Two Men Arrested and Charged in Conspiracy to Export Military Aircraft Parts to Iran
June 23, 2008 – Two men, Hassan Saied Keshari and Traiam Bujduvean, have been arrested on charges of conspiring to export military aircraft parts to Iran, the Department of Justice has announced.
The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern district of Florida, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, and.
“The illegal diversion of U.S. military technologies through deception, particularly to countries such as Iran, is treacherous and dangerous to the U.S. and its allies,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amato of the DCIS Southeast Field Office. “These arrests are yet another example of the successes that can be achieved by effectively partnering investigative resources from DCIS, ICE, and Commerce.” (more)
Comprehensive Audit Plan For Southwest Asia (Section 842)
June 18, 2008 – The Department of Defense Inspector General released today the “Comprehensive Audit Plan for Southwest Asia.” The plan was facilitated by the DoD IG Joint Planning Group-Southwest Asia and includes the individual audit plans of the Inspectors General of the Department of Defense, Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development; and the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. It also includes the planned audit work of the Army Audit Agency, Air Force Audit Agency, and Defense Contract Audit Agency because of the major contributions they make to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of support to the military.
The comprehensive plan was developed in response to the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act which requires the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and the Special Inspectors General for Iraq Reconstruction and Afghanistan Reconstruction to develop comprehensive plans for a series of audits respective to their outlined areas of oversight responsibilities in Iraq and Afghanistan (Public Law 110-181, Section 842, “Investigation of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Wartime Contracts and Contracting Processes in Iraq and Afghanistan”).
The plan will be updated on a periodic basis. Updates will include the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction plan. To view the plan click here.
Military Training Compound Construction Site Visited by DoD IG Auditors in Afghanistan
May 12, 2008 – A construction site at a military training compound in Afghanistan was recently visited by auditors from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD IG) as part of an ongoing series of projects focusing on the accountability of Afghanistan Security Forces Funds.
The visit was part of the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund - Phase III Audit
(D2007-D000LQ-0161.002), which is being conducted to determine whether or not goods and services purchased using the Afghanistan Security Forces Funds were properly delivered to the Afghanistan Security Forces.
The U.S. Army uses the training compound to conduct basic training for the Afghan National Army. The training cycles last 10 weeks.
DoD IG Auditors Staying Busy in Southwest Asia
February 29, 2008 – The Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (DoD IG) has 29 auditors dedicated to Southwest Asia (SWA) operations and deployable as mission requirements dictate.
An average of a dozen auditors are “in country” at any one time. The number in that “core contingent” varies, depending on requirements. In January there were 10 auditors on the ground in SWA. That number rose to 15 in February and is expected to reach 19 in March.
Auditors assigned to the core contingent serve six and 12 month deployments. They may also be supplemented by other auditors who are “expeditionary team members” deploying for 120 days to work on specific audit projects. Auditors in SWA may be assigned to field offices in Iraq, Afghanistan or Qatar.
A number of DoD IG auditors have already served multiple tours. One senior auditor has served four tours in SWA. She served three in Iraq for a total of 703 days and one in Qatar for 83 days.
While there is a lot of auditing work related to the Global War on Terror (GWOT) to be done in SWA, there is also a lot back in the United States, where most of the records, procurement offices and contractors are located. As a result, more than 190 DoD IG auditors are assigned to projects supporting GWOT, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan.
To see a list of ongoing DoD IG audits in SWA, click here. To see a list of completed audits, click here.
Three People Indicted on Bribery Charges Involving Contracts to Provide Drinking Water to U.S. Troops Overseas
February 12, 2008 – A former Army official, his wife, and a North Carolina businessman were indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta, GA, on bribery charges involving contracts to provide drinking water to U.S. troops overseas.
The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
"The Defense Criminal Investigative Service remains committed to protecting the
interests of the brave men and women serving their country at home and abroad through aggressively investigating criminal activity which impacts their welfare," said Acting Director Sharon Woods. "Public corruption which threatens the interests of members of the military also causes Americans to lose faith in public officials, and leads to distrust in government. Especially alarming is the fact that this investigation involved contracts calling for production of safe drinking water for U.S. troops in geographical areas where water is scarce."
The contracts provided for training, maintenance and refurbishment of Reverse
Osmosis Water Purification Units (ROWPUs) used to make non-potable water
drinkable. The ROWPUs were deployed to overseas locations including Iraq. (more)
DoD IG Receives Award for Dedication and Courage for Its Forward Deployed Presence in Southwest Asia
October 23, 2007 –The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has been presented with the Sentner Award for Dedication and Courage in recognition of its forward deployed presence in Southwest Asia.
