The role of the Inspector General Published June 25, 2007 By Lt. Col. James Berres 325th Fighter Wing inspector general TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- In 1778, upon Gen. George Washington's recommendation, Congress appointed the first United States Inspector General. Capt. Baron Von Steuben was a Prussian officer who had formally served with Frederick the Great. He was recognized by General Washington as having the skills necessary to maintain good order and discipline among his troops. To entice the Prussians into the Continental Army, Capt. Von Steuben was offered a step promotion to lieutenant general. Capt. Von Steuben, seeking adventure and needing a job, accepted the offer and so began the long tradition of American inspector generals. The duties of the IG have certainly changed over the last 229 years, but the goal has remained the same. That goal is to make our military a more effective fighting force. In 1778, that meant standardized training and technical knowledge. Today, the IG's goal is still standardization, as well as responsive and objective complaint resolution. My job, as your installation Inspector General, deals with the latter, complaint resolution. But to explain my role, I want to start with what this office does not do. At the base level we are not inspectors. It is not our role to inspect your squadron or agency and "write you up." We don't wear the "black hat" and we certainly do not relish an adversarial role with anyone. What then do we do? Our primary job is to be the "eyes, ears and conscience of the command" and to act as an ombudsman for the base populace, whether military, civilian, dependant or retiree. Now if the word "ombudsman" conjures up images of a beer delivery man, well, it did for me too. The dictionary defines ombudsman as "a government official charged with investigating citizens' complaints against the government and assisting in achieving fair settlements," which is a perfect description for what this office does. This is the primary role of an installation IG, although our scope is limited to what goes on at the base level. We are here to help you resolve your complaints or to find solutions to problems you may have with the military system. We have ready access to all levels of the IG complaint system so we can elevate the problem to major command-level, Air Force-level, or Department of Defense-level if the situation dictates. It is important, however, that using your chain of command to resolve problems should always be your first course of action. In most cases, the leadership in your squadron has the expertise, the past experience and the tools required to resolve whatever problem you may have. And because of these advantages, the problem can be resolved most expediently. When people feel that their complaint has not received the attention they think it deserves within the chain, or if the problem lies within the chain, that's where we can help. I want to caution you that you may not get the answer you seek by bringing us your complaint. But I do promise you that your complaint will get a thorough, unbiased look. The IG system has a great track record. Approximately 80 percent of individuals seeking IG assistance receive help in some way. From General Von Steuben to the present, IGs have played an important role in assuring American military dominance. Here at Tyndall AFB, my office is in the business of problem resolution so that you can focus on the mission. For it is when we are working together and sharing a common goal, that our Air Force is unbeatable!