FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Inspector General (IG) Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the “Audit of the Military Service Recruiting Organizations’ Efforts to Screen Applicants for Extremist and Criminal Gang Behavior,” which examines how the military service recruiting organizations screened applicants for extremist and criminal gang behavior.
This report highlights that the military service recruiting organizations generally screened applicants for extremist and criminal gang behavior using applicant interviews, screening questionnaires, tattoo reviews, and background investigations. However, we identified a number of instances where military service recruiters did not complete required screening steps in accordance withhold and military service guidance. For example, military service recruiters did not always administer screening questionnaires or forms, provide evidence of fingerprint check results, or provide evidence that a background investigation was initiated.
IG Storch stated, “Recruiting high-quality Service members is essential to mission readiness. If the military services are not completing required applicant screening steps, recruiters may not identify all applicants with extremist or criminal gang associations during the accessions screening process, increasing the potential for security risks and disruptions to good order and discipline within the joint force.“
To address these issues, we recommended that the Secretaries of the military departments issue policy memoranda to recruiting personnel reiterating the importance of completing all required steps for screening applicants for extremist or criminal gang associations. We also recommended that the Secretaries of the Military Departments establish and implement periodic reviews of recruiter compliance with required accessions screening procedures.