Two Army Cyber Command officials worked to get an employee fired following his reporting of misconduct and subsequent participation in investigations, the Pentagon’s inspector general found in a report published Wednesday.

The IG recommends that the employee be reinstated to his job with backpay, while the Defense Department officials involved “receive appropriate action.” For one of them, that means just a note in his personnel file, as he retired before the investigation began.

“It is important to encourage personnel, at the DoD and throughout the government, to come forward when they see something they reasonably believe is wrong,” Inspector General Robert Storch said in a release. “Protecting such whistleblowers from reprisal is vital to the ability to detect and deter fraud, waste, and abuse within the Department of Defense.”

The report puts the next moves in the Army secretary’s hands, recommending action against the supervisor that fired the employee.

“The U.S. Army will review the Department of Defense Officer of Inspector General’s report findings released today and take appropriate action, consistent with the DoD OIG recommendations,” Lt. Col. Randee Farrell, spokeswoman for Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, told Military Times on Wednesday.

The investigation stems from a June 2018 complaint alleging that Army Cyber Command human resources was violating his employment agreement by first delaying, then reducing, then altogether stopping student loan repayments...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5taWxpdGFyeXRpbWVz...