This first quarterly report to Congress provides initial details of the overseas contingency operation (OCO) known as Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS). The Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) agencies—the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General, Department of State Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General—have responsibility for oversight reporting on the OCO.
The United States renewed its commitment to Afghanistan to help build and sustain an enduring security capability, but has transitioned to a new phase. Operation Enduring Freedom concluded on December 31, 2014, and OFS began the next day. OFS provides the framework for continued U.S. support with its two complementary missions: U.S. forces will continue counterterrorism efforts to prevent the resurgence of al-Qaeda and its remnants and will also conduct a train, advise, and assist program to improve the capabilities of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces under NATO’s Resolute Support mission.
On April 1, 2015, the Chair of the Council of the Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency designated the DoD Inspector General as the Lead IG for OFS, pursuant to section 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. The three Lead IG agencies continue to coordinate with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and the other oversight partners of the Southwest Asia Joint Planning Group (SWA JPG), who have conducted audits, evaluations, inspections, and investigations in Afghanistan for more than 7 years.
For the past several years, the SWA JPG has written an annual joint strategic oversight plan (JSOP) for Afghanistan, which is published in the Comprehensive Oversight Plan for Southwest Asia (COPSWA). The SWA JPG oversight partners will again publish a JSOP for FY 2016, but this plan will also constitute the JSOP for OFS, as mandated by section 8L. The Lead IG agencies and their oversight partners of the SWA JPG will continue to work together to provide coordinated whole-of-government oversight in Afghanistan to deter fraud, waste, and abuse and promote effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars.