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As a military paralegal, Staff Sgt. Chad Darby, military justice non-commissioned officer in charge at the 16th Sustainment Brigade Judge Advocate's Legal Services Center, is experiencing a more peaceful kind of employment.

"I'm not being shot at," said the 34-year-old former infantryman from Zanesville. "I was always out on patrols. As a paralegal I don't have to worry about someone coming up on me with a satchel charge."

Instead, Darby prepares non-judicial punishment paperwork known as Article 15 under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and court-martial paperwork.

In addition to the typical duties, Darby and his fellow soldiers have found themselves performing unofficial legal assistance duties at Q-West in Iraq. They help soldiers and contractors with proxy marriages, divorces, powers of attorney, wills, notarized documents, citizenship packets, and even legal advice. The office has seen over 600 people since August 2008.

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