After 30 years of service, Mr. Bandas retired as a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served in a variety of senior military legal assignments (i.e., Assistant Magistrate Judge, Staff Judge Advocate, AC/RC Integration Officer, Senior Projects Officer, Senior Legal Advisor, Senior Clients Officer, Operations Law Attorney, etc.) which required the provision of principled and responsive legal advice in the fields of criminal law, personnel law, administrative law, ethics, and operational law.

Mr. Bandas often represents current and retired members of the Armed Forces in general courts-martial proceedings, contested military tribunals, adverse non-judicial personnel actions and quasi-judicial administrative investigations commissioned under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice and military services administrative regulations. He has successfully represented numerous Soldiers and other members of the US Armed Forces in criminal and non-judicial administrative actions, such as, Commanders’ Inquiries, Board of Officers, Administrative Investigation, Inspector General Complaints, Congressional Complaints, General Officer Memoranda of Reprimands, Letters of Reprimand and Admonishment, Relief for Cause from Command, and Referred Officer Evaluation Reports. Mr. Bandas’ vast experience and dexterity
in the unique field of military law consistently delivers value-added legal representation to clients from diverse military backgrounds who potentially face confinement, dishonorable or bad conduct discharge, suspension of favorable action (otherwise known as flagging actions), and other forms of punishment.

In 2010, Mr. Bandas deployed to the Republic of Afghanistan where he served as Senior US Army Legal Mentor with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In this assignment, he provided comprehensive training to Afghan National Army (ANA) judges, prosecutors, and defense counsels in the rule of law and in the fields of criminal law and procedure, evidence, and trial advocacy with a view
towards developing a comprehensive, mature, and self-sustaining adversarial judicial system. He also served as investigating officer in actions involving criminal activity.

In 1996, Mr. Bandas served as an instructor in the areas of evidence, criminal law procedure, constitutional law, and jury trial litigation techniques in support of the Expanded International Military Education and Training (EIMET) Program. This was a comprehensive training designed to assist Venezuelan Armed Forces judges, trial counsels, and defense counsels establish a new adversarial judicial system.