ARLINGTON, Va.—Sgt. 1st Class William Hughes, assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters, Florida National Guard, recently earned the title of 2016 National Guard Bureau Inspector General Soldier of the Year. He was one of four Soldiers from across the Army National Guard who competed for the top spot.
"It was a strange instance where I was honored, excited and nervous all at once," Hughes said after being notified he was the top Army Guard IG Soldier, adding he competed against other noncommissioned officers that he recognized as top-notch.
Hughes then moved on to compete in the Department of the Army Inspector General Soldier of the Year competition.
"It was exciting to have the opportunity to represent the (Army) National Guard at the Department of the Army IG board," said Hughes.
Hughes has served with the Florida Guard's IG office since 2013. He enlisted in 2002 as an air and missile defense crewmember with the Florida Army Guard's 1st Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment. For him, this transition has allowed him to pursue other opportunities to support Soldiers a different way.
"I realized that IGs have the ability to not only help Soldiers … but more importantly, to teach and train all levels of the organization," said Hughes. "In this role, we are able to prevent issues from arising, versus simply fixing issues as they occur."
The competition allows IG Soldiers to expand and grow their skills, said Army Sgt. Maj. Sean Baker, senior enlisted adviser to the National Guard Bureau IG.
"It's a competition and professional development for our assistant IGs," he said. "This competition is one line of effort that can help improve critical thinking skills and writing prowess of our IGs."
Preparing for this event was a team effort, said Hughes.
"I owe a great deal of this to the NGB IG team and my command IG," he said, adding that he was afforded the time and support needed to be successful in both competitions.
"I felt prepared for the other events by having just gone through the NGB IG (competition) process," said Hughes. "The requirements of this board (NGB IG) truly helped me to get into the right mindset for the DA competition," he said.
The competition was close as Hughes competed against five Soldiers from throughout the Army.
"(I was) competing against the Army's best IG NCOs from around the world," he said. "Ultimately, I believe I was just as prepared as any of the other competitors for the board process."
Others agreed.
"Sgt. 1st Class Hughes had the highest score on the essay and was the only one who scored 100 percent on the IG quiz," said Baker. "We are extremely proud of Sgt. 1st Class Hughes." "He represented himself, his state and the Army National Guard very well and exemplified what a true noncommissioned officer is by his actions and deeds."
Hughes said it was hard work to compete, and urges others to take on similar challenges.
"I would encourage others to take part in competitions such as these, stepping outside of the comfort zone," said Hughes. "Whether it is the Best Ranger, Best Sapper, IG NCO, or even the Soldier of the Year and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year boards at their unit - get out there and get the experience."