Marine Corps Base Quantico

 

Marine Corps Base Quantico

"Crossroads of the Marine Corps"

Unit News
The inspector general office, what they do, don’t do

By Daniel Choike III | Marine Corps Base Quantico | August 27, 2015

Marine Corps base Quantico -- Everyone knows who they are, but not specifically what they do. The Inspector General is a special staff officer that is assigned to military installations and most major commands. They investigate abuse of power, waste of resources, and fraud. The IG here reports to the base commander. The IG staff is positioned to give a neutral perspective on different concerns that may arise on base.

“We are chartered to serve as an independent, impartial, fact-finding body for the commander to look into fraud, waste, and abuse within the command or within other areas or organizations the commander might be responsible for,” said Michael Smith, the Marine Corps Base Quantico deputy inspector general.

The IG staff at Quantico evaluates approximately one hundred different complaints or requests for assistance and conducts between twelve to twenty-five investigations annually. Additionally, the IG conducts inspections and special assessments around the base. These inspections and assessments help the base commander determine solutions for potential concerns aboard Quantico in relation to fraud, waste, or abuse.

Due to confusion, however, the IG staff regularly receives calls that should be directed to other departments. Criminal activity, command climate concerns related to Equal Opportunity or Equal Employment Opportunity, or adverse personnel actions are not typically investigated by the IG. Many common questions about items appropriate for review by the IG can be answered by visiting www.quantico.marines.mil/OfficesStaff/CommandInspectorGeneral.aspx.

When contacting the IG with concerns there are a few things to keep in mind. The first is that the office needs as much information as possible in order to properly investigate any claim.

“We do evaluate every complaint that we get and it all depends on the information given to us to determine what we can do with it,” said Smith.

Secondly, remaining anonymous may compromise the strength of your complaint. “If we can’t clearly identify who did something wrong and what they violated, then we can’t open an investigation,” said Smith.

Lastly, properly conducted investigations can take up to 90 days or more.

For more information please visit www.quantico.marines.mil. To voice a concern please call the IG hotline available at (703) 784-2392 or via email at

mcincr-ig-hotline@usmc.mil.

Inspector General Marine Corps Base Quantico Michael Smith Marine Corps Base Quantico deputy inspector general