JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – For some, the Inspector General is just a term they have heard and many don’t understand the importance of the office or how to access them.
The IG is a resource that U.S. Army Soldiers and Air Force Airmen can use to file complaints to make positive changes or start an investigation into problems in the workplace.
“The main reason we exist is for the viable complaints resolution process,” said Jim LaBarre, 633rd Air Base Wing IG director. “We help people who can’t resolve issues within their chain of command, or where there’s a grievance channel or appeals channel that doesn’t exist, then they can come to the IG.”
Although there are multiple initiatives from IG, a new one focuses on educating the people who live and work on base about their services.
“The TRUST initiative is one of our new programs. We identify key leaders, subject matter experts and key stakeholders by accomplishing and training the base populace program,” LaBarre said.
TRUST stands for train, recognize, utilize, sustain and trend analysis.
- Train: identify key leaders, subject matter experts and IG stakeholders.
- Recognize: provide recognition to key leaders and personnel who have helped the 633rd ABW IG perform its complaints resolution and training mission.
- Utilize: key leaders and personnel to process IG complaints to their appropriate resolution path within established timeframes.
- Sustain: new and long-standing relationships by remaining engaged with key personnel.
- Trend Analysis: conduct analysis of complaints and provide briefs when it identifies systematic, morale or other problems impeding mission effectiveness.
According to Jennifer Ellis, 633rd ABW IG investigator, when a complaint is brought to them it does not need to be vetted through a chain of command.
“We don’t necessarily follow the chain of command,” said Jennifer Ellis, 633rd ABW IG. “No one can restrict somebody from coming to the IG.”
Once a complaint has been submitted, the process for determining where a complaint should go is based on several variables.
“When we receive a complaint we do an analysis on it; if we determine it’s a command related issue that needs to be referred to command, we will send them the complaint and they owe us a report within 30 days.” LaBarre said.
Based on those variables there are several avenues that a complaint can go down:
Transfer – to another IG office.
Referral – an organization or agency outside the Air Force IG system can more appropriately handle a complaint alleging a violation of instruction, policy, or procedure.
Investigate – decided after a thorough complaint analysis of all issues presented a detailed examination to uncover the facts and determine the truth of a matter.
Assist – giving aid or support to quickly remedy a personal problem.
Dismiss – a complaint is dismissed if a thorough complaint analysis determines it is not appropriate for IG investigation.
To contact one of the four Langley IG offices call:
- 633 ABW/IG, (757) 764-5162
- HQ ACC/IGQ, (757) 764-8712
- 363 ISRW/IG, (757) 225-3834
- 480 ISRW/IG, (757) 225-3022
Or e-mail the 633 ABW/IGQ: 633abwigq@us.af.mil
To contact the Fort Eustis IG office call: