Naval Inspector General

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United States Navy
Naval Inspector General
Flag of a Navy vice admiral
since 30 October 2025
FormationJune 1942
First holderCharles P. Snyder
Websitewww.secnav.navy.mil/ig/ Edit this at Wikidata

The Office of Naval Inspector General for the United States Department of the Navy was established during World War II to make investigations as directed by the secretary of the Navy and the chief of naval operations. The current mission of the naval inspector general is "to inspect, investigate, or inquire into matters of importance to the Department of the Navy and maintain the highest level of public confidence".[1]

History

In February 1942, while undergoing conversion in New York harbor, USS Lafayette caught fire and subsequently capsized. In addition to one person being killed in the disaster, the loss of such a prestigious and well-known ship was a tremendous embarrassment to the Navy. Congress launched an investigation into the disaster to determine if the ship's loss was an act of foreign sabotage or merely negligence. In its report, Congress expressed frustration with the multiple investigative agencies within the Navy. The committee felt that the Navy Department needed an office of Inspector General to "be charged with the duty of keeping Congress and the secretary of the Navy informed as to the conditions of the naval service.[2]

Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox established the Office of Naval Inspector General (NIG) on 18 May 1942 with General Order 173. Initially, the naval inspector general was part of the staff of the commander in chief, United States Fleet.[3] The initial staff included one deputy and three assistant inspectors. The office served throughout World War II as a 'troubleshooting' unit for the chief of naval operations (CNO) by conducting inquiries and reporting on all matters which affected the efficiency and economy of the Navy; and by conducting inspections and investigations into any naval matter as required by the secretary of the Navy, CNO, Congress, or by law.[2]

The Goldwater-Nichols Act in 1986 transferred the NIG from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to the Office of the Secretary of the Navy.

List of naval inspectors general

Source:[4]

See also

References

  1. "About the Naval IG (Mission)". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-05-16.
  2. "Naval IG History". Archived from the original on 2013-02-20. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  3. Julius A. Furer, Administration of the Navy Department in World War II (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1959), pp. 17-18, 162-163.
  4. Information provided by the Office of the Naval Inspector General
  5. "Edward Carter Obituary (2010) - Washington, DC - The Washington Post". Legacy.com.
  6. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". navy.mil. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  7. Dan Petty. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
  8. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". navy.mil. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  9. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". navy.mil. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  10. "Vice Admiral John V. Fuller" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  11. "July 2021 Roster (Public)" (PDF). U.S. Navy. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2021.