Department of Defense
Office of the Inspector General
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350-1500

May 1, 2012 - The latest issue of the Journal of Public Inquiry is now available online.  The Journal is published semiannually by the Department of Defense Inspector General on behalf of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. To view the Journal, click here.

The Journal contains articles of interest to the inspector general community. This issue covers a variety of topics including the effective utilization of suspension and debarment programs, incorporating technology to bring together individuals in non-traditional formats and adapting the best practices of private industry sectors to government operations.

The Journal is a publication of the inspectors general of the United States, which solicits articles from professionals and scholars on topics important to the oversight community. The next deadline to submit an article for the next issue is May 15, 2012. Please email submissions to: JournalofPublicInquiry@dodig.mil.

April 20, 2012 - In the second week of April 2012, Acting Inspector General Lynne Halbrooks traveled to Afghanistan with Mr. Dan Blair, Deputy Inspector General for Audit; Mr. "Mickey" McDermott, Special Deputy Inspector General for Southwest Asia, and Lt Col Le Zimmerman, Military Assistant to the IG. During the week-long trip, Ms. Halbrooks met with theater commanders to discuss ongoing U.S. and coalition operations, as well as DoD IG oversight work. In Kabul, Ms. Halbrooks held meetings with senior military leaders including General John Allen (Commander, International Security Assistance Force – Afghanistan) and LTG Dan Bolger (Commander, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan). Both commanders expressed their appreciation for the work of the DoD IG and stated their commitment to transparency and safety within their commands.

Ms. Halbrooks also traveled to Kandahar, the headquarters of Regional Command South. During her meeting with the Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division/RC-South, MG Jim Huggins spoke about the integral role of the IG in assisting warfighters and commanders at all levels.

April 17, 2012 - Acting Inspector General Lynne Halbrooks testified today before the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, at a hearing on The Comprehensive Contingency Contracting Reform Act of 2012 (S.2139). The hearing examined how S.2139 addresses systemic problems in contracting during overseas military contingencies.

Also testifying at the hearing were: Harold Geisel, Deputy Inspector General, U.S. Department of State; Michael Carroll, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Agency for International Development; Senator Jim Webb; Richard Ginman, Director, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, U.S. Department of Defense; the Honorable Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of State: and Angelique Crumbly, Acting Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Management, U.S. Agency for International Development.

Click here to read Ms. Halbrooks' testimony.

March 27, 2012 - Deputy Inspector General for Special Plans & Operations, Ambassador Kenneth Moorefield testified today before the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, on "Labor Abuses, Human Trafficking, and Government Contracts: Is the Government Doing Enough to Protect Vulnerable Workers?"

Also appearing with Ambassador Moorefield were; U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut; U.S. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio; The Honorable Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador at Large, U.S. Department of State; Ms. Cathy J. Read, Director, Office of Acquisitions Management, U.S. Department of State; Ms. Evelyn R. Klemstine, Assistant Inspector General for Audits, U.S. Department of State; Mr. Richard T. Ginman, Director, Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, U.S. Department of Defense; Ms. Sharon Cooper, Director, Defense Human Resources Activity, U.S. Department of Defense.

Click here to read Ambassador Moorefield's testimony to the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform Holds Hearing on Human Trafficking.

February 21, 2012 - A Special Plans and Operations Assessment Team from the DoD Office of Inspector General recently conducted fieldwork at U.S. and NATO Installations throughout Afghanistan regarding the Combating Trafficking in Persons Program. The team conducted over 100 interviews with command staff, contracting officials, and contractors responsible for contract performance and execution in Kabul, Bagram, Kandahar, Camp Leatherneck and Shindand. The team briefed their preliminary observations to senior contracting officials in Kabul.

The field work was part of the evaluation responding to requirements in Public Law 110- 457, "William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008," and Department of Defense Instruction 2200.01, "Combating Trafficking in Persons," dated September 15, 2010.