BIOGRAPHY

UNITED STATES NAVY

LIEUTENTANT COMMANDER CHARLES D. SWIFT

Lieutenant Commander Charles D. Swift is assigned as a defense counsel in the Office of the Chief Defense Counsel in the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Military Commissions as a Defense Counsel. He is currently detailed to represent Salim Ahmed Hamdan, who is facing trial by Military Commission.

Lieutenant Commander Swift is a 1984 graduate of the United State Naval Academy. After graduation Lieutenant Commander Swift served as the Damage Control Assistant onboard the USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), the Navigator onboard the USS Rathburne (FF-1057), and the Assistant for International Training at the Surface Warfare Department Head School. Lieutenant Commander Swift left active service to attend law school at Seattle University School (formerly the University of Puget Sound School of Law) in 1991. After graduating cum laude, he affiliated with the navy’s Judge Advocate Generals Corp and returned to active service in 1994. Lieutenant Commander Swift initial assignment as Judge Advocate was as a defense counsel and legal assistance officer at Naval Legal Service Northwest where he was selected as the Junior Officer of the Year for 1997. His next assignment was as Staff Judge Advocate and Special Assistant United States Attorney for Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico where he participated extensively in the litigation involving the Navy’s target range at Vieques, Puerto Rico. Most recently he was assigned as the Officer-in Charge of the Navy’s second largest Naval Legal Service Detachment at Naval Station Mayport , Florida, where he in addition to representing individual service members he was responsible for the oversight of the military and civilian attorneys and Legalmen assigned to his detachment. Lieutenant Commander Swift has nine years of litigation experience, six of those as a defense counsel and has represented more than 150 service members in military justice proceedings including serving as lead military counsel in more than 20 contested courts-martials. Lieutenant Commander Swift is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state of North Carolina.

He is a native of Franklin, North Carolina

Education:

1984 Bachelor of Science (History), U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

1985 Division Officers School, San Diego California

1994 Doctor of Jurisprudence, Seattle School of Law

1994 Naval Justice School Basic lawyer course

Assigments:

1985-1987 USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), Agana, Guam

1988-1990 USS Rathburne (FF-1057), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

1990-1991 Surface Warfare Department Head School, Newport Rohde Island

1995-1997 Naval Legal Service Office Northwest

1997-2000 Nava Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico

2000-2003 Naval Legal Service Detachment, Mayport, FL

2003-present Office of Military Commissions,

Personal Awards and Qualifications:

Surface Warfare Officer’s pin

Navy Commendation Medal (2 awards)

Navy Achievement Medal (6 awards)

Navy Expeditionary Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

Sea Service Ribbon (4 awards)