Overseas Contingency Operations

This Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report to United States Congress on Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS) is the fifth quarterly report detailing the overseas contingency operation (OCO). This report summarizes the quarter’s key events, provides an update on the OFS mission and its operating environment, and describes completed, ongoing, and planned Lead IG and partner agency work related to this OCO. This report covers the period from April 1, 2016, to June 30, 2016.

Under OFS, U.S. forces are conducting two complementary missions in Afghanistan: 1) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led Resolute Support Mission to train, advise, assist, and equip Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, and 2) the U.S. counterterrorism mission against al Qaeda, the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), and their affiliates in Afghanistan. The objective of the Resolute Support Mission is to develop self-sustaining Afghan security forces that are capable of maintaining security under responsible Afghan civilian authorities. U.S. counterterrorism efforts remain focused on preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists planning attacks against the U.S. homeland and against U.S. interests and partners.

As discussed in more detail in the report, the overall security situation in Afghanistan remained challenging this quarter. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have been combatting an increasing number of attacks from the Taliban and terrorist organizations. To understand the OFS environment, the report examines the threats posed by various insurgent groups, significant combat developments, and efforts to reach a peace accord. The report then discusses the U.S. support for Resolute Support, and provides an assessment, based on information provided by commanders in Afghanistan, of the efforts to develop of the Afghan security forces.  

This quarter, the Lead IG agencies and oversight partners released two reports related to OFS and opened five new investigations of fraud, waste, and abuse related to the OFS mission. As of June 30, 2016, the Lead IG agencies and oversight partners had 29 ongoing oversight projects and 25 ongoing OFS-related investigations.

Section 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, provides a mandate for the three Lead IG agencies—the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG), Department of State Office of Inspector General (DoS OIG), and U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG)—to work together to develop and carry out joint, comprehensive, and strategic oversight. Each IG retains statutory independence, but together they apply their extensive regional experience and in-depth institutional knowledge to conduct oversight of the OFS missions.

To view or download the print version of the Lead IG Quarterly Report to the United States Congress on OFS, June 30, 2016, Click Here

This Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report to United States Congress on Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) is the sixth quarterly report detailing the overseas contingency operation (OCO).  This report summarizes the quarter’s key events, provides an update on the nine Strategic Lines of Effort to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and describes completed, ongoing, and planned Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) and partner agency work related to this OCO. This report covers the period from April 1, 2016, to June 30, 2016.

OIR is dedicated to countering the terrorist threat posed by the ISIL in Iraq, Syria, the region, and the broader international community. The U.S. strategy to counter ISIL includes support to military operations associated with OIR as well as diplomacy, governance, security programs and activities, and, separately, humanitarian assistance.

As the report discusses in more detail, since April 1, 2016, U.S.-backed forces have liberated territory in Iraq and Syria from ISIL and degraded their military and financial resources. Despite this progress, terror attacks were launched in Iraq, Syria, and abroad, with ISIL claiming credit or considered to be responsible.

This quarter, the Lead IG agencies and oversight partners released nine reports related to OIR and opened 12 new investigations of fraud, waste, and abuse related to the OIR mission. As of June 30, 2016, the Lead IG agencies had 46 ongoing or planned oversight projects, and 47 ongoing investigations.

Section 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, provides a mandate for the three Lead IG agencies—the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG), Department of State OIG, and U.S. Agency for International Development OIG—to work together to develop and carry out joint, comprehensive, and strategic oversight. Each IG retains statutory independence, but together, they apply their extensive regional experience and in-depth institutional knowledge to conduct oversight of the whole-of-government mission to destroy ISIL and address the severe humanitarian crises in Iraq and Syria.

To view or download the print version of the Lead IG Report to the United States Congress on OIR, April 1, 2016-June 30, 2016,  click here.

This is the Lead Inspector General’s 4th Quarterly Report to the United States Congress on Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS) detailing key events of the overseas contingency operation that occurred during the period January 1, 2016, to March 31, 2016. The report also features oversight work conducted by the Lead IG and partner oversight agencies from October 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016, and ongoing and future oversight work, as of March 31, 2016.  Going forward, the Lead IG report will provide oversight information every quarter instead of on a biannual basis.

Under OFS, U.S. forces are conducting two complementary missions in Afghanistan:  1) the counterterrorism mission against al Qaeda, its associates, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (IS-K), which was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization on January 14, 2016; and 2) the train, advise, and assist mission in cooperation with NATO allies and partner nations to continue building the capabilities of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF).

As our report describes in more detail, the overall security situation in Afghanistan remained unsettled this quarter.  The NATO-led Resolute Support Mission reported progress in building the capacity of the ANDSF through its train, advise, and assist efforts, with much of the NATO-led effort focused on the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior, where Coalition advisors have long exerted significant effort to strengthen critical managerial functions.  In addition, a major focus of Resolute Support occurred in Helmand province, where the deployment of additional Coalition advisors guided re-equipping and re-training of several battalions of the Afghanistan National Army 215th Corps.

Section 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, provides a mandate for the three Lead IG agencies—the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG), Department of State Office of Inspector General (DoS OIG), and U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG)—to work together to develop and carry out joint, comprehensive, and strategic oversight. Each IG retains statutory independence, but together they apply their extensive regional experience and in-depth institutional knowledge to conduct oversight of the OFS missions. 

During the period October 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016, the Lead IG agencies released 7 reports. There were also 24 ongoing oversight projects. In addition, the criminal investigative components of the DoD, DoS, and USAID OIGs had 15 ongoing investigations.

To view or download the print version of the Lead IG Quarterly Report to the United States Congress on OFS, March 31, 2016, click here