Local Marine awarded Bronze Star for service in Iraq

There are two kinds of Marines in Iraq: those responsible for day-to-day security, who walk patrols down dusty streets, and those who are working to secure the future of the embattled country, like Lt. Col. Steven Logan.

Last month, Logan, an Ahwatukee Foothills attorney and member of the Marine Corps Reserve, received the Bronze Star for his work in helping establish a criminal court system in Al Anbar province, the hot-spot of Iraq's Sunni Triangle.

He received the nation's fourth highest award last month in an award ceremony in Camp Lejeune, N.C.

"During the surge our main focus was to re-establish the rule of law," Logan said by telephone. "The main problem in Al Anbar is that (about) 32 judges had been murdered."

His job was as a liaison with Al Anbar's Provincial Chief Judge and to find judges who had gone into hiding and feared for their safety.

"We had to renovate a number of courts and we created the Al Anbar Criminal Court No. 18, which is the terrorist court," Logan said of his duties from July to February.

His Bronze Star citation specifically mentions Court No. 18. "Through incredible mentoring of the Provincial Chief Judge and other members of the Al Anbar Judiciary, this Court, the first terrorist court in Iraq to be convened using local judges, put Al Anbar province far ahead of all other provinces in Iraq with respect to their ability to try terrorism suspects," Logan said.

While most attorneys like Logan, who runs the white-collar section of the U.S. Attorney's office in Arizona when not serving with the Marines, use a computer and pen to conduct business, he had to balance the realities of Iraq with being an attorney.

Instead of a three-piece suit Logan wore his full combat gear and carried a weapon because the courts are a prime target of insurgents who fear losing control of the local population when an impartial judicial system takes hold.

In November Logan was present at the Al Anbar city court complex when a vehicle improvised explosive device destroyed several buildings and killed a large number of Iraqis.

But even with that, Logan said he could see the difference between his last deployment in Al Anbar province in 2004 when he said traveling through the main city, Ramadi, involved a series of rocket and small arms attacks.

"Now you have markets being set up along the sides of the roads and you can see people are taking responsibility for their community."

Contact writer: (480) 898-7914 or dmurphy@ahwatukee.com.