As federal spending for Operation Inherent Resolve surpasses the $1 billion mark, the U.S. military campaign against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria has a new oversight team.  Late last month, the Honorable Jon T. Rymer, Inspector General for the Department of Defense (“DoD”), was designated lead inspector general (“IG”) for this overseas contingency operation.  Mr. Rymer is the first lead IG designated in response to an amendment to the Inspector General Act (“the Act”).  As required by the Act, he will oversee this mission in conjunction with the Department of State and the Agency for International Development (“AID”) Offices of Inspector General.

In the past, special IG offices have provided oversight to overseas contingency operations, such as the reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  These oversight bodies can have positive implications for government contractors performing in these regions.  For instance, as we have discussed previously, a Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (“SIGAR”) report found that the Afghan government levied nearly a billion dollars of tax on contractors supporting the mission in Afghanistan despite bilateral agreements negotiated between the U.S. and Afghan governments that exempted the contractors from at least some of the levied taxes.
Continue Reading First Lead IG Designated Under Amended Inspector General Act