HONOLULU - For nearly 231 years the Army's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has served commanders through its dedicated practice of investigating and providing guidance to Soldiers and civilians so they stand ready to complete their missions.
As the new year begins, Regional Health Command-Pacific, also known as RHC-P's, OIG continues with the mission of providing objective and impartial support to RHC-P's active-duty and civilian staff with clarification and guidance on commonly misunderstood Army regulations, policies, procedures and best practices.
"We build on the enduring excellence of the inspector general system and extend the RHC-P commander's eyes, ears, voice and conscience to create a more credible, reliable and knowledgeable organization, with a reputation for providing confidential and accurate assistance to Soldiers, family members, civilian staff and patients," states Lt. Col. Vernon Wheeler, RHC-P command inspector general. "We thoroughly embrace and display the core Army values; teach and train Soldiers and adaptive leaders."
As one of the commander's representatives, the OIG resolves issues as the directing authority to deciding allegations of impropriety. The OIG investigates violations of policy, regulation or law, mismanagement, unethical behavior, fraud and misconduct. The office also provides a safe environment for employees to seek assistance. The OIG works to educate all involved parties and ensures concerns are resolved at the lowest level possible, facilitating complicated or confusing guidance and procedures but always following regional, Army Medicine and Army regulations, policies and procedures.
"We identify systemic trends and issues throughout RHC-P, Army Medicine and the Army," says Wheeler. "Then we work to develop and assist with the implementation of solutions to emerging trends in support of organizational success. The OIG is responsible for inquiring and reporting on the discipline, efficiency, economy, morale, training and readiness within Army units," added Wheeler.
The OIG is always available for assistance, but first and foremost, those seeking assistance should use the resources available at their unit or office, giving those responsible an opportunity to assist in resolving concerns. For example, employees with grievances can first use their chain of command to address issues. If personnel feel they are not being properly supported, the OIG may be able to assist, or know someone who can.
No matter where assistance is sought, confidentiality will be maintained as best as possible. The OIG does not make recommendations on punishments or adverse actions. This allows them to remain neutral and impartial while fact finding, supporting the policy and regulatory guidance in place.
RHC-P's OIG has office locations at Tripler Army Medical Center and Madigan Army Medical Center in order to support the larger populations at those facilities. If employees are not located at one of those centers they can seek assistance at one of the regional offices in Hawaii or Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. However, anyone can submit a complaint, allegation or request for information or assistance to any Army OIG worldwide.
To find an OIG, use the new IG locator app available on iTunes. To download the apps, search "IG Locator" and "IG Bookshelf" in the iTunes App Store. The locator app is a digital directory that contains contact information for Army OIGs both in the U.S. and overseas, Individuals located in the Pacific region can also email usarmy.tripler.medcom-tamc.list.ig@mail.mil.
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