May 12, 2025 • 4 mins
James Buster, US Army Reserve and Judge Advocate General's Corps joins us to discuss his time in the Army Reserve and how it prepared him for his current position at Miller Johnson.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This Friday, Armed Forces Thanksgiving in year number ten. This
is Wes Michigan's Morning new Steve, Kelly, Brett, Meikita Laurence Smith,
US Army Reserve and Judge Advocate General Corps James Buster
also serves on the board of the Armed Forces Thanksgiving. James,
thank you so much for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good morning. Thanks for having me Steve.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
It is our pleasure. Thank you for your ongoing service
give us. For those that listen to the program right
now may have their head wrapped around doing their four
or six or a career in the military. How does
the reserves work.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, so it's kind of the old adage of a
weekend a month, two weeks a year at over from
unit to unit. But generally speaking, it's pretty flexible. It
allows you to serve somewhat on your own time. You
get to live in a little bit of both worlds,
which has its pros and cons. But I think there
are more pros than cons for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, but you know, you get called up. We've heard
of that. We've we've been at the airport, wave in
the flag. It's a serious milli military endeavor.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
That's absolutely true. There there's always that risk that that
might come up. And so that's why it's important to
have careful planning with you and your family and to
talk long and hard about it. But like I said,
the opportunity to serve your country is a wonderful, privileged opportunity.
What was it that made you want to continue that service? Right?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
You were still serving your country and that was very
important to you obviously.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Sure. Yeah, so you know, this country had been very
good to me and I wanted to do that right
after law schools. That's what made me join the arm
Reserved JAG Corps and that's what's kept me in for
the time being.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, do you find yourself as far as when you're
on that weekend? That mentality changes? How do you prepare
for that? You know, I look at it from a
sports mentality, like you know, getting ready for a game
or whatever. But obviously, like you said, it's two different worlds,
two different mindsets.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean, eventually you kind of get used to
it and you just kind of just kind of shift
over from thinking in a civilian way and thinking into
a military way. And really the camaraderie just just draws
you in. Right, You're ready to go do whatever the
assignment is that you need to do with your comrades,
and frankly, a lot of times it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Of fun and on the judge Jadge general's core, which
is we should just say JAG right, isn't that easier
to say that will work? Talk to us a little
bit about the service right that you give back to
those that you serve with.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Sure, So there's there's all kinds of ways that jags serve.
So some of them can be you know, in war,
there can be targeting, right, you're advising generals on what
they can and can't blow up, to put it simply,
all the way to helping soldiers prepare to deploy by
helping them do their their wills and and make those
kind of plans all the way through. If you know,
maybe a soldier unfortunately is accused of something as getting
(02:45):
in trouble representing them and courts martial and for or
before administrative board. So there's a wide variety of ways
that you can serve on the Judge General Corps.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Nobody talk about code reds. This is not time can't
handle the truth. These are movie and that's why we
do this on a weekly basis to give those high
school students that will eventually be at the Ford Museum
and then at the luncheon at the JW Aria a
real look at what the military is like. But to
that end, talk to us a little bit about how
(03:15):
your service has helped with your position at Miller Johnson.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Now, so I got to say, discipline and focus on others, right,
One of the great things about the militaries. You're focused
on a mission and you're held responsible for others, and
they hold you to a high standard. And so when
you're entrusted with clients that military service, that sense of
you know someone is relying on you, that really plays
into it. And I think that's been a big part
of my success.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
And then the time that you've been a part of
the board at the Armed Forces Thanksgiving, talk to us
a little bit about the impact as you've seen it
on everybody. It's not just the kids that get a
great education about what that American flag and what service
to it stands for all of us. Take something cool away,
absolutely agree.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I mean, you have memory of the public who get
to see some of the military vehicles up by the
Ford Museum that they may not normally see in their
in their day to day life, and then of course
all important austers that veterans get to come and get
a sense of appreciation for the service that they've had.
They get you know, a free meal, they get to
listen and remember and meet their their colleagues and be appreciated,
(04:21):
and they get to meet these young people and give
them an idea of their service and what it means
to serve. And we think that's very important.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
US Army Reserve, JAG Corp. Captain James Buster, a pleasure.