The presentation was made at the 10th Annual Awards Ceremony of the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) and the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency (ECIE) held today at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington D.C.
To read more about these and other awards presented to members of the DoD IG during the 10th Annual PCIE/ECIE Awards Ceremony, click here.
Inspector General Kicklighter Meets with General McNeill While in Afghanistan
September 25, 2007 – Department of Defense Inspector General Claude M. “Mick” Kicklighter recently met with General Dan McNeill, Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The meeting took place at the ISAF compound in Kabul.
Inspector General Kicklighter was in Afghanistan leading the interagency, inter-service Assessment Team for Munitions Accountability and briefed Gen. McNeill about the objectives of the Assessment Team.
The DoD Office of the Inspector General is working with several agencies to assess the effectiveness of the management and accountability of munitions and explosives provided to the Iraqi and Afghanistan security forces, and recommend corrective actions to address any oversight weaknesses identified.
DoD IG Team Visits Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
April 16, 2007, Landstuhl, Germany –Mr. Brem Morrison, DoD Assistant Inspector General for Inspections and Evaluations (I&E), and members of his staff recently visited the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LMRC) to analyze the “deployed warrior” medical management process and the associated patient information systems. The visit is part of the field work for the interagency DoD/ Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Care Transition Project.
Col. W. Bryan Gamble, LRMC Commander, and his staff briefed the I&E team on how they accomplish their mission and offered ideas on process improvements. Other members of the I&E team included Col. Michael Luft, USAF; Mr. Stephen Chiusano, I&E senior analyst; and Lt. Cmdr. Robert Cooper, USN. The visit was conducted March 21–23, 2007.
The purpose of the joint DoD/VA project is to evaluate laws, policies, and processes affecting service members injured in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and to improve how they transition from the DoD system of health care and other benefits to the VA.
Mr. Gimble Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee
March 20, 2007 – DoD Acting Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble testified before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, at a hearing on “Combating War Profiteering: Are We Doing Enough to Investigate and Prosecute Contracting Fraud and Abuse in Iraq?”
Also testifying before the Committee hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building were Mr. Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, and Mr. Barry Sabin, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice.
To see a copy of Mr. Gimble’s opening statement, click here.
Audit Teams Continue Deployment to Iraq
March 12, 2007 – General David H. Petraeus, Commander, Multinational Force – Iraq, is shown visiting with a Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (DoD OIG) audit team in Camp Victory near Baghdad. Nineteen auditors from the DoD OIG have deployed to Iraq during the past year and a half for periods ranging from a few weeks to a year. Some auditors have been deployed multiple times.
Auditors are generally sent as part of a team focused on a specific audit project. Currently, there are 15 ongoing audits being performed by the DoD OIG in support of the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
A list of completed, ongoing and planned GWOT-related audits is available on this web site. To see them and get other information about what the DoD OIG is doing in Iraq and elsewhere, click here.
June 23, 2008 – Two men, Hassan Saied Keshari and Traiam Bujduvean, have been arrested on charges of conspiring to export military aircraft parts to Iran, the Department of Justice has announced.
June 18, 2008 – The Department of Defense Inspector General released today the “Comprehensive Audit Plan for Southwest Asia.” The plan was facilitated by the DoD IG Joint Planning Group-Southwest Asia and includes the individual audit plans of the Inspectors General of the Department of Defense, Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development; and the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. It also includes the planned audit work of the Army Audit Agency, Air Force Audit Agency, and Defense Contract Audit Agency because of the major contributions they make to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of support to the military.
May 12, 2008 – A construction site at a military training compound in Afghanistan was recently visited by auditors from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD IG) as part of an ongoing series of projects focusing on the accountability of Afghanistan Security Forces Funds.
February 12, 2008 – 
October 23, 2007 –The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has been presented with the Sentner Award for Dedication and Courage in recognition of its forward deployed presence in Southwest Asia. 
September 25, 2007 – Department of Defense Inspector General Claude M. “Mick” Kicklighter recently met with 
April 16, 2007, Landstuhl, Germany –Mr. Brem Morrison, DoD Assistant Inspector General for Inspections and Evaluations (I&E), and members of his staff recently visited the 
March 12, 2007 – General David H. Petraeus, Commander, Multinational Force – Iraq, is shown visiting with a Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General (DoD OIG) audit team in Camp Victory near Baghdad. Nineteen auditors from the DoD OIG have deployed to Iraq during the past year and a half for periods ranging from a few weeks to a year. Some auditors have been deployed multiple times.