Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense

Department of Defense
Inspector General

The Seal of the Inspector General
Formed	1982
Employees	Approximately 1,600 (2011)
Federal agency	United States
General nature	Inspector General Civilian agency
Headquarters	Arlington, Virginia
Parent agency	Department of Defense
Agency head	Glenn A. Fine (acting)
Website	Official website

The Department of Defense Inspector General is an independent, objective agency that provides oversight related to the programs and operations of the United States Department of Defense. DoD IG was created in 1982 as an amendment to the Inspector General Act of 1978. It is the largest office of the Inspector-General in the United States.

The office's mission is to promote integrity, accountability, and improvement of Department of Defense personnel, programs and operations to support the Department's mission and serve the public interest. Its vision is "One professional team strengthening the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the Department of Defense". Its core values are Integrity, Accountability, and Efficiency.

The Department of Defense Inspector General was established in 1982. The mission of DoD IG; as established by the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, (5 U.S.C. Appendix); and implemented by DoD Directive 5106.01, “Inspector General of the Department of Defense”, is to serve as an independent and objective office in DoD to:

The inspector general acts as the principal advisor to the secretary of defense in matters of Department fraud, waste, and abuse. DoD IG combats fraud, waste and abuse in the Department of Defense by conducting audits and investigations. In addition, the inspector general ensures that the secretary of defense and the Congress are fully informed of problems in the Department. Other responsibilities of DoD IG include:

DoD IG is authorized “to have access to all records, reports, audits, reviews, documents, papers, recommendations, or other material available to [any DoD component] which relate to programs and operations [of the Department of Defense]”. (IG Act 6.a.1). The inspector general may issue subpoenas for the production of documents, reports, answers, records, accounts, papers, and other data or documentary evidence necessary in the performance of the functions assigned to DoD IG by the IG Act (IG Act 6.a.1). Additionally, DoD IG has been given the authority to require testimony from any witness who is not currently a federal employee (IG Act 8.i).

The Office of the Deputy Inspector General for Auditing conducts audits on all facets of DoD operations. The work results in recommendations for reducing costs; eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse of authority; improving performance; strengthening internal controls; and achieving compliance with laws, regulations, and policy.

The Office of the Deputy Inspector General for Investigations is the criminal investigative arm of DoD IG. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service protects America’s warfighters by conducting criminal and civil investigations in support of crucial national defense priorities.