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ARNG Trial Defense Service

Mission

The Army National Guard Trial Defense Service (ARNG TDS) provides a trained and ready force of defense counsels (DC) to support the federal national defense mission and provide authorized legal defense representation for Army National Guard (NG) personnel within the 54 States and Territories.

ARNG TDS attorneys and paralegals provide a full-range of defense legal services to eligible Soldiers at no cost. These services may include:

  • Representing Soldiers at courts-martial.
  • Representing Soldiers during criminal or administrative investigations and before involuntary enlisted separation, officer elimination, or grade reduction boards.
  • Counseling Soldiers regarding Military Protective Orders (MPO), nonjudicial punishment (aka Article 15), and any other adverse administrative action taken pursuant to Army regulations.

All communications between a TDS office and a Soldier-client are strictly confidential and privileged.

ARNG TDS attorneys represent Title 32 Soldiers only; they do not represent civilian employees of the Department of Defense or the respective States or territories. In addition, ARNG TDS does not represent Soldiers in civilian judicial proceedings or charges. ARNG TDS representation is only provided to Soldiers facing adverse action within a military jurisdiction.

Locations

ARNG TDS is arrayed into eight geographical regions:

  1. Northeast Region: Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine
  2. East Region: South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and District of Columbia.
  3. Southeast Region: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
  4. Upper Midwest Region: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
  5. South Central Region: Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico.
  6. Midwest Region: Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
  7. West Region: Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and Utah.
  8. Pacific Region: California, Arizona, Guam, Nevada, and Hawaii.

To request counsel from one of these regions see: Visit U.S. Army Trial Defense Service list of states