SB472

I recommend amending SB472 to raise the minimum qualifying grade for the deputy adjutant general from major (O-4) to colonel (O-6). The deputy adjutant general is required by statute to assume the duties of the adjutant general when necessary, and that role is normally held by a major general (O-8). Several analyses of military leadership structures note that assigning an individual whose highest prior service was at the O-4 level to perform responsibilities aligned with an O-8 billet creates a significant mismatch in experience, authority, and command readiness. Elevating the minimum qualifying grade to O-6 ensures that candidates have the senior leadership background, command experience, and organizational oversight skills expected for a position that may need to function at the general-officer level. According to public records and historical rosters, all current and past deputy adjutant generals have held the grade of O-6 or higher. Codifying an O-6 minimum helps maintain professional standards and reduces the risk of future politically motivated appointments of under-qualified individuals, an issue that has happened in the national guard in other states.