Vivian H. Gembara was awarded seven medals, including the Bronze Star, for her service as a U.S. Army Judge Advocate General. In Iraq, she served as the prosecutor and legal advisor for the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. In addition to gathering evidence used in the trial against Saddam Hussein, she conducted the first trial of a U.S. soldier in Iraq and initiated several major investigations into detainee abuse. Gembara advised commanders and soldiers on combat rules of engagement, helped re-establish the judicial system in two Iraqi provinces, and was a member of the team that negotiated the surrender of a major armed Iranian opposition force operating in Iraq. A frequent speaker on the military justice system, she has been interviewed by CNN, the BBC, and Reuters. Born in Tehran, Gembara attended the University of Notre Dame on an Army ROTC scholarship, graduated from Army Airborne School, received her law degree from the College of William and Mary, and graduated from the Army Judge Advocate General School.

Gembara’s memoir, Drowning in the Desert: A JAG’s Search for Justice in Iraq, will be published by Zenith Books in October 2008. Co-author Deborah A. Gembara is a Washington-based reporter for a major international news organization. Prior to that she worked at ABC News Nightline and C-SPAN.