Whistleblower Protection: Actions Needed to Improve DOD's Military Whistleblower Reprisal Program

Abstract : Whistleblowers help guard the federal government against waste, fraud, and abuse. The Military Whistleblower Protection Act provides service members with a means to seek relief from reprisals and to hold subjects accountable. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which the Department of Defense (DoD) has achieved the following: (1) satisfied statutory timeliness requirements for processing military whistleblower reprisal cases, (2) established and implemented oversight mechanisms for its process, and (3) taken corrective action in cases where the DoD Inspector General (DODIG) substantiated reprisal claims. GAO also analyzed case characteristics. GAO examined laws, regulations, and guidance documents; interviewed officials from DODIG, service IGs, service Boards for the Correction of Military Records (BCMRs), and the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; and collected and analyzed case data. GAO also conducted a detailed file review using a representative sample of cases closed between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2011. GAO recommends that DoD implement procedures to track and report data on its case processing timeliness, take actions to improve oversight of its investigative process, and develop processes to ensure that appropriate corrective actions are taken in substantiated cases. DoD concurred with all of GAO's recommendations.