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The IG is an independent entity which exists to investigate misconduct and fraud/waste/abuse. There are Inspectors General at all levels from local bases up to

The IG is an independent entity which exists to investigate misconduct and fraud/waste/abuse. There are Inspectors General at all levels from local bases up to the Secretary of Defense, and they have confidential reporting hotlines. The only thing worse for a commander than having shenanigans be substantiated at an IG investigation is to have been found to tolerate retaliation against the reporters. Generally about every month or two, a Navy commanding officer gets canned for "loss of confidence in his/her ability to command." They aren't bulletproof, quite the opposite. And leaving out cases of alcohol misuse and/or sexual misconduct, other common causes are things within the IG's purview.

buildsjets 2y ago
It sounds like a certain commercial aircraft manufacturer that starts with a B and ends with an oeing could really use an effective Inspector General system.
- theK 2y ago
  Probably. The biggest blind spot internal auditors have is things that didn't leave a paper trail. It is too common that such investigations don't even start because there is just one connecting piece of evidence missing. Leave a paper trail people!
jiggawatts 2y ago
Much more realistically: Individual A reports a unique or rare problem. Everyone knows it is reported by person A. Nothing is done. Person A reports the problem "anonymously" to some third party, which raises a stink about the problem. Now everyone knows that person A reported the problem to the third party. This is why I (almost) never blow the whistle. It's an automatic career-ending move, and any protections are make-believe at best.
- psunavy03 2y ago
  Then Person A needs to haul their butt to the Defense Service Office, call their Member of Congress, and tell the "anonymous" hotline that they've been retaliated against. I'm not pretending this is some magic ticket to puppy-rainbow-fairy land where retaliation never occurs, but ultimately, how much do you care about your shipmates? I had a CPO once as one of my direct reports committing major misconduct and threatening my shop with retaliation if they reported it. I could have helped crush the bastard if someone had come forward to me, but no one ever did until I'd turned over the division to someone else, after which it blew up. Sure, he eventually got found out, but still. He was a great con artist and he pulled the wool over my eyes, but all I'd have needed is one person cluing me in to that snake. Speaking from the senior officer level, we're not all some cabal trying to sweep shit under the rug. And the IGs, as much as they're feared, aren't out to nail people to the wall who haven't legitimately done bad things. I'm sorry you've had the experience you've had, but that doesn't mean that everyone above you was some big blue wall willing to protect folks who've done wrong.
  - johnnyanmac 2y ago
    heck, you're in the ship too. I'll take all the retalitation if I get to keep breathing. If they wanna kick me out over saving my own skin, fine. Saves me from deserting.
- jjmarr 2y ago
  The US Navy has over 300k active-duty personnel. I suppose it's easier to just go somewhere else where no-one knows who you are.
- nativeit 2y ago
  The person ignoring their subordinate’s reports to protect their own next promotion has entered the chat.

buildsjets 2y ago

It sounds like a certain commercial aircraft manufacturer that starts with a B and ends with an oeing could really use an effective Inspector General system.

theK 2y ago
Probably. The biggest blind spot internal auditors have is things that didn't leave a paper trail. It is too common that such investigations don't even start because there is just one connecting piece of evidence missing. Leave a paper trail people!

jiggawatts 2y ago

Much more realistically: Individual A reports a unique or rare problem. Everyone knows it is reported by person A. Nothing is done. Person A reports the problem "anonymously" to some third party, which raises a stink about the problem. Now everyone knows that person A reported the problem to the third party. This is why I (almost) never blow the whistle. It's an automatic career-ending move, and any protections are make-believe at best.

psunavy03 2y ago
Then Person A needs to haul their butt to the Defense Service Office, call their Member of Congress, and tell the "anonymous" hotline that they've been retaliated against. I'm not pretending this is some magic ticket to puppy-rainbow-fairy land where retaliation never occurs, but ultimately, how much do you care about your shipmates? I had a CPO once as one of my direct reports committing major misconduct and threatening my shop with retaliation if they reported it. I could have helped crush the bastard if someone had come forward to me, but no one ever did until I'd turned over the division to someone else, after which it blew up. Sure, he eventually got found out, but still. He was a great con artist and he pulled the wool over my eyes, but all I'd have needed is one person cluing me in to that snake. Speaking from the senior officer level, we're not all some cabal trying to sweep shit under the rug. And the IGs, as much as they're feared, aren't out to nail people to the wall who haven't legitimately done bad things. I'm sorry you've had the experience you've had, but that doesn't mean that everyone above you was some big blue wall willing to protect folks who've done wrong.
- johnnyanmac 2y ago
  heck, you're in the ship too. I'll take all the retalitation if I get to keep breathing. If they wanna kick me out over saving my own skin, fine. Saves me from deserting.
jjmarr 2y ago
The US Navy has over 300k active-duty personnel. I suppose it's easier to just go somewhere else where no-one knows who you are.
nativeit 2y ago
The person ignoring their subordinate’s reports to protect their own next promotion has entered the chat.