The Office of the Inspector General (OTIG) serves to "provide impartial, objective and unbiased advice and oversight to the Army through relevant, timely and thorough inspection, assistance, investigations, and training." The position has existed since 1777, when

Thomas Conway Thomas Conway (February 27, 1735 – c. 1800) served as a major general in the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He became involved with the alleged Conway Cabal with Horatio Gates. He later served with Émigré for ...

was appointed the first inspector. The department was reorganized many times, and almost abolished on several occasions. In its early days, the department was frequently merged with, or proposed to be part of the

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

. It expanded greatly after the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, to the point that it had around 2,000 officers in 1993. The current holder of the position is Donna W. Martin.

History

The Office of the Inspector General of the United States Army dates back to the appointment of Augustin de la Balme (IG July 8, 1777October 11, 1777) as "inspector-general of the cavalry of the United States of America" and

Philippe-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Tronson Du Coudray Philippe Charles Jean Baptiste Tronson du Coudray (September 8, 1738 – September 11, 1777) was a French army officer who volunteered for service in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Early life Born in Reims, France, ...

(IG August 11, 1777September 15, 1777) as "Inspector General of Ordnance and Military Stores" during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. The first inspector general was

(IG December 13, 1777April 28, 1778). Next,

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben (born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis von Steuben; September 17, 1730 – November 28, 1794), also referred to as Baron von Steuben (), was a Prussian military officer who ...

(IG May 5, 1778April 15, 1784) was selected by Washington. The position continued, variously merged with, commanding or being commanded by the Adjutant General of the United States Army until after the

, when it was formally established as an office equivalent to other Army departments. Most people who ascend to this post receive the pay grade of O9. After the war, the inspectorate continued to largely grow. It was criticized for performance during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, but the role of the office soon increased significantly, to the point that anything affecting the army's efficiency was within its scope. Upon the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the department grew dramatically, shrinking during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, and further growing throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

Current role

The Inspector General of the United States Army reports to the

United States Secretary of the Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

(SA) and the

Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...

(CSA). The IG investigates and reports on the "discipline, efficiency, economy, morale, training, and readiness" of the army, and acts as the "eyes, ears, voice, and conscience" of the SA and CSA. The inspectorate is authorized to undertake any investigations where they see necessary, and cooperates with the

Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense The Department of Defense Inspector General (DoDIG) is an independent, objective agency that provides oversight related to the programs and operations of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). DoD IG was created in 1982 as an amendment t ...

. The inspector is also responsible for inspecting various issues in the army including alleged problems within the army. The OTIG is composed of officers, non-commissioned officers, and DA civilians. It has a field operating agency, the United States Army Inspector General Agency, which comprises operational and support divisions. Any inspector is required to take the Inspector General oath: The Inspection Division has inspected or reviewed soldier readiness programs, risk management programs, anti-terrorism and force protection, extremist group activities, homosexual conduct policy implementation, and the

No Gun Ri massacre The No Gun Ri massacre () occurred on July 26–29, 1950, early in the Korean War, when an undetermined number of South Korean refugees were killed in a U.S. air attack and by small- and heavy-weapons fire of the American 7th Cavalry Regiment a ...

during the Korean War.

References

External links

* {{authority control United States Army Federal government of the United States Army Offfice of the Inspector Generanl

History

Current role

References

Further reading

External links