Oversight of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Military Whistleblower Reprisal Investigations

PURPOSE:

• To examine the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s (DODIG) efforts to ensure compliance with the statutory notification requirement, develop an implementation plan for expanding the IG’s case management system, and issue guidance governing the oversight process.
• To examine the DODIG’s performance in working with and protecting whistleblowers.

BACKGROUND:

• The DODIG is responsible for conducting military whistleblower reprisal investigations.
•  The Government Accountability Office released a report finding that DODIG:
  • rarely met internal timeliness requirements for completing military whistleblower reprisal investigations in FY 2013 and 2014; and
  •  used a new case management system that does not support complete oversight of service military reprisal investigations.