A Short History of the Inspector General Published Oct. 9, 2009 By Lt. Col. Mark Hedman 47th Flying Training Wing Inspector General LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Sometimes I get the impression that people see the Inspector General, or IG, in a negative light. Some may think that the IG is out to make your life difficult or snoop into your business. Or perhaps they think the IG is someone to be feared. Maybe that feeling is understandable, but it's certainly not the whole story. I'd like to take a moment to review the background of the IG system, to help you understand how we got to where we are today, and hopefully sway any negative opinions to a more positive light. When the "shot heard round the world" was fired in Massachusetts in April 1775, our nation entered the Revolutionary War against the British. The Continental Congress was immediately faced with the challenge of establishing a federal army. At that time, each of the 13 colonies (they weren't states yet, and we had no federal constitution) raised militias for protection of their territories. These militias were purely "all volunteer" units. Congress appointed General George Washington as commander of all Continental forces; it became his job to meld these militias together into a cohesive fighting force. To help build an effective, capable army, early American leaders borrowed some concepts from the long established, great armies of Europe. One of the concepts they borrowed was the use of an Inspector General. Gen. Washington established the duties of the Inspector General to instruct as well as review the troops, to instill discipline, and ensure that "the officers command their soldiers properly and do them justice." Benjamin Franklin, serving in France as an agent of Congress, recommended several individuals from European armies for service under Washington. One of these was a Prussian officer, Baron Friedrich von Steuben. Steuben became one of the Continental Army's first Inspector Generals. He is famous for drilling the Continental Army during the difficult winter at Valley Forge in 1777 and 1778. He developed a system of training and inspection which was used by the United States Army for decades. Because of his impact, Steuben has been called the father of the Inspector General system. The concept of the Inspector General, which began in the earliest days of our nation's military history, survives to this day. The IG exists at all levels of our military, from the Department of Defense, to the individual services, major commands and down to the wing level. Here at the 47th Flying Training Wing, the IG manages the wing inspection program, conducts exercises and runs the Air Force complaints program. Recently we conducted a wing-wide self-inspection. This may have seemed like a painful process, but it's probably the best way to make sure we're doing our job in accordance with Air Force instructions. I'm sure many of us learned things through that self-inspection that help us do our job better. Ultimately, the wing inspection program aims to ensure readiness through compliance with established guidance. Next May we'll face our big test with the AETC Unit Compliance Inspection, or UCI. The AETC IG team will review all our processes and give us an objective assessment of how well we're really doing. The IG also builds exercise scenarios to improve our ability to respond to contingencies. The intent is to expose ourselves to difficult situations so that if we ever encounter the real thing we'll be better able to handle it. In large part, AF instructions define what we must exercise. But we also work closely with wing leadership to develop scenarios that provide valuable training in areas where we need it. For example, two recent "Scarlet Hawk" exercises - a mock aircraft mishap and a terrorist-caused mass casualty scenario - were focused on training command and control, plus many facets of emergency and medical response. We even involved our civilian counterparts from Del Rio to help strengthen working relationships with them. Reflecting on Gen. Washington's requirement that "officers command their soldiers properly and do them justice", the IG also manages the Air Force complaints resolution program. Through the IG, the Air Force provides a grievance channel for folks to express complaints and report problems when they feel they have no where else to go. The IG will provide an unbiased and objective review of the issue to make sure there is no abuse of authority or violation of Air Force guidance. I like to think that we're not an advocate for the Air Force, or the complainant; we're an advocate for the truth. Hopefully I've given you a broader picture of the IG system, where we came from and what our purpose is, and perhaps even alleviated any misgivings about who we are and what we do. Our goal is to instill trust that the Air Force will take care of its people, and to make sure everyone - and I mean everyone - remains accountable to the standards and expectations we set for ourselves. Much of the content regarding the history of the Inspector General is derived from David A. Clary and Joseph W. A. Whitehorne's The Inspectors General of the United States Army 1777 - 1903 (Washington, D.C.: Office of the Inspector General and Center of Military History, United States Army, 1987), Chapters 2, 3, and 4.