VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. –
More than two dozen National Guard personnel from 12 different states and territories gathered for the National Guard Southeastern Region Inspector General workshop May 21-24, 2018, at Camp Pendleton State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach.
“The goal of the workshop was to strengthen our IG technical assistance support channels by sharing best practices and providing professional development through facilitated discussions and presentations,” explained Maj. Michael Duggan, Deputy Inspector General for the Virginia National Guard.
The focus was on Army and Air Force IG topics with an emphasis placed on collaborative participation from IG offices. The four-day event featured key speakers from National Guard Bureau, Department of the Army Inspector General and Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General as well as representatives of other states and territories. They each provided the group with updates on the applicable regulations, policies, and procedures that govern the role of the IG in supporting the readiness of the command.
Some topics covered included recent changes to Army Regulation 20-1, Line of Duty processing requirements, and U.S. Forces Command IG inspection trends for Focused Readiness Units.
Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, visited the workshop and talked about the importance of the Inspector General.
“You really are a force multiplier,” Williams said. “You play a vital role in the military.”
Col. Jack Hunt, the Command Inspector General for the North Carolina National Guard, and the regional chair for the NGB IG Southeast Region, was the host for the event, which included inspector general personnel from Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Although this meeting was the first of its kind in more than a decade, the plan is make it an annual event going forward.
“The IG has an important role in improving and maintaining the readiness of the force,” Duggan said. “As the eyes, ears, voice and conscious of the commander, and in the case of the National Guard, the Adjutant Generals, our impartiality and separation from the command gives us a unique perspective on the challenges that our formations face. The lessons learned and shared by each of the inspector generals present at this workshop are an invaluable resource for all attendees to take back to their organizations to effect positive changes.”
Photos: Camp Pendleton hosts National Guard Southeastern Region Inspector General workshop