“Yes, Your Honor,” I said.
“And…” She paused, reading the line again. “It says here you are currently stationed at Fort Belvoir?”
“Yes, Your Honor. I am currently on leave to handle this family matter.”
“And your rank is…” Judge Halloway paused again. She looked at me, really looked at me, seeing past the plain suit for the first time. “Major?”
“Yes, Your Honor. Major Elena Vance.”
My father let out a confused scoff. “Major? Major of what? The Salvation Army?”
Judge Halloway ignored him. She continued reading. “And your MOS… your job specialty…”
She stopped. She looked at Mr. Sterling. Then she looked at my parents. Then she looked at me.
“You are JAG?”
The room fell into a dead, heavy silence.
“I am, Your Honor,” I said, my voice projecting clearly to the back of the room. I dropped the soft-spoken daughter persona. I adopted the tone I used when briefing Generals. “I am a Senior Trial Counsel for the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. I prosecute war crimes, felony fraud, and treason. I have been a practicing attorney for seven years.”
