Rep. Joe Hogan Commissioned As PA Army National Guard Officer

State Rep. Joe Hogan has been commissioned as an officer in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and has joined its Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

Hogan, a Republican from Middletown Township, holds a law degree from Temple University. He said the commission fills a long-held ambition shaped by growing up around veterans and by the legacy of his late father, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who later served in the Army National Guard and earned Purple Hearts.

“It’s something I always wanted to do,” Hogan said. “Growing up around the veterans community for so long, you know, ‘I can do this, I should do it.’”

The direct-commission program gives professionals with specialized legal, medical, or technical backgrounds the ability to become officers without traditional enlisted training.

For Hogan, who is running for reelection, the competitive review and physical qualification process took about a year from his initial recruiter contact to selection.

After his commission, Hogan must complete an officer development course and legal training.

Hogan referred to the specialized coursework, which covers criminal proceedings and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, as “Army law school.”

As a JAG officer, Hogan said his responsibilities may include prosecuting or defending service members, advising commanders on rules of engagement and international law during deployments, and providing soldiers and their families with general legal assistance, such as preparing wills, reviewing contracts, and handling life insurance policies.

Hogan signed an eight-year contract with the National Guard, committing to six years of active drilling and two years in the Inactive Ready Reserve.

While standard duties require one weekend per month and two weeks annually, National Guard members can be called to active service.

“If there’s a natural disaster in Pennsylvania, you get sent to it; or if you get federalized, you go. That’s part of the contract,” Hogan said.

The lawmaker first applied to the U.S. Army Reserve but was turned away because he had not yet passed the bar exam. After passing the exam, a colleague serving in the National Guard encouraged him to reapply with the Guard.

Hogan said that while Army Reserve members can be stationed nationwide, Guard personnel typically remain in state, he said.

“It worked out that way. It made sense,” Hogan said.

He added that he was also motivated by a need for legal officers when he applied.

“If I can find a small way to help out, glad to do it,” he stated.

On his duties in the state House, Hogan said the service will have minimal impact unless he is activated under federal orders.

“When you’re deployed federally, I would be put on leave just because of the Hatch Act,” Hogan said, pointing to federal rules against political activity by government personnel. “I can’t be doing political stuff.”

For standard annual training that overlaps with legislative sessions, Hogan said he would vote remotely or take formal leave based on advice from counsel in Harrisburg.

Hogan is now one of five Pennsylvania state legislators serving in the National Guard, joining two Democrats and two other Republicans.

“My dad was in the Marine Corps, so I don’t know how happy he’d be to find out I am serving the Army,” Hogan said with a laugh, referencing his father’s Marine Corps background. “I know my mom’s definitely not happy about it.”

Hogan, a husband and father, said the choice came down to a desire to serve his state and nation in the military.

“Once I was looking at the end of law school and looking at some options, it kind of just made sense,” Hogan said. “I’m not getting any younger.”