ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Guard Bureau Inspectors General Office recently held a Guard-wide workshop, bringing together IGs from across the 50 States, Territories and the District of Columbia to discuss policy changes, updated IG regulations and specific issues affecting Guard members.
"We're really excited about this workshop," said Tony West, the NGB inspector general. "This allows us to have a diverse group of IGs from throughout the country come together to establish future courses of action for program enhancement."
The two-day workshop focused on variety of topics while affording opportunities to hear from key speakers with the Department of Defense, Army, Air Force and National Guard inspectors general offices.
Attendees also had opportunities to interact directly with fellow IGs and ask questions for clarification on key topics.
"We have a direct pulse with the National Guard Bureau IG staff to get any issues that we need resolved," said Air Force Col. Paul Johnson, inspector general with the Tennessee National Guard. He added that having Guard IGs together in one room allowed him to put names with faces and people with places while furthering relationships with IG counterparts from throughout the country.
"IGs work alone at times and it is good to know there is such a great support network," he said.
Others agreed.
"This [workshop] was very beneficial for me because I am new to the IG field," said Army Maj. Robert Warden, deputy inspector general for the Utah National Guard, adding that it has been helpful seeing other IGs working with similar issues he has encountered.
"It made me feel like I wasn't alone with some of the issues that I have faced," he said.
The workshop also allowed attendees to learn more about the differences between the Guard and active components and the difference challenges Guard members can face.
"[Most of] our service members are [part time]," said Army Col. Ivan Beckman, with the Mississippi National Guard's inspector general office. "It's a little bit different than the active component so it's been very beneficial to look at the IG issues from a reserve component perspective."
Briefings throughout the workshop provided additional tools for improving IG job efficiencies at the local level.
"The focus is designed on how we can do our jobs better as state IGs," Beckman said, "It's been very beneficial and all of the topics that we've discussed have a very distinct focus on the state level."
The workshop allowed IGs to improve upon the performance of their mission to assess the efficiency, discipline, morale, and readiness of the National Guard.
"IGs play an important role in the readiness and discipline within the National Guard," said West. "I could not be more pleased with the outcome of this workshop. The positive impact from sharing best practices will be of tremendous value to not only the adjutant generals but also to Guard members throughout the country."