REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – Soon to be graduated from law school and wondering what’s next, Michael Mueller found himself flipping through a magazine when he saw an ad for an internship with an Army legal office in Italy for the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. The experience he had with that internship set him on his path to a career in the Army working contract and fiscal law.
Mueller was recently recognized as an exceptional employee of Army Materiel Command and was presented with the Louis Dellamonica Award for AMC Outstanding Personnel of the Year, judged on how his initiatives measurably improved his work environment and AMC’s mission.
“I’m responsible for finding a way for the command to pay for anything from the small to the large,” he said. “I get questions that range from ‘how do we pay for refreshments in support of official events?’ to ‘how do we fund the Army’s food transformation initiative?’”
Appropriations law, which is where Mueller reigns, deals with how the government funds requirements.
“In any other area of law, you’re looking for prohibition. With appropriations, you’re not looking for prohibition, you’re looking for a specific authorization,” he explained.
Mueller was recognized for his role in support of the Army’s food transformation initiative, a huge undertaking to modernize and revolutionize how the Army delivers food to best suit Soldiers’ lifestyles and missions.
“The real goal is to provide a better experience for Soldiers, both in terms of food quality and environment,” he said. “We’ve been working within authorities that were good for the time period they were established, but we’re moving forward to a better-suited system for today’s generation of Soldiers.”
Mueller’s been involved in the initiative for over a year and says it’s subject to plenty of legal hurdles related to statutes, regulations and directives issued at all levels.
“In certain cases we can find authorities, and in some cases it really does involve an act of Congress,” he said.
He’s constantly becoming the expert to enable his client to make the best choice for their intended path forward in terms of appropriations and authorities.
“The great thing about my job is every day brings new issues. I’m constantly learning something new about the Army. What did I know about DFACs before this? Just that they served food.”
Mueller retired from the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps as a colonel in 2018 after 23 years of service and continued serving as an Army Civilian. He’s now a fiscal law attorney in AMC’s Office of Command Counsel, assigned to the G-8, and provides legal advice on a wide range of fiscal law issues. He said he still feels a strong sense of purpose in his career.
“The people, the mission, the teamwork, the sense of enabling the Army and the country to move forward,” he said. “It just feels right.”
Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, AMC’s deputy commanding general and acting commander, presented Mueller with the award in a Sept. 12 ceremony at the command’s headquarters.
The Louis Dellamonica Award was established to recognize outstanding work accomplishments that have significantly contributed to the AMC mission and overarching goals and objectives. Each year, AMC selects employees, both military and civilian, below the rank of general officer and Senior Executive Service level, who meet the established criteria.
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