Kansas Military Lawyer
Service members from Kansas, whether stationed at Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth, or serving in the Kansas Army National Guard or Air National Guard, face a category of legal problems that civilian attorneys almost never encounter in practice. The rules governing military discipline, disability processing, and administrative separation exist in a completely separate legal universe from state courts, and the consequences of getting that system wrong fall directly on the service member and their family. When you need a Kansas military lawyer, what you actually need is an attorney who has lived inside that system, not one who has simply read about it.
Citizen Soldier Law was built around exactly this kind of representation. Founded by veteran and retired part-time JAG attorney Thomas Roughneen, the firm has spent more than a decade focused on the legal needs of service members and veterans, including those in the National Guard and Reserve. The team brings over one hundred years of combined military service to this work, including veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a retired Army National Guard human resources NCO, and a board-certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation who participates directly in disability-related representation. That combination of legal, military, and medical knowledge is not something you assemble by chance.
Kansas has a significant military presence. The state is home to two major installations, a strong National Guard presence across dozens of communities, and a large veteran population spread from Wichita to Kansas City to smaller agricultural counties where Guard members often balance civilian careers with their military obligations. The legal challenges that emerge from Guard and Reserve service especially are ones that many civilian attorneys never see. Citizen Soldier Law handles those challenges nationally, which means Kansas service members and veterans have access to representation that matches the complexity of what they are actually facing.
Why Citizen Soldier Law Is the Right Fit for Kansas Service Members
Thomas Roughneen completed his undergraduate education at Rutgers University and earned his Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law, later adding a master’s degree in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University. More than his academic credentials, his experience as an active duty and Reserve JAG attorney is what shapes how this firm approaches military legal work. He has been inside the system that Kansas service members are now navigating, which produces a fundamentally different kind of representation than someone working from the outside.
The firm was founded in 2013 specifically to provide legal advice to injured service members going through disability processing, and that core mission remains central to what Citizen Soldier Law does. Over more than a decade of practice, the team has handled Medical Evaluation Boards, Physical Evaluation Boards, and Integrated Disability Evaluation System cases for active duty and Reserve Component members across all branches, including National Guard soldiers whose disability cases are processed in Title 10 active duty settings regardless of their component. For Kansas Guard members who may feel uncertain about how that process works or why their case is being handled under active duty rules, the firm’s experience in explaining and navigating those mechanics is genuinely useful.
Client feedback from the firm’s history reflects consistent themes: accessibility outside normal business hours, attorneys who have personally faced what clients are now facing, and representation that takes military-specific issues seriously. The firm also includes Dr. Alice Tzeng, M.D., a board-certified physician in physical medicine and rehabilitation, whose participation on the team provides a clinical perspective that most law firms cannot offer in disability and injury-related matters.
Legal Situations Kansas Military Members Commonly Face
- Medical Evaluation Boards (MEB) and Physical Evaluation Boards (PEB): Kansas soldiers injured during service, whether on active duty at Fort Riley or while activated as National Guard members, may enter the MEB/PEB process. These boards determine whether a service member can continue serving and, if not, what disability rating applies. The distinction between DoD and VA disability ratings, and how the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) coordinates both, has significant financial consequences that deserve careful legal attention before any board proceeding.
- National Guard and Reserve Enlisted Administrative Actions: Kansas National Guard members can face involuntary separation, reduction in grade, or letters of reprimand through administrative processes that feel informal but carry lasting consequences on military records, retirement eligibility, and civilian employment. These actions happen outside of courts-martial but still require a knowledgeable response.
- National Guard and Reserve Officer Administrative Actions: Officers in the Kansas Guard face show-cause proceedings, non-selection for promotion boards, and elimination actions that can end careers built over decades of service. The procedural rules governing these actions differ meaningfully from enlisted separation processes.
- Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC): Veterans whose disability ratings are connected to combat or combat-related activities may qualify for CRSC, which allows retired pay and VA disability compensation to be received concurrently without offset. Denied CRSC applications can be appealed, and a strong initial application requires both legal and medical documentation that supports the combat nexus claim.
- Criminal Defense for Service Members: Courts-martial jurisdiction extends to Kansas service members on active duty or during periods of activation, while state criminal charges can also trigger administrative separation proceedings. The intersection of civilian criminal law and military administrative consequences is an area where representation that understands both systems matters.
- Weapons Possession Advocacy: Kansas law enforcement officers and others who have faced firearms-related legal issues, including off-duty carry rights, benefit from representation that understands both the constitutional dimensions and the professional licensing stakes of these cases.
- Discharge Upgrades and Military Records Corrections: Veterans with less-than-honorable discharges or errors in their military records face downstream consequences in VA benefits, employment, and housing. Petitions to discharge review boards and boards for correction of military records require a precise factual and legal presentation.
