Colonel Nick Saucier takes oath as State Military Judge

Left to right, Mississippi Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Virginia Carlton, Col. Nick Saucier and Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard, stand for a photo after Col. Saucier’s Promotion and Investiture Ceremony on March 1 in Jackson.

     Colonel Nick Saucier of Brandon was sworn in on March 1 as State Military Judge for the Mississippi National Guard.

            Mississippi Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Virginia Carlton administered the judicial oath to Col. Saucier at the Supreme Court in Jackson. Col. Saucier’s wife Bonny and daughter Livi helped him don his robe in an investiture ceremony marking his entry into the role of military judge. Moments earlier, his wife and daughter attached eagles insignia to his uniform as he was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel.

            Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard, said, “Nick is joining an elite group.” He epitomizes the qualities sought by the National Guard, Gen. Boyles said.

            Judge Carlton has known Col. Saucier since he served as a Court of Appeals law clerk for Judge Larry Roberts. She recalled his calm demeanor and humble attitude. He is a person of strong character who is well respected by his colleagues, she said.

            “I have great confidence that Judge Saucier is going to be a great judge,” she said.

            Col. Saucier said he knew little about the National Guard when he enlisted as a student at Mississippi State University in 1997. He served as an enlisted soldier in the Mississippi Army National Guard for seven years before becoming an officer. He has 27 years of military service, including deployments to Afghanistan in 2008 and Kuwait in 2023.

             He looked out over many of his military colleagues gathered for the ceremony, and recalled others with whom he served. “I’ve learned something from each and every one of them,” he said, and thanked them for pushing him to be a better soldier.

Newly promoted Col. Nick Saucier kneels for his daughter Livi, at left, and wife Bonny, at right, to apply the eagle rank insignia to his uniform during his Promotion and Investiture Ceremony on March 1 in Jackson. Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, Adjutant General of the Mississippi National Guard, is in background at right.

            He thanked his wife of 24 years for all of her support, and he thanked their daughter, who is 7. She doesn’t know all about his job, beyond the fact that he is gone a lot. “She’s told me several times that she is proud of her soldier dad.”

            In his new role, Col. Saucier will preside as a military judge over courts martial for the National Guard in Mississippi. “You are going to be the only National Guard judge in the State of Mississippi,” Judge Carlton said.

            Col. Saucier earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Mississippi State University in 1999 and a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2006. He served as a law clerk at the Court of Appeals 2006-2010.  He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant/Judge Advocate General in March 2007.

Col. Nick Saucier, center, shakes hands with Mississippi Court of Appeals Presiding Judge Virginia Carlton after taking the oath of office as State Military Judge on March 1. At right are his wife Bonny Saucier and daughter Livi.

            The highly decorated soldier served as trial counsel and Chief of Fiscal Law for the 168th Engineer Brigade in Afghanistan in 2008. After completing mobilization, he served as senior defense counsel with the 972nd  Trial Defense Team, then as Chief of Military Justice and later Chief of Administrative Law at Joint Forces Headquarters. He was assigned to the 66th Troop Command as Staff Judge Advocate, then as Command Judge Advocate for the 184th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. Her returned to the 168th Engineer Brigade as Brigade Judge Advocate during deployment to Kuwait in 2023.

            Judge Carlton also has an extensive military background. She retired from the military in 2015 at the rank of Colonel after 24 ½ years of service that included numerous assignments as JAG officer, military trial judge and military appellate judge.