Thanks for your time today, See you Friday.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Thanks so much, sir. You have a go one
This Friday, Armed Forces Thanksgiving in year number ten. This
is Wes Michigan's Morning new Steve, Kelly, Brett, Meikita Laurence Smith,
US Army Reserve and Judge Advocate General Corps James Buster
also serves on the board of the Armed Forces Thanksgiving. James,
thank you so much for doing this today.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good morning. Thanks for having me Steve.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
It is our pleasure. Thank you for your ongoing service
give us. For those that listen to the program right
now may have their head wrapped around doing their four
or six or a career in the military. How does
the reserves work.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, so it's kind of the old adage of a
weekend a month, two weeks a year at over from
unit to unit. But generally speaking, it's pretty flexible. It
allows you to serve somewhat on your own time. You
get to live in a little bit of both worlds,
which has its pros and cons. But I think there
are more pros than cons for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, but you know, you get called up. We've heard
of that. We've we've been at the airport, wave in
the flag. It's a serious milli military endeavor.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
That's absolutely true. There there's always that risk that that
might come up. And so that's why it's important to
have careful planning with you and your family and to
talk long and hard about it. But like I said,
the opportunity to serve your country is a wonderful, privileged opportunity.
What was it that made you want to continue that service? Right?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
You were still serving your country and that was very
important to you obviously.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Sure. Yeah, so you know, this country had been very
good to me and I wanted to do that right
after law schools. That's what made me join the arm
Reserved JAG Corps and that's what's kept me in for
the time being.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, do you find yourself as far as when you're
on that weekend? That mentality changes? How do you prepare
for that? You know, I look at it from a
sports mentality, like you know, getting ready for a game
or whatever. But obviously, like you said, it's two different worlds,
two different mindsets.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean, eventually you kind of get used to
it and you just kind of just kind of shift
over from thinking in a civilian way and thinking into
a military way. And really the camaraderie just just draws
you in. Right, You're ready to go do whatever the
assignment is that you need to do with your comrades,
and frankly, a lot of times it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Of fun and on the judge Jadge general's core, which
is we should just say JAG right, isn't that easier
to say that will work? Talk to us a little
bit about the service right that you give back to
those that you serve with.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Sure, So there's there's all kinds of ways that jags serve.
So some of them can be you know, in war,
there can be targeting, right, you're advising generals on what
they can and can't blow up, to put it simply,
all the way to helping soldiers prepare to deploy by
helping them do their their wills and and make those
kind of plans all the way through. If you know,
maybe a soldier unfortunately is accused of something as getting
(02:45):
in trouble representing them and courts martial and for or
before administrative board. So there's a wide variety of ways
that you can serve on the Judge General Corps.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Nobody talk about code reds. This is not time can't
handle the truth. These are movie and that's why we
do this on a weekly basis to give those high
school students that will eventually be at the Ford Museum
and then at the luncheon at the JW Aria a
real look at what the military is like. But to
that end, talk to us a little bit about how
(03:15):
your service has helped with your position at Miller Johnson.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Now, so I got to say, discipline and focus on others, right,
One of the great things about the militaries. You're focused
on a mission and you're held responsible for others, and
they hold you to a high standard. And so when
you're entrusted with clients that military service, that sense of
you know someone is relying on you, that really plays
into it. And I think that's been a big part
of my success.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
And then the time that you've been a part of
the board at the Armed Forces Thanksgiving, talk to us
a little bit about the impact as you've seen it
on everybody. It's not just the kids that get a
great education about what that American flag and what service
to it stands for all of us. Take something cool away,
absolutely agree.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
I mean, you have memory of the public who get
to see some of the military vehicles up by the
Ford Museum that they may not normally see in their
in their day to day life, and then of course
all important austers that veterans get to come and get
a sense of appreciation for the service that they've had.
They get you know, a free meal, they get to
listen and remember and meet their their colleagues and be appreciated,
(04:21):
and they get to meet these young people and give
them an idea of their service and what it means
to serve. And we think that's very important.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
US Army Reserve, JAG Corp. Captain James Buster, a pleasure.
Thanks for your time today, See you Friday.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Thanks so much, sir. You have a go one
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