Fact Sheets

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Dec. 1, 2017
German-American Community Office

The German-American Community Office (GACO) is a joint initiative between the 86th Airlift Wing, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, and the city of Kaiserslautern, Germany. The office serves as a medium of communication between the local community and members of the U.S. forces stationed in and

What type of complaints are appropriate?
Any Fraud, Waste, or Abuse, and violations of law, Air Force instructions, or policy should

be reported through the appropriate grievance channels when possible. The subject of your

complaint must be an Air Force program or person. Bear in mind, however, the fact that you may

disagree with your supervisor(s) over management styles or have what you believe is a

"personality conflict" does not constitute an injustice or mismanagement. If you are not sure your

concern is a reportable matter, contact your local IG office for guidance.
What is Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA):
Fraud:

Any intentional deception designed to unlawfully deprive the United States of

something of value or to secure a benefit, privilege, allowance, or consideration for an individual

from the United States that he or she is not entitled to. Such practices include, but are not limited

to, the offer, payment, or acceptance of bribes or gratuities; making false statements; submitting

false claims; deceit either by suppressing the truth or misrepresenting material fact; falsifying

records and books of accounts; and conspiring to use any of these devices. The term also

includes conflict of interest cases, criminal irregularities, and the unauthorized disclosure of

official information relating to procurement and disposal matters.

Waste

: The extravagant careless or needless expenditure of Government funds, or the

consumption of Government property that results from deficient practices, systems, controls, or

decisions.

Abuse

: The intentional or improper use of Government resources that can include the excessive

or improper use of one's position in a manner contrary to its rightful or legally intended use.

Examples include misuse of rank, position, or authority or misuse of Government resources for

oneself or another.
When are Complaints Appropriate?
Individuals are encouraged to resolve FWA issues and personal complaints at the lowest

possible level, using command channels before elevating them to the next higher level or to the

IG. Further, complaints must be promptly filed within IG, command, or other grievance

channels. IG's may dismiss a complaint if there is no FWA, recognizable wrong or violation of

law, regulation, or policy. Also, complaints more than one year from date of occurrence will

normally be dismissed, unless there are extraordinary circumstances or special Air Force

interests to justify an investigation.
What types of Complaints are more appropriate for other agencies or grievancechannels?
The following issues and allegations are ordinarily not appropriate for USAF IG intervention

(this list is not all inclusive):

•

Issues NOT related to the Air Force

•

Criminal allegations

•

Issues that have other means of redress (i.e. Chain-of-Command)

•

Courts-martial actions

•

Non-judicial punishment

•

Discharge issues

•

Officer Performance Briefs

•

Enlisted Performance Briefs

•

Force shaping issues

•

Pay/Financial issues

•

Personnel issues

•

Equal Opportunity issues

•

Civilian allegations of reprisal
How do I submit an IG complaint?
You can contact any IG office and discuss your complaint/issue. For faster resolution it is

important to contact the appropriate IG office who has purview over the subject of the complaint

(e.g., Ramstein Finance or MPF would fall under the 86 AW IG).

•

Ramstein Host Wing: 86 AW IG

o

DSN: 314-480-2457

o

E-mail:

86aw.ig@us.af.mil

•

Ramstein Tenant Wing: 435 AGOW IG

o

DSN: 314-480-6575

o

E-mail:

435AGOW.IG.complaints@us.af.mil

•

Ramstein Tenant Wing: 521 AMOW IG

o

DSN: 314-479-4546

o

E-mail:

521amow.ig.inspectorgeneral@us.af.mil

•

MAJCOM: USAFE-AFAFRICA IG

o

DSN: 314-480-6647

o

E-mail:

521amow.ig.inspectorgeneral@us.af.mil
Can I submit a complaint on behalf of another individual or file an anonymouscomplaint?
Yes, you can file a third-party complaint, the downsides are that we are unable to get direct

information from the person experiencing the issue, and third-party complainants are not entitled

to receive feedback on the outcome of the complaint unless written permission is given by the

member who is experiencing said issue.

You may also file an anonymous complaint. Inform the IG staff that you wish to remain

anonymous, and you do not consent to the release of your information. Anonymous

complainants are not entitled to a response regarding the alleged wrongdoing.

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