Maj. Gen. Kilgo assumes role as Deputy, The Inspector General

By Thomas RuyleAugust 19, 2021

Maj. Gen. Kilgo swears in as DTIG
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mitchell L. Kilgo, left, is sworn in as Deputy, The Inspector General, by Lt. Gen. Leslie C. Smith, the 66th Inspector General of the Army, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Aug. 19, 2021. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Jennifer Blackwell) (Photo Credit: Maj. Jennifer Blackwell) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mitchell Kilgo
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo) VIEW ORIGINAL

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mitchell L. Kilgo assumed duty as Deputy, The Inspector General (DTIG) at the Pentagon Aug. 17. Kilgo was sworn in Aug. 19 by Lt. Gen. Leslie C. Smith, the 66th Inspector General.

Kilgo most recently served as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) and senior commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland.

“I’m looking forward to leveraging my recent experience as an installation commander to assist the team with focusing on critical challenges facing the field,” Kilgo said.

He succeeds Col. Isaac Manigault, who has served as the acting DTIG since May 15. Manigault will return to his position as investigations division chief within the U.S. Army Inspector General Agency.

Kilgo has been on active duty since January 1988, when he was commissioned after attending Virginia Union University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Natural Sciences. He is also a graduate of the National War College, Command and General Staff College, and Signal Officer Basic and Advanced Courses.

Smith welcomed Kilgo to the Office of the Inspector General.

“The deputy position is critical to the day-to-day operation of the Inspector General Agency. Mitch will bring his years of command and staff experience not only to the agency, but also the entire Army staff and secretariat,” Smith said.

Smith’s last day as The Inspector General will be Sept. 1, and he will retire Nov. 1 after more than 35 years of active-duty service. Maj. Gen. Donna Martin, the former Provost Marshal General, will replace him on Sept. 2, when she will also receive a promotion to lieutenant general.

“With his experience as the former communications electronics commander and senior commander of the critical APG garrison, he will bring a sense of vision and direction to assist with the direction of the incoming 67th Inspector General,” Smith said.

Kilgo outlined his immediate goals as DTIG. “Goal number one is to get to know the IG team and the key members of the Army Staff. Then, align my priorities with Army senior leaders and the incoming inspector general. Finally, get out of my office and onto the network and engage with DA Staff and commanders in the field to assist them with solving problems before they arise,” he said.

Prior to his command of CECOM and APG, Kilgo held numerous staff and command positions throughout his Army career. His commands included every operational level from company through theater signal command, with significant assignments as the Commander, Support Company, 1111th Signal Battalion, Site-R; Commander, 2nd Signal Brigade, Wiesbaden, Germany; and Commanding General, 5th Theater Signal Command, Wiesbaden, Germany.

“I’ve always viewed the IG as a trusted teammate and a great resource. I’ve leveraged IGs to validate regulations and policies prior to making critical decisions. As a commanding general I empowered my IG to establish effective relationships with all subordinate commanders and CSMs. This developed trust between the IG and commanders and made the commanders better leaders,” he said.