Office of Inspector General (IG)

Inspector General Policy

In accordance with AR 20-1, each Inspector General will determine the state of the morale, efficiency, economy, training and readiness of the command that he/she serves. This Army regulation governs the development and conduct of IG inspections. The IG tailors inspections to meet the needs of the commander. Since IGs are exposed to a wider range of units than most other inspectors, they are trained to execute the following tasks.

• Identify substandard performance, determine the magnitude of the deficiency and seek out the root cause for the substandard performance or deficiency.
• Pursue systemic issues
• Teach systems, processes and procedures.
• Identify responsibility for corrective action.
• Spread innovative ideas.

Principles of Army Inspections: AR 1-201

The Inspector General (TIG) of the Army has identified fourteen principles that apply to all Army inspections for which TIG is the proponent. These principles guide commanders/The Adjutants General (TAGs), staff principals, and inspectors general (IGs) in the conduct of inspections.

1. Tailored: All inspections should be tailored to meet the needs of the commander with special emphasis on being relevant and responsive. Inspections must provide practical, accurate feedback to allow the commander and his staff to make timely, informed decisions.
2. Mission Oriented: Like all unit activities, inspections should relate to mission accomplishment.
3. Purposeful: Inspections will have a specific purpose that is approved by the commander.
4. Coordinated: Inspections should avoid duplication and complement other inspection activities. To reduce the inspection burden on unit commanders, these events should be integrated within the command to ensure efficient use of inspection resources.
5. Officer in Charge(OIC): Unity of effort is important, no matter the make-up of the inspection team. If inspectors from several agencies combine their efforts into one inspection, then they must ensure that one individual is charged with coordinating their activities.
6. Performance Oriented: Every inspection must start with an evaluation of performance against the recognized standard to identify compliance with the standard. Deviation below the standard should result in exploration of whether the deviation is the result of training deficiencies, poor resource allocations, imperfectly understood requirements, or lack of motivation.
7. Reality Check: All inspectors should determine the magnitude of problems uncovered during the inspection. To avoid wasting precious resources on inconsequential shortcomings, inspectors should assess the severity of the problem. If the deficiency significantly affects mission accomplishment, then appropriate measures should be taken to address the problem.
8. Root Causes: Inspection procedures should allow for identification of the root cause of a deviation and for determination of where in the overall functional process or organizational structure the root cause lies.
9. Teaching: - Teaching is an essential element of all inspections and is the major purpose of all staff assistance visits. No inspection can be considered complete if those inspected have not been taught the goals and standards and how to achieve them.
10. Corrective Action: - The ultimate purpose of all inspections is to help commanders correct problems. While inspectors alone do not always fix deficiencies, every inspection will bring shortcoming to the attention of those who can correct them.
11. Verbal or Written Reports: - Inspection reports (verbal or written) for a key element in a successful inspection program. Recommendations should identify the persons or staff element responsible for making corrective actions. Inspection results may be held until the outbriefing or provided as the inspection progresses. The results may go directly to the commander or to staff and subordinate commanders, as appropriate. When inspection deficiencies indicate that violations of Federal Statute or public law have occurred, a formal written response will always be required.
12. Strengths and Shortcomings: Inspections should identify strengths as well as shortcomings. Sustaining strengths is an important aspect of commanding, leading and managing. Formally recognizing excellence help motivate soldiers and civilians to maintain high standards of performance.
13. Lessons Learned: Inspections can provide a vehicle for widespread improvement by evaluating successful techniques and providing feedback to units beyond those inspected. The spirit of cooperation and sharing strengthens the Army.
14. Follow-up Procedures: Inspection expend valuable resources and are not considered complete unless a follow-up plan is developed and executed to ensure corrective action is implemented. To reduce the administrative burden on inspected units, the requirement for a formal response to inspection reports must be carefully considered. The anticipated benefits from such replies should clearly exceed the effort associated with their preparation.

IG Assistance Function: AR 20-1

Anyone may submit a complaint, allegation, or request for assistance to any Army IG concerning matters of Army interest. When processing a request for assistance or conducting an IG inquiry or IG investigation to resolve an alleged concern, IGs will give priority attention to the need to protect confidentiality.

