Members of the Senate Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee met on January 9 to coordinate a joint hearing to interview two announced candidates for adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, scheduled for next Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. in Room 11. Legal counsel will open with statutory and historical background, then Representative Stevens and Acting General Knight will provide perspectives before the candidates speak. The committee identified a core set of questions and logistics for the public interviews.

The committee framed the hearing as both a public job interview and part of the formal selection process for the adjutant general. "We are still we are currently the only state who still actually operates this election process," a committee member said, noting the state's unique, historically rooted procedure. Members confirmed handouts and slides from counsel will be used to explain the statutory framework, including the Guard's dual Title 10 (federal) and Title 32 (state) missions.

Committee members agreed to ask both candidates a set of core questions, including: what their top priorities would be if elected and why; what they view as the biggest challenge facing the National Guard and how they would address it; what qualifications would enable a "seamless transition" into the job; and behavioral items such as describing a failure and lessons learned. Members also planned targeted questions on recruitment and retention, cross-branch leadership (Air Guard leaders commanding soldiers and vice versa), programs to support mental health and family resilience during deployments, and continued work on sexual-assault and harassment reporting and response.

Recruitment and retention surfaced repeatedly as a central focus. Committee members said declining numbers risked the loss of specific force elements and asked candidates how they would stabilize and rebuild strength. On the personnel tempo and operational demands, one participant summarized that the role requires being ready immediately: "It's a very high level, high speed, low drag," another member said.

On process and logistics, the committee proposed mirroring the caucus schedule: each candidate would have a 10-minute presentation followed by committee questions; the group expects to be on the floor by 3:00 p.m. and noted nominations can still be made from the floor up to the last minute. The committee plans to circulate the consolidated question list to Senate Government Operations, coordinate with legislative council, and hold a short coordination meeting before the joint hearing.

The hearing will proceed with legal counsel's statutory overview, followed by remarks from Representative Stevens and Acting General Knight, candidate presentations, and a period of questions. Members emphasized leaving room for in-the-moment follow-up questions from committee members and for public observation. The committee will finalize logistics with legislative council before Tuesday's joint hearing.