Originally published on October 13, 2022.
Not your average attorney, CDR Garrett Snow is a member of the U.S. Navy's prestigious Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. His unique career has afforded him amazing experiences that now have him stationed in Naples, Italy, as the Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) for the commanding officer in the European, African, and Central regions.
“Being the SJA requires me to be the legal advisor to the commander, a two-star admiral. My command is responsible for supporting all ashore and afloat naval forces in Europe, Africa and the Middle East; from Finland to Africa,” he says. “It provides a colorful amount of diversity in law and culture. Finding a way to get to the answer ’yes’ legally and ethically is very rewarding and keeps me on my toes.”
Before being stationed in Italy, Garrett served in Norfolk, Virginia, as the JAG onboard an aircraft carrier, at the Pentagon, in Southern California, and a three-year tour in Yokosuka, Japan. He has been flown by helicopter from ship-to-ship to draft wills for underway sailors, traveled to Sierra Leone to train fledgling members of the JAG Corps, and counseled teams in Dubai as they work with international partners. He says it has been a “fascinating ride.”
The legal topics Garrett handles are as diverse as the geography he oversees. For example, in a two-week period of time earlier this year, he blocked an Italian court order to seize goods, handled an alleged shooting of a stray dog incident in an African airport, supported prosecution for a murder in Belgium, and ensured construction projects in Greece were in accordance with international law.
“Most poignant and new to me in the last two years have been the large amount of public health laws as countries across the world institute various and ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions,” he says. “My fingerprints can be seen on many lasting historic events that have been uniquely available to me and my family through the Navy. As my career progresses, I gain insight to the global and national impact the rule of law can have on all our lives around the world.”
As an SUU student, Garrett majored in economics and was drawn to campus for the outdoors and the incredible faculty. He always felt that the University had his best interests at heart.
“I always felt that SUU valued the ‘whole person,’” he says. “That life was more than just a pay stub. It sounds obvious now, but my eyes were really opened up to this at SUU.”
Professors David Tufte and Kim Craft, along with faculty member Pam Branin, were the most influential people during his time at SUU. They sparked his interest in economics and service, and developed his critical thinking that he uses today in developing creative solutions to the complex problems he faces in his work. Garrett also met his wife Dayna here and they both graduated in 2003.
“My wife and I found that some of our best times as a couple were spent being poor college students diving into all that SUU offered inside and outside the classroom,” he says. “Maybe that’s a bit cheesy, but we really loved our time here.”
Garrett and Dayna are the parents of four boys, who Garrett says bring immense joy to his life.
