FLORA DARPINO serves as the 39th Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army and is the first woman to hold that position since the first Judge Advocate General was appointed by George Washington in 1775. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University in New Jersey, and a Master of Laws degree in Military Law from The Judge Advocate General’s School. Her military education includes the Senior Service College Fellowship (Department of Justice), the Army Command and General Staff College, the Judge Advocate Officer Graduate Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course.

On 3 September 2013, she was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and began serving as the U.S. Army’s senior military attorney. In that capacity, she leads over 10,000 legal professionals in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps at over 100 active and reserve Army legal offices across the U.S. and overseas. Lieutenant General Darpino has served with distinction in a variety of operational and staff assignments to include two tours to the combat theater of Iraq. She has also commanded the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, which is the only ABA accredited military law school with an LLM program.

Throughout her career, Lieutenant General Darpino has focused on mentorship and professional development. She now leads a Corps that takes pride in the character, competence, and commitment of its members.

Lieutenant General Darpino has been recognized for her professional leadership by numerous organizations, to include the Women’s Bar Association for the District of Columbia with the Woman Lawyer of the Year Award, 2016; the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Presidential Achievement Award, 2015; the American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Lawyers of Achievement Award, 2015; and the Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship ‘First’ Award, 2015.

Lieutenant General Darpino is married with two daughters.