Published May 31, 2023
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.
During the reporting period, the DoD OIG continued to prioritize comprehensive oversight of all aspects of U.S. security assistance to Ukraine. In January 2023, Inspector General Robert P. Storch traveled with the leaders of the Department of State and OIGs from the U.S. Agency for International Development to Germany, Poland, and Ukraine to gain the latest on-the-ground perspective on the security and other assistance provided by the U.S. Government. Mr. Storch delivered a message to U.S. and Ukrainian leaders about the importance of accountability and transparency regarding U.S. support to Ukraine. In addition, the DoD OIG coordinated with oversight partners to issue the Joint Strategic Oversight Plan for Ukraine Response in January 2023 as well as a statutorily required report updating the DoD OIG’s efforts at the end of March. Also, the DoD OIG continued to prepare and submit to Congress the required quarterly reports on the two ongoing overseas contingency operations—Operation Inherent Resolve, related to Syria and Iraq, and Operation Enduring Sentinel regarding Afghanistan.
For the reporting period of October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023, the DoD OIG issued 59 audit and evaluation reports and management advisories that made 124 recommendations to the DoD for improvement on a wide range of topics. In January, the DoD OIG issued a management advisory that determined DoD personnel conducted official business on their DoD mobile devices using applications that violated electronic messaging and records retention policies. In another significant report, the DoD OIG found that the DoD did not implement policies and procedures to ensure that Service members who experienced a potential traumatic brain injury were identified and screened to determine an appropriate level of care, as required by DoD policies.
The DoD OIG’s Component for Diversity and Inclusion and Extremism in the Military (DIEM) continued to work during the reporting period to establish a mechanism for the Services to report prohibited activity data to the DoD OIG. In addition, DIEM issued its Annual Report to Congress and coordinated with other DoD OIG Components to perform audits, evaluations, and investigations related to its statutory mandate.
The DoD OIG’s Defense Criminal Investigation Service (DCIS) completed 172 criminal investigations, some jointly with other law enforcement organizations, with 118 arrests, 115 criminal charges, 116 criminal convictions, $282.4 million in civil judgments and settlements, and $147.4 million in criminal fines, penalties, and restitution ordered. In addition, the DoD OIG completed 6 senior official, whistleblower reprisal, and Service member restriction investigations. The DoD OIG oversaw an additional 182 such investigations that the Military Service and Defense agency OIGs conducted.
DCIS agents also connected with law enforcement and prosecutorial partners from the United States, Ukraine, and international organizations with a role in the Ukraine response effort. The DCIS continued to work diligently to protect the integrity of the procurement process. In one recent case, the Defendant pleaded guilty to defrauding the Government and filing false export information.
These are just a few examples of DoD OIG accomplishments during the semiannual reporting period. The accomplishments reflected throughout this report are the result of the outstanding work by more than 1,750 DoD OIG employees.