On July 28, 2024, Arthur “Art” Simril assumed his current position of Director, Department of Defense (DoD) Hotline. As the Director, Mr. Simril is responsible for all DoD Hotline operations and personnel. From July 2023 to July 2024, Mr. Simril served as the Program Director for Special Investigations and Reviews, Criminal Investigative Policy and Oversight Directorate, under the Deputy Inspector General for Evaluations. He directed, planned, and conducted oversight evaluations that span virtually all operations and functions, including those requiring prior unique Federal criminal investigator knowledge and skills. He conducted special investigative reviews at the direction of DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG) leadership. From 2011 to 2023, Mr. Simril served as a Senior Investigator, then Supervisory Investigator with Investigations of Senior Officials (ISO) Directorate, under the Deputy Inspector General for Administrative Investigations. In this position, Mr. Simril supervised senior investigators charged with conducting critical and sensitive administrative investigations that involved DoD’s political appointees, general and flag officers, and members of the Senior Executive Service.
Mr. Simril started his civilian career in July 2008 as an investigator with the DoD Hotline. As a DoD Hotline investigator, Mr. Simril received and reviewed numerous complaints, including those involving high profile and sensitive matters. He also reviewed Hotline Completion Reports to ensure all allegations were sufficiently addressed.
Mr. Simril served 21 years in the U.S. Army, retiring from Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), North Carolina, in 2008 as a Chief Warrant Officer 4/Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command (CID). During his military career, Mr. Simril conducted and supervised numerous felony-level criminal investigations involving violations of military and Federal law. He led several high-profile criminal investigations that included several murder investigations, child kidnapping investigations, drug and white-collar investigations, and the highly publicized abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq in 2004. During his CID career, Mr. Simril also served as a staff officer at CID headquarters, holding the positions of Assistant Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and Deputy Chief of Investigative Operations. In these positions, Mr. Simril provided critical operational oversight and guidance to CID elements worldwide.
Mr. Simril holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Magna Cum Laude) in Organizational Security and Management from the University of Phoenix. He is also a graduate of many law enforcement, criminal investigative, and Inspector General courses, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy (203rd Session), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy’s Major Case Management Course, the U.S. Army Inspector General Academy, and the Association of Inspectors General’s Certified Inspector General Investigator Course. Mr. Simril is the recipient of multiple awards including the Army’s Meritorious Service Medal and the DoD Defense Superior Civilian Service Award. He has also the recipient of ISO’s Supervisor of the Year and Investigator of the Year awards, along with multiple ISO team awards.