Photo By Airman 1st Class Joshua Adamy | Keri Burke, 105th Inspector General office director of inspections, Maj. Jason...... read more read more
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STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. -- The 105th Airlift Wing’s Inspector General office recently won the 2025 Major General Junius W. Jones Award.
After competing against IG offices across the Air National Guard and the entire Air Force, the 105th team was selected for its success in strengthening the Commander’s Inspection Program and improving communication and policy implementation across the wing.
The IG office is responsible for identifying risk for the wing commander and evaluating wing-wide readiness. It does this through in-depth reviews of individual units and targeted reviews of specific programs across the 105th.
The office also handles complaints and directs Airmen to the appropriate resolution paths, such as referrals to their chain of command or other offices better suited for the issue.
The office reports directly to the wing commander, a unique position that enables prompt elevation of issues.
“IG has been described as the conscience of the commander and we take that role seriously,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Samson, the 105th’s inspector general.
A major factor in winning the award was a comprehensive overhaul of the Commander’s Inspection Program. Under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Ryan Dannemann, 105th Airlift Wing commander, and with strong continuity provided by Keri Burke in the new permanent Director of Inspections position, the team revamped how the 105th tracks programs and manages risk. The team shifted from quarterly to monthly Commanders Inspection Management Board meetings, moved to Microsoft Teams for better real-time visibility, and created standard formats to help units clearly see their strengths, weaknesses and risks.
“We were able to work together to figure out a way to complete these functions more efficiently,” Burke said.
The team also aligned its inspections with the new Foundational Readiness Inspection, the Air Force’s primary evaluation of a wing’s overall readiness, which strengthened internal communication and cross-training.
Another key improvement was streamlining the waiver process. The team made it simpler and more accessible, increasing the number of waivers issued.
“A unit with a lot of waivers is a healthy unit from our perspective,” Samson said, “because that means they have found things in the regulations that we either can’t do because we’re not resourced for it, or we found a better way.”
This approach contributed to stronger wing-wide relationships and better support for units.
Samson credited the award to the drive and creativity of his team, including Burke; Maj. Jason Nordlund, director of complaints; Capt. Seneca Williams and Master Sgt. Jeremy Zehr, IG team members; and Tech. Sgt. Timothy Kosteczko, inspections coordinator, who executed the vision without micromanagement.
“The award means a lot because I gave the team a vision and they really ran with it on their own,” Samson said. He advises other IG teams to fight for ongoing teamwork, tie every effort back to their wing’s core and diverse missions, and empower personnel to develop creative solutions within the commander’s intent.
The 105th IG office’s success demonstrates how improving communication, continuity and policy implementation can enhance readiness, risk management and support for Airmen across Stewart Air National Guard Base.
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2026 15:23 |
| Story ID: | 569569 |
| Location: | NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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