Dr. Douglas L. Simon
Military Background
Colonel Douglas L. Simon has 35 years of military service. He currently serves as a Deputy Legal Counsel at United States Strategic Command holding the rank of colonel. With his military service, Colonel Simon’s career began in 1989 when he enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard in 1989 as a Cannon Crewmember with the 1/151st Field Artillery. He served in field artillery until February of 2000 when he received his direct commission into the Judge Advocate General Corps as a First Lieutenant.
Colonel Simon’s notable assignments include: Staff Judge Advocate for the State of Minnesota from 2015 to 2023; Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the 34th Infantry Division from 2012-2015; Command Judge Advocate for the 347th Regional Support Group from 2010-2012; Brigade Judge Advocate for the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade from 2006-2009; and Operational Law Attorney for the 34th Infantry Division.
Colonel Simon deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2003 with the 34th Infantry Division, which contributed to Operation Joint Forge SFOR 14, a mission operating near Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Colonel Simon also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008-2009, where he served as the Brigade Judge Advocate for the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade, located at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
Colonel Simon mobilized with the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2020 in support of civil disturbance operations resulting from aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In addition, Colonel Simon mobilized with the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2021 in support of Operation Safety Net (OSN), an interagency security mission prepared to address civil unrest associated with the trial of Derek Chauvin.
Colonel Simon’s professional military education includes graduate of the Army War College Fellowship Program in 2020, where he studied at the University of Texas Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs. While there, he studied law and policy within the fields of cyber and national security law. Colonel Simon received his Master’s in Law (LL.M) with a specialization in Military Law from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. He is also a graduate of the Command General Staff College Intermediate Level Education and a graduate of the Judge Advocate Officer Basic Course.