Photo By Sarah Zaler | Ben Clancy, attorney-advisor for the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command in New...... read more read more
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NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. - The word attorney conjures up images of suit-and-tie-wearing litigators arguing their case in a courtroom. But many lawyers work behind the scenes as legal advisors, and sometimes they get to wear Hawaiian shirts.
In his first Department of Defense civilian position, Ben Clancy worked as an attorney for the U.S. Army Installation Management Command in Kwajalein Atoll, where the laid-back island vibe extended into the office attire.
A retired captain from the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, he enjoyed the slower pace of island life, like using a bicycle for transportation and forgoing neckties. But after five years, he hung up the aloha shirts and moved back to the States to be closer to family.
At his new job as attorney-advisor for the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, he quickly proved there’s nothing laid back about his work ethic.
In October, he received the Army Materiel Command Vincent J. Faggioli Achievement Award for providing outstanding legal support. It’s a prestigious award in AMC legal circles and the competition is tough, according to USASAC attorney-advisor Nancy Waldron, who nominated Clancy.
Waldron primarily handles administrative and personnel law at USASAC and, just as Clancy was starting in February 2023, she was leaving for a nine-month Civilian Expeditionary Workforce assignment overseas.
“Ben jumped in and seamlessly covered much of my work, in addition to the contract work he was primarily hired to do,” said Waldron. “We are very fortunate to have someone of Ben’s character, intelligence, and professionalism as part of our legal team.”
Clancy admits he faced a steep learning curve in the beginning and stayed quite busy. He not only had the additional workload while Waldron was away, but he was also navigating the nuances of foreign military sales and security assistance, which was new to him. He also took on a legal intern on a broadening assignment and underwent major surgery with extensive recovery time. Still, he didn’t think he was doing anything extraordinary. He just helped where needed because “it’s the right thing to do.”
Waldron, however, saw beyond Clancy’s modesty. She knew his strong, diverse legal experience was vital to the command, and his efforts were worthy of commendation.
“Ben has been a tremendous asset to USASAC, and it is important that his contributions are recognized by the AMC Command Counsel and USASAC leadership, as well as the workforce,” said Waldron. “Having him as an in-house attorney at New Cumberland, providing contract law support that we used to outsource, has been a big win for us. His duties and impact extend far beyond contracts and reach all areas of our legal practice."
Due to his selfless mindset, Clancy was not expecting to hear his name called during the AMC command counsel meeting where the awardees were announced, but he said he was pleasantly surprised.
“I’m just humbled and grateful for people thinking that way of me,” said Clancy. “It means a lot.”
Despite his long career and wealth of experience, Clancy still describes himself as a jack of all trades, master of none. He prefers to remain lowkey and work behind the scenes. He’s mild-mannered, friendly and quick to share a warm smile and sincere chat. Although he doesn’t like to draw to attention to himself, the Navy memorabilia adorning his office inevitably attracts visitors who can’t resist throwing a few Army-Navy rivalry jabs. For anyone who does stop by, ‘rival’ or not, he delights in sharing his Navy experiences and stories behind the trinkets and gifts he received during his career.
He is especially appreciative of the handwritten letter from the USASAC commanding general commending him on the Fagioli Award and values the supportiveness of the organization.
“The people are the best part of USASAC,” said Clancy. “Everybody was so welcoming from day one. I felt at home, and I’ve felt at home ever since then.”
Waldron described Clancy as an all-around positive force who genuinely cares about people and is diligent about doing the right thing. His drive to guide people on making ethical and legal decisions is why he prefers being an advisor over a litigator, though he did gain experience in court martials as a lieutenant.
“There’s different personas (in law),” said Clancy. “Litigation is fast paced. You’re on your toes all the time, it’s intense and there’s a whole flurry of activity around a trial. Some people thrive on that, but those same people may not thrive on what I do, which is providing advice. The longer I’ve been around, the more things I can advise on because I’ve gained those experiences over the years and got that under my belt.”
But Clancy didn’t always see himself as a lawyer and said his career path was not the traditional one.
“I started off in Massachusetts as a kid, and I went to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst,” said Clancy. “I wanted to be where the action was, so a short period of time after I graduated, I got into the police department in my hometown.”