• IGs will encourage soldiers to first discuss complaints, allegations or requests for assistance with their commander or chain of command, as provided in AR 600-20. If a soldier does not wish to do so, the IG will accept the Inspector General Action Request (IGAR) unless specific redress procedures are available.
• Although a requester may submit an IGAR in any form, for example, by DA Form 1559-R, letter, or telephone, use of a DA Form 1559-R is preferred. The DA Form 1559-R provides the requester PA information and the purpose of the form.
• An IG inquiry is the most common means used by IGs to gather the information needed to respond to a requester. It is an informal fact-finding process, it is timely and thorough.
• An IG inquiry must provide the basis for responding to the IGAR and for correcting underlying deficiencies in Army procedures and systems.
• There are many situations for which law or regulation provides soldiers a remedy or means of redress. Soldiers must seek the redress or remedy before an IG can provided assistance. Once the soldier has used the available redress procedures, IG assistance is limited to a review of the situation to determine if the soldier was afforded due process provided by law or regulation. Listed below are examples of situations where specific redress, remedy, or appeals procedures are applicable.
  1. Court Martial Actions: See chap XII, Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, 1984 (chapter XII, MCM, 1984); AR 27-10; AR 15-180; and AR 15-185. Referral to a military lawyer for advice and assistance normally is appropriate.
  2. Nonjudicial Punishment: See UCMJ, Art. 15; part V, MCM 1984; AR 27-10. Referral to a military lawyer for advice and assistance normally is appropriate.
  3. Officer Evaluation Reports: See UCMJ, Art. 15; part V, MCM 1984; AR 27-10. Referral to a military lawyer for advice and assistance normally is appropriate.
  4. NCO Evaluation Reports: See UCMJ, Art. 15; part V, MCM 1984; AR 27-10. Referral to a military lawyer for advice and assistance normally is appropriate.
  5. Enlisted Reductions: See AR 600-200 and NGR 600-200 for ARNG personnel.
  6. Type of Discharge Received: See AR 15-180 and AR 15-185.
  7. Pending or Requested Discharge: See AR 635-100, AR 635-120, AR 635-200, AR 135-178, and NGR 600-200 and NGR 635-100 for ARNG personnel.
  8. Complaints that a Soldier has been wronged by the Commanding Officer: See UCMJ, Art 138, and AR 27-10. Referral to a military lawyer for advice and assistance normally is appropriate.
  9. Reports of Survey: See AR 735-5.
  10. Relief for Cause: See AR 735-5.
  11. Adverse Information filed in Personnel Records: See AR 600-37.
  12. Claims: See AR 27-20 and NGR 27-20 for ARNG personnel. If the claim is for redress of injuries to property, i.e., willful damage or wrongful taking, see UCMJ, Article 139. Referral to a military lawyer for advice and assistance normally is appropriate.

IG Investigative Function: AR 20-1

Inspectors General May investigate or conduct investigative IG inquiries into allegations that involve violations of policy, regulation, law, or mismanagement, unethical behavior, misconduct that may be of concern to the directing authority. The IGs will not normally investigate or conduct investigative IG inquiries in the following situations.

• The alleged impropriety is of a nature that, if substantiated, would likely constitute criminal misconduct.
• Substantiation of allegations is likely to result in adverse action against individuals.
• The Army has established means of redress, as noted in the Assistance Function information above.
• The allegations involve professional misconduct by an Army lawyer, military or civilian.
• The allegations involve mismanagement by a member of the Judge Advocate Legal Service serving in a supervisory capacity.

IG Teaching and Training Function: AR 20-1

Since the time of General Washington's IG, Major General von Steuben, training has been an integral part of all IG activities. While IGs are no longer the primary trainers of soldiers, they possess a reservoir of experience and knowledge to assist commanders in achieving disciplined and combat-ready units. The IGs teach skills, provide information, and assess attitudes while assisting, investigating, and inspecting. Through their example, IGs aid commanders in setting standards of behavior and appearance. IGs pass on lessons learned to enable others to benefit from past experiences.