Arizona Senate confirms Hobbs' pick to head National Guard

The voice vote in the Republican-controlled chamber came despite Sen. Wendy Rogers pointing out that Brig. Gen. John Conley has no combat experience. In fact, the Flagstaff Republican said, he's never commanded troops.

Rogers did not dispute that Kerry Muhlenbeck, Conley's predecessor, was also a lawyer, just like Conley, and also had never led combat troops.

But she said that might have been fine, not only when Republican then-Gov. Doug Ducey appointed Muhlenbeck in 2021, but last year when Hobbs tapped Conley to replace her.

Now, she said, everything has changed. "We're at war now,'' Rogers said. "And this Arizona National Guard is not a weekend paper-shuffling, coffee-drinking entity. It is a combat unit that can be deployed to combat.''

But Rogers was unable to convince a majority of her Republican colleagues that Conley's background and lack of command experience disqualified him from having purview over more than 8,000 soldiers and airmen and all the aircraft and equipment at their disposal.

Several of those GOP lawmakers said that, based on what they've seen of what Conley has done since being named acting adjutant general — the official title for the National Guard chief — there was no reason to deny him the job.

During a Republican caucus to discuss the governor's pick, Rogers, who served 20 years in the Air Force as a jet pilot and retired in 1996 as a lieutenant colonel, insisted Monday her problems with Conley were not personal.

"This is a situation of what someone's background is, not so much that person himself,'' she told her GOP colleagues. "The National Guard needs to be led by an operator, that is someone who has operated in a capacity that's not a support role."

By contrast, she said, Conley, a brigadier general, is an officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. "A lawyer,'' Rogers said. "He is not appropriate for this job.''

That lack of experience also bothered Sen. John Kavanagh.

The Fountain Hills Republican told the story of being a young police officer who, because of his experience before joining the force, spent his first years teaching others in the academy about first aid and other subjects. But after three years, and after passing the test to be promoted to sergeant, he said he was passed over because, as a superior said, he had no field experience.

"Unfortunately, he was right,'' Kavanagh said.

And he said the same is true of why Conley should not be named to head the National Guard.

"I don't say he has to be in combat,'' Kavanagh said. "But he's never actually commanded a group that could go to combat. How could he possibly lead if he's never done it?''

But Sen. T.J. Shope, who was on the same committee as Rogers that interviewed and screened Conley, pointed out that Conley has been serving in an acting capacity for nearly a year.

The Coolidge Republican said he spoke with people who are currently serving in the Guard.

"They had nothing but glowing things to say,'' he said.

And Sen. David Gowan said he believes that Conley, who he met, is qualified to head the Guard. The Sierra Vista Republican spoke of an experience at Tucson guard facilities.

"I saw the general around the soldiers there and you could see there was an air of leadership there,'' Gowan said. "So I think leadership is not just on the combat field.''

The adjutant general, who also is director of the state Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, serves at the pleasure of the governor. If Hobbs loses in November, that would allow whoever replaces her to choose someone else.

Sen. David Farnsworth said that was a factor when he agreed to support Conley. "I'm very optimistic that Andy Biggs will be the next governor,'' said the Mesa Republican.