The Military Whistleblower Protection Act, passed in 1988, protects military personnel who report wrongdoing from retaliation. All military members have the right to report the illegal conduct to authorized authorities. If you are a member of the Armed Forces who is aware of violations that should be reported, click on the questions below for more information about what you are protected from and how to report violations.
Adverse personnel action is any action taken against a member of the military that negatively affects, or may negatively affect, that member’s current position or career. In the military, these actions are called reprisal. Examples of adverse personnel actions include disciplinary/corrective action, transfer/reassignment, and reducing pay or benefits.
Reprisal is an illegal punishment for making, preparing, or being perceived as whistleblowing in the military. Reprisal includes taking or threatening to take adverse personnel action against another for whistleblowing. It also includes withholding or threatening to withhold favorable personnel action.
Restriction is when someone restricts a member of the military from whistleblowing. Restriction is distinct from reprisal because restriction prohibits members from whistleblowing while reprisal punishes members for whistleblowing.
The most efficient way to report reprisal and restriction complaints is by directly reporting to your local or command Inspector General (IG) office. You can also submit your complaint by filling out one of these online forms:
Before filling out a form to SIPRNet or JWICS, or just to ask a question about filing a complaint, be sure to call the U.S. Department of Defense hotline at 1-800-424-9098.
You also might want to consider having your complaint reviewed by submitting a copy to the appropriate Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR).
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