IG clarifies complaint resolution process Published June 11, 2014 By Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The 52nd Fighter Wing Inspector General Complaints Resolutions department acts as the eyes and ears of the wing commander and allows the Spangdahlem community to identify either good trends or areas of concern. The program is open for any member of the Spangdahlem community, be it service member, contractor or Defense Department civilian. "We're the last resort to people who feel processes, treatment or programs are unfair," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jeremy Novak, 52nd Fighter Wing Inspector General. "We have the ability to cut through the red tape and bureaucracy to reach ground truth and truly help people that need it. "There has to be a certain level of confidence in how U.S. military leaders are doing their job," he continued. "We ensure there is resolution to any problems and give confidence back to the people." There are three primary matters that law and Air Force Instruction require the IG to investigate: reprisal; restriction; and fraud, waste and abuse. Reprisal Reprisal is when someone takes action against another for reporting a wrongdoing or if someone is punished for going to a helping agency. Restriction Restriction occurs if someone tells another that he or she cannot go to the IG, commander or helping agency. "In the past, we've seen supervisors inadvertently restricting their Airmen," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Donnie Valentine, director of complaints resolution. "An Airmen may bring a problem to their supervisor, and the supervisor says he wants to handle things at his level -- which is what we want -- but he uses the wrong words, it can make the Airmen feel like he can't go anywhere else for help." Valentine recommends that supervisors communicate clearly that the Airman can elevate the issue if he or she feels the supervisor is incapable of solving the problem. Fraud, Waste and Abuse Fraud is the intentional deception designed to unlawfully deprive the Air Force of something of value. Waste is extravagant, careless or needless expenditure of Air Force resources. Abuse is the intentional wrongful or improper use of Air Force resources. Fraud, waste and abuse is not strictly the complaints and resolution office's program, but they are the base point of contact. Airmen should report any concerns to their immediate supervisor. "The idea is to get the issue resolved and move on with your life," Valentine said. "Some people we see in here try to live with a problem for so long, and they are finally at their last straw. At that point, I wish they'd have brought the complaint to us six months ago to resolve it earlier. There is absolutely no reason to have to deal with those conditions." Valentine stressed that supervisors at all levels should be telling their Airmen to communicate daily about workcenter issues. The majority of cases he sees are something that may have been resolved or prevented if those involved would only have talked with each other. But, he said, if the problems persist, the person can schedule an appointment with the IG team to get some peace of mind. The process Step 1 Try to resolve the issue at the lowest level possible. Sometimes, problems can be corrected on the spot rather than waiting for the IG to log the case and begin the investigation. Report to the supervisor, first sergeant or commander, unless those individuals are part of the problem. Step 2 Once a member decides to go to the IG, an informal meeting takes place between the complainant and the IG team. This allows the IG team to determine the best course of action - either file the complaint or offer some advice on how to fix the problem without instigating an investigation. Step 3 If the member decides to file a complaint, they will fill out an Air Force Form 102, Inspector General Personal and Fraud, Waste & Abuse Complaint Registration. At this point, the IG team will begin consolidating facts, and if it turns out that the complaint is valid, an official investigation begins. The complainant can file the AF Form 102 anonymously, as well. Step 4 Once the investigation begins, everything becomes a matter of record. The informal meeting accomplished in Step 2 will take place again with all the information being recorded as official documentation. The information provided during this interview will drive the investigation and determine who will be the next person interviewed. Step 5 The IG team will begin interviewing additional witnesses. As all of the information becomes official record, the interviewees are reminded not to falsify any statements. The subject of the complaint is the last person interviewed, and at that point, he or she can either refute or accept the evidence of wrongdoing. If new evidence is brought up here, the investigation begins again. Step 6 The IG team will file the investigation report to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa IG team. The report must be written in a way to ensure the next level of IG can understand exactly what happened without being present to hear all of the background information. The reports can range from 10 to 70 or more pages based on the evidence and how complex the issue was. Step 7 Once the USAFE/AFAFRICA IG team concurs with the report, they forward the report to the Secretary of the Air Force IG team for their concurrence. Along the way, the report is reviewed by a large team of IG and legal representatives. Step 8 The Department of Defense IG team receives the report after the SAF IG teams' review. "It's set up this way for the purpose of checks and balances," Valentine said. "There is no chance of bias or 'his word against mine.' And we're in direct communication with our higher headquarters during every step in the process." Step 9 After the DoD IG team substantiates the case, the local IG team will send the report to the unit commander for action. The commander will determine the administrative action, and the local IG team will report back to DoD with what happened. Step 10 The local IG team will then meet with the original complainant and tell him or her all of the steps. The team will let the complainant know if his or her complaint was valid and substantiated. The specific administrative action is not released; rather, the team will say either corrective measures were taken or there was not enough evidence to support the complainant. The case becomes officially closed. Throughout the whole process, the investigators act as low-key as possible, Valentine said. A loud investigation can sometimes detract from the mission or, unfortunately, make the complainant a target from office members. "The main goal is to take whatever issue the service member has and get their 100 percent focus back on the mission," Valentine said. "If someone is dealing with a problem, you can bet their attention is not on the mission."