Colorado Senate committee recommends confirmation of Major General Robert Davis as Adjutant General

Major General Robert Davis told the Colorado Senate Committee on State Veterans and Military Affairs on the committees first meeting of 2026 that he would prioritize readiness, people and partnerships if confirmed as Adjutant General and Executive Director of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, and the committee voted to recommend his confirmation and place the appointment on the consent calendar.

David Oppenheim, chief of staff to Governor Polis, introduced Davis and summarized the nominees more than 30 years in the Colorado National Guard, including deployments in support of coalition operations in CENTCOM, service as deputy director of the Army National Guard overseeing readiness policy and resourcing for over 330,000 soldiers across states and territories, and private-sector operations experience. Oppenheim asked the committee for a favorable recommendation.

Davis told the committee hed spent 33 years across tactical and strategic roles and described recent operational activity by Colorado Guardsmen, including a high-altitude helicopter rescue on New Years Eve and support for law-enforcement and cybersecurity missions. He outlined four focus areas for the department: people; readiness; transformation and innovation; and partnerships. He said recruiting and retention are improving and provided the figures that the Colorado Air National Guard is at about 102% of authorized strength and the Army Guard at about 97.4%.

During a brief question-and-answer, Senator Zamora Wilson praised Daviss record and then raised concerns about diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying DEI had sometimes hurt morale in her experience and asking directly, "Do I have your word that DEI is not going to be in the equation?" Davis replied he could not speak for his predecessor but described the department as "a merit-based organization" and said he would put the most qualified leaders in command while focusing on readiness and accountability.

Vice Chair moved to send the nomination to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation; the clerk recorded "Yes" votes from Senators Linstead, Hilton R., Zamora Wilson, Sullivan and Chair Wallace, and the motion passed. The vice chair then moved to place the appointment on the consent calendar; with no objection, the committee placed the confirmation on the consent calendar and recorded that the confirmation passes with the recommendation to the full Senate. Chair Wallace offered congratulations and adjourned the meeting.

The committee hearing provided the legislature with Daviss stated priorities for modernizing equipment, sharpening readiness for both state missions (wildfire response, high-altitude rescue, cyber defense) and federal deployments, and strengthening partnerships at local, national and international levels. The next formal step is action by the full Senate on the governors appointment; the transcript records the committees recommendation and consent-calendar placement but does not record a full-Senate confirmation date.

Details recorded in the committee transcript include Daviss recounting of the helicopter rescue and the naming of several aircrew members, his statement that federal missions and funding support state readiness, and his pledge to improve strategic communications to better explain the departments mission to legislators and the public.

The committee meeting concluded without further debate; the committee adjourned after completing the recommendation and consent-calendar placement.