What Kansas Service Members Should Do When a Military Legal Problem Arises
The first and most practically important thing a Kansas service member can do when a legal issue surfaces is avoid the assumption that military channels alone will handle it adequately. JAG offices at Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth can provide some services, but they operate within command structures that create real limitations on independence, particularly in matters involving the chain of command. If your issue involves an administrative action, a disability board, or any proceeding where the institution itself is a party, civilian legal representation gives you an advocate whose only obligation runs to you.
For Medical Evaluation Board cases, timing matters considerably. Once a service member enters the MEB process, they typically have defined timeframes within which to respond to findings, request formal boards, or submit additional medical evidence. These windows do not extend because a service member was unaware of them. Gathering complete medical records, both military treatment facility records and any civilian treatment documentation, should happen as early as possible. Dr. Tzeng’s participation in cases handled by Citizen Soldier Law means that the medical evidence in a disability case is reviewed by a clinician who understands both the medical standards and the legal framework for how those findings translate into ratings.
For administrative actions, the mistake most service members make is waiting until a board proceeding is actually scheduled before seeking help. By that point, the factual record has often already been shaped in ways that are difficult to reverse. Responding to a reprimand, a referred evaluation, or an adverse personnel action at the earliest stage gives the attorney more room to work with. Kansas Guard members facing state-level administrative actions should also understand that while the Kansas Adjutant General’s office administers Guard personnel actions, many of the underlying federal regulations still govern the substantive standards that apply.
For discharge upgrade requests, the relevant body depends on how long ago the discharge occurred and what branch issued it. The Army Discharge Review Board and the Army Board for Correction of Military Records handle different timeframes and different categories of errors. Preparing a compelling case for either body requires a thorough understanding of the service member’s record, the circumstances surrounding the discharge, and how policy changes, including those affecting mental health diagnoses connected to combat service, may provide grounds for relief that did not exist at the time of discharge.
The Guard and Reserve Challenge That Most Lawyers Miss
Something that distinguishes Citizen Soldier Law’s perspective from firms that occasionally handle military cases is a genuine understanding of the unique legal position Guard and Reserve members occupy. Active duty service members exist within a clear command and legal structure. Guard and Reserve members, by contrast, move between state and federal authority depending on their activation status, and that jurisdictional complexity creates real gaps in how their legal rights are protected.
A Kansas Army National Guard soldier who is injured while federally activated enters the IDES process under Title 10, meaning their disability case is processed under active duty rules even though they will return to Guard status if they recover. If they are separated with a disability rating, the long-term VA and retirement benefit calculation depends heavily on what findings came out of that MEB and PEB process. Most civilian attorneys, and some JAG officers, do not have experience with how these processes actually run for Reserve Component members. Citizen Soldier Law has built its practice around exactly this population.
The firm is also attentive to the practical reality that Kansas Guard members often have civilian jobs, families, and community obligations that complicate their ability to engage with a legal process that was designed around full-time soldiers. Representation that can communicate clearly, move at the pace required by the actual deadlines, and be reached outside of standard business hours is not a luxury for someone in that situation. It is a basic requirement of effective representation.
Questions Kansas Veterans and Service Members Ask About Military Legal Representation
Can a civilian attorney actually represent me in an MEB or PEB proceeding?
Yes. Service members going through the Medical Evaluation Board and Physical Evaluation Board process have the right to retain civilian counsel to assist them. Your assigned military counsel, if any, does not preclude you from also working with a civilian attorney. In practice, many service members find that civilian counsel who specialize in this area provide a more focused and independent representation than what is available through the JAG system.
I am a Kansas National Guard member. Does Citizen Soldier Law handle Guard cases specifically?
Guard and Reserve representation is a central part of what Citizen Soldier Law does, not a peripheral service. The firm was founded by National Guard veterans, and its team includes attorneys and staff with direct experience navigating the federal and state jurisdictional issues that arise specifically for Guard and Reserve members. Kansas Guard members are welcome to reach out regardless of their current activation status or the branch under which they serve.
What does CRSC mean, and how do I know if I qualify?
Combat-Related Special Compensation allows certain retired veterans to receive both retired pay and VA disability compensation without the traditional offset that otherwise applies. To qualify, you must be a retired service member with a VA disability rating connected to a combat-related condition. The application goes through your branch service rather than the VA, and it requires documentation establishing the combat nexus, meaning the connection between your disability and combat, a simulated combat activity, an instrumentality of war, or a hazardous duty. Denial is common when this documentation is incomplete, and appeals are available.
How does the military disability rating differ from the VA disability rating, and why does it matter?
