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Adjutant general seeks authority for a deputy to lead Nevada National Guard on state duty
Summary
Adjutant General Daniel Waters presented Assembly Bill 41 to allow the appointment of an additional state-level deputy adjutant general (requested as a 'deputy' rather than an 'assistant') to ensure a state employee can command state activations when the adjutant general is unavailable.
Adjutant General Daniel Waters told the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs that AB 41 would permit the adjutant general to appoint an additional state‑level deputy adjutant general so Nevada would retain a state employee with authority to lead state active‑duty forces.
Waters said the current arrangement can leave the state without a state‑designated commander for state activations when federally recognized officers are assigned to federal duty. “This bill specifically would give us that flexibility to have a state employee responsible for state response,” Waters said.
AB 41, as introduced, enables the adjutant general to appoint a state assistant adjutant general in addition to the two federal assistant adjutant generals in the Nevada Army and Air National Guard and clarifies that federally recognized assistant adjutants general may not be the chief of staff for their branches. Waters asked the committee to accept a friendly amendment to change the requested title from “assistant adjutant general” to “deputy adjutant general,” arguing the deputy title better reflects the state role and will preserve flexibility if Department of Defense reductions change federal general‑officer authorizations.
Waters explained the proposed state deputy would be a state employee with authority limited to state responsibilities; he said no additional state funding or headcount is required because the title would be applied to an existing federally recognized officer who would also hold state authority.
A veterans organization offered support. Andy Lee Pilbitt, chairman of the United Veterans Legislative Council of Nevada, told the committee his group represents roughly 250,000 veterans and “fully support[s] this upgrade and change,” noting modern National Guard duties increasingly include Title 10 federal activations.
No callers testified in formal opposition, and Waters said the office would draft a friendly amendment if the committee is open to that change. The committee closed the hearing with no recorded committee vote on AB 41.
