Department of Defense Inspector General Jon T. Rymer will serve as the first lead inspector general for an overseas contingency operation. Chair Phyllis Fong, Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, made this designation for Operation Inherent Resolve on December 17, 2014, in accordance with Section 8L of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended.
“I welcome the opportunity to work with my colleagues at the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development Offices of Inspector General to leverage our existing resources as we begin this critical mission,” Rymer said. “Our coordination, to date, has resulted in developing a framework to provide comprehensive and independent oversight over all federal programs and operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve through either joint or individual audits, inspections, and investigations. This framework will ensure coordinated oversight across agency jurisdictional divisions and provide timely and relevant results to members of Congress and agency leaders who must make informed program, policy and funding decisions. We plan to issue the first lead inspector general report in April 2015.”
The mission of the lead inspector general is to coordinate, develop and carry out a strategic plan—jointly prepared and implemented by the inspectors general at the Departments of Defense and State and USAID—to conduct comprehensive oversight and reporting over all aspects of the contingency operation.
Rymer’s first responsibility under the law was to appoint an associate inspector general to act in a coordinating role to assist the lead inspector general. Rymer appointed Department of State Inspector General Steve A. Linick to serve in that role.
“We look forward to working with Lead Inspector General Rymer as we work toward the goal of providing effective, independent and comprehensive oversight of Operation Inherent Resolve,” Linick said.
Additional responsibilities of the lead inspector general include, among others:
To review and ascertain the accuracy of information provided by federal agencies relating to obligations and expenditures, costs of programs and projects, accountability of funds, and the award and execution of major contracts, grants and agreements in support of the contingency operation.
To exercise responsibility for discharging oversight responsibilities when Departments of Defense and State and USAID have no jurisdiction.
To determine which IG has principal jurisdiction when more than one inspector general from the DoD, DOS and USAID has jurisdiction.
To submit biannual reports to Congress about the oversight activities of the inspectors general and quarterly reports on the contingency operation.
“The oversight efforts of Operation Inherent Resolve by our three agencies will ensure proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” said USAID Deputy Inspector General Michael G. Carroll.