Lieutenant Colonel  John W. Welch, Jr

Lieutenant Colonel John W. Welch, Jr., is the Senior Legal Advisor to the NATO International Military Staff at HQ NATO in Brussels, Belgium. In this capacity, he provides legal advice and strategic guidance to the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Military Committee, the Director General of the International Military Staff, the NATO Military Committee, and the International Military Staff.

Lieutenant Colonel Welch received a direct commission as an Air Force judge advocate in October 2006 and entered active duty in March 2007. He has previously served on the Joint Staff and as a wing and deployed staff judge advocate, a deputy staff judge advocate, a senior trial counsel, an executive officer, a MAJCOM division chief, and assistant staff judge advocate.

Prior to joining the Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel Welch was a trial attorney in a private law firm, litigating bench and jury trials in the areas of torts, contracts, and real property. He is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and the Supreme Court of North Carolina.