Edwards AFB courthouse renamed to “Seidel Memorial Courthouse”

  • Published
  • By Giancarlo Casem
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs

Family members, friends and colleagues attended the dedication ceremony of the Seidel Memorial Courthouse on Edwards Air Force Base, California, March 18.

The courthouse was named after Warren Seidel who passed away exactly one year ago following a short battle with cancer.

“I want to start by telling you, I understand the importance of the naming of this building...So having a building named out here is unbelievable, but having a building named anywhere in the Air Force is unbelievable,” said Nadine Seidel, Mr. Seidel’s wife.

Warren Seidel was born and raised in Ohio and entered active duty with the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps as a direct appointee in 1989. He served as Assistant Staff Judge Advocate at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as Chief of Civil Law and Labor Law, and later as Chief of Military Justice at Edwards, and as Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

Following separation from the Air Force, Seidel became an Assistant General Counsel for the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) at Fort Lee, Virginia. In this capacity, he exclusively handled labor and employment law issues. In July 1999, Seidel returned to Edwards where he served as the Chief of Labor & Environmental Law, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate for 21 consecutive years.

 

“In my 22, 23, years of service in the Air Force, I have never actually seen a building get named, period,” said Col. Randel Gordon, 412th Test Wing Vice Commander. “Every place I've ever been, the buildings have already been named…but the fact that the team here, between the legal staff that served with him who fought so hard and so diligently and the senior leadership here with at the base, who was 100% behind them; I also see that as great testament to the impact that Warren had on everybody here…I mean it's not every day that you get a chance to see this within the Air Force, and what an amazing man we get a chance to celebrate today.”

 

Gordon added that prior to learning about Seidel’s passing, Seidel was one of the people he was looking forward to reconnecting with and working with before being reassigned to Edwards.

“My personal impression of Warren was that he was always just a consummate professional, someone I could call on as a commander if I ever had any questions, I saw the advice and the counsel that he gave to my fellow commanders as well. And so it was just a privilege to serve with him in that capacity,” he said.

Gordon offered words of consolation to Seidel’s family and friends by reminding them of Seidel’s legacy on Edwards.

“No matter who comes to this court house…they will walk in and they will see his name, and they will ask questions, and they will remember,” Gordon said. “And so, the legacy continues. His impact on all of us continues, even long after today generations of folks who serve here at Edwards Air Force Base, they're going to walk into Warren's house. That's pretty special.”