Adjutant general produces audit to refute claims

Seven-year study finds no instances of inappropriate pay

? The state’s adjutant general said Tuesday he was satisfied with an internal audit about discharged soldiers, adding that allegations of the National Guard inflating its strength were unfounded.

Maj. Gen. Greg Gardner told reporters that he ordered the audit after receiving a letter from a soldier claiming people were being paid after their discharges from the Kansas National Guard.

The audit, conducted by the U.S. Property and Finance Office, reviewed activities from 1996 through 2003, starting three years before Gardner became adjutant general. Auditors concluded that all discharges and payments were appropriate.

“Looking at ourselves is part of our business,” Gardner said during a briefing at the Kansas State Defense Building.

Critics, including House Speaker Doug Mays, suggested last week that the Guard was inflating its numbers and questioned Gardner’s management of the 8,000-member organization.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has met with Gardner about the report, as well as the recent dismissal of two officers, and has maintained her confidence in the general. Gardner was appointed by Gov. Bill Graves in February 1999 and retained by Sebelius.

Gardner told reporters that the recent publicity and accusations hurt soldiers and airmen across the state. He said they had no reason to doubt his abilities or his integrity.

“I believe the guardsmen and the people of Kansas should be confident,” Gardner said.

The report found that during the seven-year period, 2,400 soldiers were retained by their units for as long as six months before discharges were complete. None of those soldiers received pay.

“There is no benefit to inflating the numbers — financial or any kind,” Gardner said, noting that federal funds are only paid for those soldiers who report for monthly drills.

Mays, R-Topeka, released that figure to reporters last week — but not the source or a copy of the documents. Mays said Tuesday he stood by his earlier statements and his call for an attorney general’s investigation.

“I just have to insist that we have a third-party take an objective look at this,” Mays said. “I’m confident we have a problem.”

But Matt All, Sebelius’ chief counsel, noted that the U.S. Property and Finance Office was an independent third party.

“I would suggest that having yet another (review) would not be a good use of resources,” All said.

Col. Dennis Elliott, whose office conducted the audit, said there were differences between his staff’s findings and what the Guard believed to be true, which he said was typical of any civilian or military audit. Those differences will be resolved before the audit is closed, he said.

The National Guard Bureau goal for “non-validated” status — soldiers who repeatedly do not show up for duty — is 2 percent. Gardner said the Kansas rate was 1.8 percent for April, the most current numbers available.

Gardner said he was troubled that an internal document was released without authorization.