Publicly Released: May 27, 2022
The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, requires the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) to prepare semiannual reports summarizing its activities for the preceding 6-month period. These semiannual reports are intended to keep the Secretary of Defense and Congress fully informed of significant findings, progress the DoD has made relating to those findings, and recommendations for improvement.
For the reporting period of October 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022, the DoD OIG issued 76 audit and evaluation reports, 2 administrative reports of investigation, and 1 report from our Diversity and Inclusion and Extremism in the Military (DIEM) Component, with 180 recommendations to the DoD for improvement.
The DoD OIG also completed 301 criminal investigations, some conducted jointly with other law enforcement organizations, resulting in 125 arrests, 131 criminal charges, 159 criminal convictions, $740.5 million in civil judgments and settlements, and $189.2 million in criminal fines, penalties, and restitution. In addition, the DoD OIG completed 8 senior official, whistleblower reprisal, and Service member restriction investigations, and oversaw 155 senior official, whistleblower reprisal, and Service member restriction investigations completed by the Military Service and Defense agency OIGs. The DoD OIG also continued to provide oversight of funding Congress appropriated to the DoD for the COVID-19 response.
As the Lead Inspector General (IG), the DoD IG works closely with our oversight partners from the Department of State (DoS) and U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as other partner agencies, to conduct oversight of overseas contingency operations, including Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria and Iraq, and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Operation Enduring Sentinel in Afghanistan. During the reporting period, the Lead IG also conducted oversight related to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Also during this reporting period, our newly established Diversity and Inclusion and Extremism in the Military (DIEM) component provided oversight of DoD programs and operations related to diversity and inclusion in the DoD and preventing and responding to supremacist, extremist, and criminal gang activity in the military. To this end, DIEM established three operating divisions to implement strategic planning, reporting, and data management. DIEM also began coordinating with other DoD OIG Components to perform audits, evaluations, and investigations related to diversity and inclusion, extremism, and prohibited activities. In December, DIEM issued its second report, which addressed the DoD’s progress toward implementing standardized policies and processes as directed by section 554, as well as shortfalls involving the DoD’s inconsistent collection of data.
These are just a few examples of DoD OIG accomplishments during this semiannual reporting period. The accomplishments reflected throughout this report are the result of the outstanding work by many DoD OIG employees.