The Department of Defense assigns a disability rating through the PEB process that determines whether you are separated or retired and at what percentage. The VA separately assigns its own rating based on a broader evaluation of all service-connected conditions. The IDES process was designed to align these two ratings, but discrepancies still occur, and the DoD rating has direct consequences for retirement eligibility and the type of separation you receive. Understanding both ratings and how they interact is important for calculating what benefits you will actually receive long-term.
I received a reprimand in my official military personnel file. What can I realistically do about it?
Letters of reprimand placed in an official military personnel file (OMPF) can be removed or transferred to the restricted section through an appeal to the appropriate Soldier Record Brief and personnel file board. The standard for removal generally requires demonstrating that the reprimand was unjust, disproportionate, or based on inaccurate information. These appeals are not guaranteed to succeed, but they are worth pursuing when the underlying facts support a challenge, particularly when the reprimand is affecting promotion opportunities or assignment eligibility.
My discharge was issued years ago. Is it too late to seek an upgrade?
The answer depends on the type of review you are seeking. Discharge Review Boards typically have a fifteen-year application window from the date of discharge. Boards for Correction of Military Records can consider applications outside that window in cases of error or injustice, and there is some flexibility built into the system for circumstances involving mental health conditions diagnosed after separation. The strength of any application depends on building a thorough record, so earlier action generally produces better results, but it is not the case that older discharges are automatically unreachable.
Can a court-martial conviction affect my civilian professional license in Kansas?
Yes, and the consequences can be significant. Kansas licensing boards for professions such as nursing, medicine, law, engineering, and teaching have their own standards for how criminal convictions, including court-martial convictions, are evaluated in licensing decisions. A conviction that might not result in revocation for one profession could be disqualifying for another. This is an important reason why military criminal defense and civilian consequence analysis need to happen in coordination, not in silos.
What happens to my VA benefits if I accept a medical separation with a disability rating below 30 percent?
A service member separated with a DoD disability rating below 30 percent does not qualify for military disability retirement, but may receive a one-time severance payment. That severance is subject to recoupment from future VA disability compensation payments, meaning the VA will withhold compensation until the severance amount has been offset. Understanding this before accepting any separation finding, rather than after, is critical to making an informed decision about whether to request a formal board hearing to challenge the rating.
Does Citizen Soldier Law handle cases outside New Jersey?
Yes. Military and disability matters are handled nationally. The IDES and PEB processes, discharge review proceedings, CRSC applications, and administrative separation boards are governed by federal regulations and DoD directives that apply regardless of where a service member is located or which installation they are assigned to. Kansas service members and veterans can work with the firm without being limited by geographic boundaries.
What should I bring to an initial conversation with a military lawyer?
Useful documents to have available include your complete military personnel records if accessible, any written notices or orders related to the proceeding at issue, medical treatment records from both military and civilian providers, any correspondence from your command or the relevant board, and your most recent evaluation reports or performance records. You do not need to have all of these gathered before making initial contact. The first conversation is as much about understanding your situation as it is about reviewing documents.
Kansas Military Legal Representation Across the State
Citizen Soldier Law handles military and veteran legal matters for service members and their families across Kansas. The firm works with clients in the Wichita area, including surrounding communities in Sedgwick County and the neighboring counties of Butler, Harvey, and Reno. Kansas City area clients, including those in Johnson County, Wyandotte County, and the communities of Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, and Shawnee, are well within the firm’s reach. The firm also serves service members and veterans in Topeka and the surrounding Shawnee County area, where the Kansas Adjutant General’s office is located and where many Guard administrative matters are processed.
Fort Riley, located in the Manhattan and Junction City area, is a central hub for Kansas active duty service members, and Citizen Soldier Law’s IDES and MEB representation extends fully to soldiers assigned there. Fort Leavenworth, home to the Command and General Staff College and a substantial active duty population, is another installation whose service members and families can call on the firm. Beyond these population centers, the firm works with Guard members and veterans in communities across central and western Kansas, including Salina, Hutchinson, Hays, Garden City, Dodge City, Liberal, and Emporia. Military service does not follow county lines, and neither does the firm’s willingness to assist.
Speak With a Kansas Military Attorney at Citizen Soldier Law
Whether you are at the beginning of an MEB process, facing an administrative separation you believe is unjust, or trying to understand what options exist for a discharge that has been affecting your life for years, a Kansas military attorney from Citizen Soldier Law can give you a clear picture of where you stand and what comes next. The firm has spent more than a decade focused on exactly these situations, built by veterans who have personal experience with the system you are navigating.
Citizen Soldier Law does not operate on a nine-to-five schedule because military legal problems do not follow one either. Call the office directly at any time to speak with someone who understands what you are facing and can help you figure out your next step with honesty and substantive knowledge behind every answer.