After seven years, Clancy decided to go to law school. Ready for a change of scenery, he chose Memphis State University, as it was called at the time, and found an opportunity that piqued his interest.
“They had a program in law school—the Navy still does—where you could sign up to be a judge advocate,” said Clancy. “I signed up and became an ensign in the Navy Reserve.”
After graduating law school and passing the bar, he transitioned to active duty and embarked on a career that took him around the world.
As a lieutenant junior grade, he was stationed in Italy for three years. It turned out to be a formative time in his career as he received mentorship from JAG officers who invited him to come watch them litigate in court or interact with clients.
“People took me under their wing and went out of their way to help me get started in my career,” said Clancy. “That stuck in my mind, and I’ve tried to pay it forward since then.”
Other assignments took him to Japan, Afghanistan, the Pentagon, and aboard the USS Constellation. The aircraft carrier, with approximately 4,000 sailors aboard, spent time at its home port of San Diego and underway to various deployments in the Western Pacific. Clancy was the legal department head, handling issues of Sailor misconduct and advising the commanding officer on what actions to take. It was a significant responsibility, especially considering he arrived on the ship as a lieutenant, though he promoted to lieutenant commander shortly thereafter.
His two years on the Constellation also broadened his perspective beyond the typical JAG Corps duties. He learned a lot of “Fleet Navy” information as he took on tasks like making ship rounds, conducting uniform inspections, mustering working parties to unload supplies and even attending firefighting training. It was valuable experience he carries with him to this day.
“As a fledgling O-4, I paid close attention to the knowledge imparted to me by senior officers such as the commanding officer, the executive officer, the navigator, the department heads, the intelligence officer, and others,” said Clancy. “The professional knowledge and mentorship that I gained on the ship served me well for the rest of my Navy career and continues to serve me well.”
Unfortunately, Clancy carried something else with him when he left the Constellation—the weight of the unsolved murders of two Sailors who were assigned to the ship.
In 1993, Cliff Ellis and Keith Combs’ bodies were found in an undeveloped area near Interstate 805 in San Diego. It was a popular site where young people to gathered at night to drink and socialize around bonfires. They had gone there the night before and were robbed, then tragically shot and killed by two other men.
Clancy spent significant time dealing with the San Diego Police, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the next of kin, but the case eventually went cold. Clancy moved on to another assignment, but his unwavering determination to help people and do the right thing kept him involved. For 17 years, he kept in touch with the families and periodically followed up with NCIS and the police to see if there were any developments, making sure the case and the victims were not forgotten.
In 2010, two suspects were identified and arrested due to advances in DNA technology. In another selfless act, Clancy made sure the families could attend the trial by finding funding for their lodging in San Diego, as they were from Ohio and Pennsylvania. He sat with the families during the trial and watched as the murderers were sentenced to life in prison.
An ordinary, white, three-ring binder in Clancy’s office holds mementoes of the case – news clippings, photographs with the family after the sentencing and notes of appreciation for his dauntless efforts.
“It meant a lot to me that the families personally expressed their thanks to me for my support to them,” said Clancy. “Helping the next of kin immediately after the deaths as well as helping them again in 2010 when the cold case was solved were very memorable parts of my Navy career.”
After 28 years in the Navy and six years into a DoD civilian career, Clancy doesn’t intend to slow down anytime soon.
“A lot of people my age are retired and doing other things, but I like what we do (supporting the warfighter in the DoD),” said Clancy. “I still feel young at heart and physically fit, so I’m not ready to step down. I tell people I’m not ready for the rocking chair.”
Realizing the population of DoD attorneys is aging, Clancy encourages young professionals to explore the wealth of opportunities available in government law.
“Obviously as a judge advocate you can go all kinds of places, but even as a civilian lawyer there’s so many boutique areas,” said Clancy. “We have people doing intelligence law, environmental law, labor law, contract law, criminal law –we even have museum law. And of course, there’s the Reserve and National Guard as well. There’s just so many opportunities to be with the military either in uniform or as a civilian. I’m passionate about trying to support that.”
When he does retire, Clancy figures he will get involved in some sort of mentorship, charity or volunteer work – whatever keeps him out of the rocking chair.
| Date Taken: | 12.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2024 13:36 |
| Story ID: | 488249 |
| Location: | NEW CUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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