Spurred by concerns about public trust, Defense Department leaders are calling for a top-to-bottom audit.
“It is important that the Congress and the American people have confidence in DoD’s management of every taxpayer dollar,” David L. Norquist, the Defense Department’s comptroller, said in a Dec. 7 news conference.
The announcement came as lawmakers and the White House acted to avert a possible government shutdown.
Norquist said that some 2,400 auditors, hired through independent public accounting firms, would conduct the operation, looking at every aspect of the Pentagon’s roughly $2.4 trillion in assets. The task would include close looks at each service branch separately, and a consolidated audit that would focus on all results and conclusions the auditors produce.
The audit will start early next year, with results issued in a report by Nov. 15. The plan calls for recurring audits in out years as well.
“With constant feedback from auditors, we can focus on improving the processes of our day-to-day work. Annual audients also ensure visibility over the quantity and quality of the equipment and supplies our troops use,” Norquist said.