What's New
| DoD IG Monthly Update - September 2015 |
| 2015 Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations | Operation Inherent Resolve | Quarterly Report to the United States Congress | April 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015 |
This quarterly report to Congress provides an update on the programs and operations that support the U.S. strategy to counter the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including military operations under the complex overseas contingency operation (OCO) known as Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). The Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) agencies - the Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG), Department of State Office of Inspector General (DoS OIG), and U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG) - have responsibility for oversight reporting on the OCO. Several U.S. agencies are working across multiple lines of effort within the counter-ISIL strategy. The Department of State has reported on its diplomatic activities to foster more inclusive governance in Iraq - efforts considered key to the long-term success of the U.S. strategy. Its programs in other areas complement the work of the Departments of Treasury and Justice to disrupt ISIL’s finances and stem the flow of foreign fighters. U.S.-led coalition military operations include the mission to provide air support for anti-ISIL forces and a train-and-equip program to build the capacity of security forces in Iraq and moderate Syrian opposition fighters in Syria. This quarter, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter addressed the complex challenges with the training and equipping programs for both countries, acknowledging that they have started slowly. Finding qualified individuals who meet the multiphase screening criteria in Syria has been problematic. For Iraq, the tribal interests of prospective recruits are often at odds with a government-backed coalition. Across the backdrop of the fight against ISIL, millions of civilians live in need. Those affected are dependent on U.S. and international programs providing humanitarian relief that began long before OIR itself. Events this quarter, such as the Ramadi campaign in Iraq and fighting around the Syrian border town of Kobane, have served to deepen the plight of Syrians and Iraqis driven from their homes. The United States continues to provide need-based assistance programs to address the complex regional crisis. This report provides a separate section on these efforts. This quarterly report focuses on the OCO programs and operations only. Full reporting of Lead IG activities will be addressed in the October 2015 OIR combined quarterly and biannual report; however, details of selected ongoing activities have been incorporated throughout the report. For FY 2016, OIR oversight will continue to have a regional approach and align to the U.S. strategy for the nine lines of effort to counter ISIL. To view or download the Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, click here. |
| Lead Inspector General for Operation United Assistance | Quarterly Report on U.S. Government's Activities | International Ebola Response and Preparedness | June 30, 2015 |
This report to Congress describes U.S. Government activities related to international Ebola response and preparedness efforts, and the oversight of the federal departments and agencies primarily responsible for this effort. This report describes activities and resources associated with Operation United Assistance, the U.S. mission to combat the Ebola virus disease in West Africa; and helps to inform Congress and the public about efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Ebola virus. This report meets quarterly and biannual reporting requirements to Congress required under §8L of the IG Act of 1978, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), and covers the period from April 1, 2015, to June 30, 2015. Several U.S. Government departments and agencies have been involved in the whole-of-government response for reducing Ebola transmission in West Africa, as well as efforts to address second-order effects and better prepare international health systems for future outbreaks. U.S. Government agencies have reported more than $1.7 billion in obligations toward Ebola response, recovery, and preparedness efforts with an international nexus. The Department of Defense (DoD) supported civilian-led response efforts with military response efforts. At its peak DoD, had deployed nearly 3,000 troops in Liberia. As of June 30, 2015, the Ebola virus disease epidemic in West Africa had sickened 27,550 people, resulting in the deaths of over 11,235 people worldwide, according to public health officials. The countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have accounted for the overwhelming share of these cases and fatalities. During this quarter, national health authorities reported a total of 1,999 new confirmed, probable, and suspected EVD cases, and 648 EVD deaths in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. However, the number of new cases and resulting fatalities declined over the period. While there were 30 new confirmed cases per week across the three countries at the start of April 2015, this number had dropped to 20 by the end of June 2015. The number of confirmed EVD deaths per week followed a similar downward trajectory from 51 to 13 over the period. The President directed the termination of Operation United Assistance effective June 30, 2015. In preparation, DoD transferred related property and consumable products to the Government of Liberia, redeployed mobile laboratories and other property and equipment, and transferred DoD equipment out of the country. However, DoD continues to support Ebola surveillance and response efforts. The November 2014 activation of U.S. military reservists in association with Operation United Assistance triggered provisions of the Inspector General (IG) Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.), as amended, related to oversight of contingency operations. Under Section 8L of the IG Act, the Offices of Inspector General (OIGs) for the DoD, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and Department of State (DOS) are required to coordinate oversight efforts and report on the progress of overseas contingency operations and corresponding oversight efforts. In light of the whole-of-government response to the outbreak and the significant role that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has had in international Ebola response efforts, HHS OIG has also actively engaged in these coordination efforts. Under Section 8L, DoD’s IG was designated as the Lead IG on February 24, 2015, after the designation of the contingency operation. The DoD IG, in turn, appointed USAID’s Acting Deputy IG as the Associate IG to lead related oversight planning, coordination, and reporting activities. To view the Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, click here. |
| Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations | Operation Freedom’s Sentinel | Quarterly Report to the United States Congress | April 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015 |
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. To view or download the print version of this Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, click here. |
| DoD IG Monthly Update - August 2015 |