Head of California National Guard confirmed, told to pursue reforms

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The state Senate confirmed the appointment of David S. Baldwin as adjutant general in charge of the California National Guard, with lawmakers saying they trust he will continue his shake-up of an agency that has been rocked by one financial scandal after another.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said Gov. Jerry Brown’s appointment of Baldwin is aimed at addressing past problems that included double paying of officers and improper bonuses to recruiters.

‘The general has committed to addressing the years of wrongdoing and to try to change the culture in this department,’ Steinberg told his colleagues before the unanimous confirmation vote. ‘Will he succeed? I’m confident he will.’

Baldwin has received criticism from some former guard members for not doing enough as a mid-level manager in the guard to prevent misconduct, but senators noted that Baldwin was in Afghanistan when some of the problems emerged in the state agency.

‘It’s going to take courage to clean it up,’ Senator Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) said about the agency. ‘I am confident he will do that.’

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--Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento