New Guam adjutant general says transition followed rules after predecessor�memo

Brigadier General Karen L. Watson, the Adjutant General of the Guam National Guard and Director of the Department of Military Affairs, told the Committee on Public Safety, Emergency Management, and the Guam National Guard on March 13 that her assumption of command followed established administrative procedures and did not violate regulations.

Watson said she was sworn in as acting Adjutant General on Nov. 17, 2025 and that the formal notification of a replacement is the governor's authority. "I was not sworn in as the acting tag until 11/17/2025," she said, and explained the military administrative process involving paragraph-and-line assignments and the use of "excess" slots during transitions.

The remarks came after the committee read memorandum DMA-26-022, dated Nov. 13, 2025, from former Adjutant General Michael W. Cruz, which raised concerns about the transition. Watson described DMA's personnel and chain-of-command arrangements and said the organization continued to operate during the change in leadership. "There was no violation of any regulations in the manner in which I was brought in as the tag," she said.

Committee members asked whether the transition had caused ambiguity in command or eroded federal trust. Watson replied that she had observed "no ambiguity" since confirmation and that she had seen "no" erosion of federal trust in engagements with the National Guard Bureau, U.S. Army Pacific and related federal partners.

Colonel Christian Cruz, the U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer for Guam, underscored the cooperative operational relationship between federal and territorial offices and said his office verifies costs and reimburses expenditures under the cooperative agreement. He described the cooperative-agreement process and oversight mechanisms that govern federal contributions.

Senators used the exchange to press for continued transparency. The committee chair requested copies of the Master Cooperative Agreement and documentation related to DMA's corrective actions on audit findings. Watson said she and her leadership team will follow up and work with the committee on outstanding issues.

The hearing produced no formal finding or vote on DMA-26-022; the committee adjourned after the panel's testimony and said it will review submitted materials and follow up as needed.