John Hutson, the dean of Franklin Pierce Law Center who conducted legal affairs for the Navy for nearly 30 years, yesterday endorsed U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Ill. for the Democratic nomination for president.

Hutson, a lifelong Republican who switched his party affiliation this month so he can vote for Obama in the primary, said he believes Obama can bring change.

"I worry that historians will look back on the early days of the 21st century and say that's where America made a wrong turn and started to become the next former world power," Hutson said in a conference call with reporters. "Unless we can get the train back on track, that's what's going to happen. Obama's the guy who can do that."

Hutson, 60, of Bow, was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1969, then attended law school and Naval Justice School. In 1997, he became judge advocate general for the Navy, a position that involves overseeing the Navy's JAG Corps and providing legal and policy advice to the secretary of the Navy. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

Since leaving the Navy in 2000 and becoming dean of Franklin Pierce Law in Concord, Hutson has testified before congressional committees on issues relating to war, detention and interrogation policies and the Geneva Conventions. Earlier this month, he testified at hearings on attorney general nominee Michael Mukasey, emphasizing the need for the attorney general to respect and follow the law and listen to the advice of military lawyers.

Yesterday, Hutson drew on his military experience to express confidence in Obama's ability to withdraw troops from Iraq "in a reasonable and sane sort of way" and to address the dangers in Iran by "not simply rattling our saber but actually engaging in heartfelt, sincere diplomacy."

Hutson said he believes the military is ready for change from a war that "isn't going to end successfully militarily."

"The active-duty Reserve and Guard understand that they are engaged right now in an effort that's breaking the military's back," he said.

When asked how the military would view Obama compared with Sen. Hillary Clinton, Hutson said, "The military wasn't wild about President Clinton. There will be a great deal of skepticism about another President Clinton. . . . I think a fresh face, someone who's got good judgment, will be a welcome breath of fresh air."

Hutson also criticized a recent vote by Congress to label Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Clinton supported the measure; Obama missed the vote but says he would have opposed it.

"The military's not wild about saber rattling . . . shallow demonstrations of who's tough," Hutson said. "When you compare Sen. Clinton's position on Iran and Sen. Obama's, the military generally is going to feel more comfortable with diplomacy first. It goes back to the Colin Powell doctrine - war is a last resort, not a first resort."

He called Clinton's vote for the measure "misguided" and "not the way to go."

Gen. Wesley Clark, the former supreme allied commander of NATO who has endorsed Clinton, said he respects Hutson but disagrees.

"President Clinton won broad support and respect at all levels from the armed forces," Clark said. "I watched at the highest levels of the military as people responded to his questions, heeded his orders, expressed concerns, and I heard after-scenes talk. . . . Bill Clinton listened, respected and earned respect."

Clark cited Hillary Clinton's experience as a member of the Armed Services Committee and her multiple trips to Iraq and Afghanistan.

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