JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A week after the No. 2 commander of St. Augustine's Florida National Guard resigned amid a sexual misconduct investigation, the Guard's leader told News4Jax it was the right decision.
Maj. Gen. Jim Eifert has been leading the Guard for just over a month. Last week, he accepted the resignation of Mike Canzoneri, his assistant adjutant general.
"It's heartbreaking," Eifert said. "Nothing has been substantiated against General Canzoneri at this point."
Canzoneri resigned from the Guard, saying he did not want to distract from the mission of the Guard. He also said the issue was making him less effective at doing his job.
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"General Canzoneri recognized that kind of situation is not ideal for a person trying to lead a 10,000 person organization," Eifert said. "He did the right thing, which was to step down and allow us to continue to move forward with the organization."
One of the major roles for the National Guard comes into play when bad weather threatens the state. Eifert said it's especially clear following hurricanes Mathew, Irma and Michael that leaders of the Guard can't afford to be distracted.
"We have to be focused on being ready every day. We've got a busy hurricane (season) potentially ahead of us. We've got hundreds of people deployed as we speak. We've got thousands deploying in the next year," Eifert said.
Eifert said the investigations are happening at the highest level, working through the Army to preserve independence and objectivity.
Canzoneri was one of the top officers eligible to take the post as adjutant general.