted to devote the possibility of wing schedules
puter networking specialist, but himself to law school to become conflicting with studies and finals.
five years later I was promoted to an attorney. Taking advantage
staff sergeant as a first-term Air- of the Palace Front program, he “The best thing about the IMA
man in a career field that was 130 separated from active-duty and program is I worked as an active-
percent manned,” he said. “I was transitioned to the Air Force duty paralegal here in the Luke
bored with computers and figured Reserve. legal office, and now I’m able to
if I was going to stay in, I wanted maintain the relationships I’ve
to do something else.” “I love being a paralegal in built with the same people on a
the Air Force, but after spending part-time basis,” Freeland said. “A
After discussing his curiosity many late nights preparing cases part of me feels like I am coming
about a career in the legal field for attorneys, I began to envy home when I return for duty.”
with his sister-in-law, who was them,” he said. “I wanted to be
serving as an Air Force paralegal, the one arguing in court.” Freeland is scheduled to gradu-
he decided to begin the interview ate from law school in May and
process at the base legal office in Freeland said once he separated plans to continue his Air Force
2006. from the active-duty Air Force career as a paralegal while prac-
ticing law as an attorney in the
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