Lt. Col. Chris Ford

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Lt. Col. Chris Ford (US Army) is a military professor at the US Naval War College’s Stockton Center for the Study of International Law.

Entering Active Duty service in January, 2003, Lt. Col. Ford attended the Judge Advocate General’s Corps Officer Basic Couse in Fort Lee, Virginia and Charlottesville, Virginia. In March 2003, he reported for duty at the 1^st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood Texas. While assigned to the 1^st Cavalry Division, Lt. Col. Ford served as a Legal Assistance Attorney, Administrative Law Attorney, and Operational Law Attorney. During this time, Lt. Col. Ford served on the Division’s plans staff, planning the Division’s deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From March 2004 through March 2005, Lt. Col. Ford was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq where he served as a Brigade Judge Advocate for the 5^th Brigade Combat Team. From 2005 through 2008, Lt. Col. Ford served as an Assistant Professor at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point). From 2006-2008, Lt. Col. Ford also served as the Executive Officer for the Department of Law. Lt. Col. Ford’s next assignment was as a Defense Attorney assigned to the Trial Defense Service, Fort Carson, Colorado.

In 2010, Lt. Col. Ford earned a Masters of Law Degree in Military Law, with an International and Operational Law specialty, from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, Charlottesville Virginia. From 2010 through 2012, he was assigned as the Group Judge Advocate for the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). During this period of time, Lt. Col. Ford deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Philippines) where he served as the Legal Advisor to the Joint Special Operations Task Force (Philippines). He was then assigned as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 7^th Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Lt. Col. Ford was then assigned to the Mission Command Training Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he acted as an observer, controller, trainer in the U.S. Army’s war gaming program.

Lt. Col. Ford’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Volunteer Medal, the U.S. Army Air Assault Badge, the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge, Royal Canadian Army Parachutist Badge, and the Australian Army Parachutist Badge.

Lt. Col. Ford attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in 1999. He then graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2002.