In a May 28 swearing-in ceremony at the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence headquarters building, Lt. Col. Kathryn Shaw relinquished her role as the MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood Command Inspector General to Lt. Col. Crystal Batey.
As she prepares to depart for her next assignment — as 525th Military Police Detention Battalion commander at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — Shaw and the IG team were thanked by Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general, for the proactive approach they have taken in helping build a more accessible IG resource on the installation.
“In the year that I’ve had the opportunity to work with you, you have knocked it out of the park,” Beck said. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done.”
In noting how Shaw helped build a more positive perception of the IG role — the advocates for policy and regulation — Beck mentioned the multitude of Fort Leonard Wood brigade and battalion commanders who have spoken highly of the installation’s program.
“That’s when you know things are clicking,” Beck said. “I want to thank you for what you did during your time here.”
After receiving a Meritorious Service Medal from Beck, Shaw thanked the IG team she led for nearly two years for their hard work.
“I like the fact that you are out and about,” Shaw said. “You’re seeing people and doing what you need to do. And that’s the reason why this office is successful.”
Shaw said one of her goals was to conduct what she called “teach and trains” throughout the community more often, “with commands, with leaders, with individuals and clients,” and better tailor the information provided to the audience.
“When we teach classes on how the IG can help people, or what we do, we try to tailor it,” Shaw said. “So, if we’re teaching a (basic officer leader course) class, we’re like, ‘Hey, new lieutenants, what can we do for you? How do you help your commander as a future platoon leader or company (executive officer)? When we get into career course classes, we say, ‘Hey, future commanders, here are some things that you might see as commanders. Here are trends and issues that we see across commands.”
All that increased contact in the community affected the number of proactive contacts the IG office received, Shaw said.
“We have shown over the course of the past year-plus that our increase in contacts through those teach and trains, through site observations, through inspections, we have shown an increase in positive contacts, where people are reaching out to us proactively to say, ‘Hey, how do I fix this?’ or, ‘Am I in the right? Am I allowed to do this?’” Shaw said. “And then, we’ll point and say, ‘The regulation says this.’ We don’t interpret, legally, but we are able to say, ‘Here’s how you can address this.’ So, we’ve been able to increase those teaching contacts — we want clients to come to us.”
Shaw called the IG role, “my favorite job I’ve ever had.”
“I love helping people,” she said. “Even though we’re not advocates, we’re still helping people. I have loved my personal interaction with this community. I think everyone here is doing wonderful things for the Army. We are building our force.”
Batey, who most recently commanded the 35th Engineer Battalion, said she has wanted to be an IG “for years.”
“I’m extremely excited to take this position and continue the strong momentum that Lieutenant Colonel Shaw and the team already have in place,” Batey said. “I look forward to building on, and forming new, relationships across MSCoE and Fort Leonard Wood.”
Beck and Shaw each spoke highly of Batey at the ceremony.
“She’s got the right attitude and the ability to communicate with everybody,” Shaw said of Batey.
“The attitude that you led with is the attitude that you will carry on, and I am very confident of that,” Beck said.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2024 16:05 |
| Story ID: | 472630 |
| Location: | FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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