FORT MCNAIR, D.C. Nov. 12, 2009 -- Another in a long line of Army inspector generals took the oath of office today in a brief ceremony that involved both commander and "IG" in a simple ceremony that invokes the partnership that exists between the two.
Col. Sandra R. Clark, a member of Class #11-01 of the IG Course held at Fort Belvoir, Va., took the oath from Brig. Gen. (P) Karl R. Horst, the commander of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington and Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region in her office in Building 31 on Fort McNair.
As she repeated the oath given to her by Horst, Clark fulfilled a requirement of Army Regulation (AR 20-1) that has been in place since 1981, according to Sgt. Maj. Adolph George, the JFHQ-NCR/MDW IG sergeant major.
The oath is meant to "strengthen the bond between the commander and the IG," George said. The special trust and responsibility is further documented with a certificate. For Clark, signatories to the certificate beside herself and Horst are Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh and Army Inspector General Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb.
The oath was administered in front of the American flag and a framed reproduction of the first Army inspector general, Baron Friedrich Von Steuben, reviewing Soldiers of the Continental Army in mid-winter.
The modern Army IG is an extension of the eyes, ears, voice and conscience of the commander, George related. Their four primary functions are:
A,A* Teaching and Training
A,A* Inspections
A,A* Assistance
A,A* Investigations
"The IG is a personal staff officer providing the commander a sounding board for sensitive issues. IGs are honest brokers and consummate fact finders," George said.
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