Dennis O'Connell, of Warner, is a lieutenant colonel with the Army Space/Missile Defense Command in the Marshall Islands. Stationed on Kwajalein Atoll, O'Connell acts as the Army Commander's legal advisor, consulting with him on a daily basis, particularly in the areas of treaty and status-of-forces agreement issues, contract law and administrative law. For many years, O'Connell served as the chief legal advisor to the Commandant of the NH National Guard.

The Army's Space and Missile Defense Command operates the Ronald Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein and conducts the missile defense program, deep space tracking and other scientific activities; it uses some of the most sophisticated sensors in the world. Kwajalein's geographic location in the northern Marshall Islands, just west of the International Dateline and about eight degrees north of the equator, makes it strategically perfect for this work.

Claimed by Germany in the 19th century, Kwajalein was turned over to the jurisdiction of Japan by the League of Nations after World War I. In 1944, as they moved toward the Japanese mainland during World War II, US Army and Marine Forces liberated their first major strategic objective, Kwajalein. Then in 1986 the Republic of the Marshall Islands became independent. Under a treaty between the Islands and the United States, the US provides economic assistance and in return has jurisdiction over Kwajalein Atoll.

Lt. Col. Dennis O'Connell on Kwajalein Atoll.

Living on the Atoll is an unusual experience for Dennis and Becky his wife, and their two children, Will and Claire. The island is only about two miles long and about a half-mile wide; the airstrip takes up half the island. There are no private motor vehicles, so most people ride bicycles. The community itself consists of about 2000 people; there are 25 Army personnel and several contractor-supplied scientific and support personnel and their families. Department of Defense civilians make up the remaining 40-50 percent of the population. The contractor provides some retail and recreational services, but fresh produce and dairy items come in by air on an irregular basis-and mail takes from ten to thirty days in either direction. The contractor also provides a school, which runs from K-12 and graduates about 20 seniors every spring. O'Connell's children attend the school.

O'Connell's office consists of his deputy (since last December deployed to Iraq), a paralegal and an office assistant. The family lives in "somewhat dilapidated government housing from which we can see both the ocean and the lagoon," reports Dennis. "We have nice beaches, a small golf course, a marina and practically all sports.... Snorkeling and diving are premier activities owing to the beauty of the coral reefs - and the interesting WW II aircraft and ships resting on the ocean floor," says Dennis. "It's not Warner - and it ain't paradise, but it's probably as close as I'll ever get!"

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