Annual Worldwide Inspector General Conference

WASHINGTON— More than 200 inspectors general from across the U.S. Army convened virtually April 19-21, 2022, for the annual Worldwide Inspector General Conference, which was hosted by the Army’s current IG, Lt. Gen. Donna W. Martin. This year’s theme was “Inspectors General – Enhancing Readiness Since 1777.”

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth delivered opening remarks via video, saying, “The Inspectors General Corps is crucial to enabling what’s right and true to prevail across the total force. Inspectors general ensure that people remain the Army’s top priority.”

Retired Lt. Gen. Richard G. Trefry, the 53rd IG, addressed the WWIGC virtually from his home in Clifton, Virginia. “The principal function of an inspector general is to be the best teacher in the Army at whatever level he or she is serving,” Trefry said.

Trefry oversaw the Army IG system as it transformed from being adversarial to assistive. His efforts to reform the system helped the Army complete its post-Vietnam era rebuilding in the 1980s and led to the establishment of the Inspector General School at Fort Belvoir in 1983.

Dr. Stephen Rusiecki, dean of academics at the school, emphasized Trefry’s contributions to the modern IG system.

“The U.S. Army inspectors general system would not have moved forward into the 21st century as the effective readiness-enhancing enterprise that it is today without the paradigmatic changes made by Lt. Gen. Trefry over 40 years ago,” Rusiecki said. “His ability back then to see beyond the horizon and anticipate the path to combat readiness the Army needed to follow is astonishing and, frankly, legendary.”

The conference wrapped up with a ceremony honoring four recipients of the Inspector General of the Year award, who were recognized in April for their contributions to the IG system. The four winners are:

• GS-12-13: Christopher Cummings, the chief of the IG Assistance and Investigations Branch at Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas.
•  GS 14-15: Evan Brown, the senior Civilian Inspector General at U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox, Kentucky.
• Officer: Maj. Nicole Wigfall, the Deputy Inspector General of the Network Enterprise and Technology Command (NETCOM) at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
• Noncommissioned officer: Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Scholz, assigned to the Inspector General office of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia.