ROSELAND, N.J./October 26, 2011 -- Connell Foley associate and Navy Reservist Douglas J. Short recently completed a year-long tour with the Navy’s Air and Missile Defense Command in Dahlgren, V.A.
Lt. Cmdr. Doug Short served as the command’s first staff judge advocate and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for tackling a number of high-profile missile defense issues.
“Doug was an invaluable member of our team and played a critical role in standing up our nascent legal office,” said Rear Adm. M. Stewart O’Bryan, NAMDC commander. “During his tour, he provided sage legal advice on a broad range of issues from international treaties to host nation agreements.”
NAMDC’s primary mission is to provide integrated air and missile defense support to U.S. Navy ships protecting the United States and its allies from missile attack. This mission is expanding exponentially with new systems being fielded in numerous countries to counter the ever-expanding threat from missile attack.
“We at Connell Foley are very proud of Doug’s accomplishments and honored to support his endeavors with the Navy,” said Michael X. McBride, Managing Partner. “His Navy experience brings unique skills to the firm, but more important, his work with the Navy supports the much larger issues of protecting our nation.”
As the first JAG for NAMDC, Short stood-up the legal office to advise the command in international law, operational law, and ethics. He also supported the Navy Ballistic Missile Defense Enterprise Review Board, which develops issue, assesses potential solutions, and makes recommendations to the chief of Naval operations in support of the president's European Phased Adaptive Approach. EPAA is a program designed to field proven missile technology to European allies to counter a ballistic missile attack.
During the highly publicized first phase of EPAA, Short provided legal analysis of issues affecting potential ship operating areas under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea and Montreux Convention, the treaty regulating non-Black Sea navies operating within the Black Sea. The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia, and the Caucasus.
He also provided subject matter expertise during the ongoing negotiations of the missile defense agreements with Romania and Poland by analyzing treaties and host-nation agreements and ensuring that future naval operations and commitments comply with international law.
Short joined the Navy in 2000 and transferred to the Navy reserve in 2005. He has an MBA from Salisbury State and graduated from Widener School of Law in 2000. He resides in West Orange, N.J., with his wife Laura and two children, Campbell and Eliza.
