Stripes part of America Supports You audit

[unhappycamper]

Stripes part of America Supports You audit
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, October 20, 2007


ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department Inspector General’s Office has widened its review of America Supports You to include Stars and Stripes, Defense officials said.

In May, The New York Times reported the inspector general was looking into whether America Supports You moved money improperly.

Since then, the review has prompted two audits, one of which is looking into American Forces Information Service and the office of the assistant secretary of Defense for public affairs, “o determine whether management has established proper segregation of duties and effective internal controls”; the other is looking at how America Supports You is accomplishing its mission, according to two letters from the inspector general’s office.

Founded in 2004, America Supports You is a DOD program that gives publicity to nonprofit groups that support U.S. troops. Both America Supports You and American Forces Information Service — the parent organization for Stripes — are headed by Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for public affairs.

Part of the review involves looking at expenditures from Stars and Stripes for America Supports You, said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman.

Whitman declined to discuss specifics, nor would he release information on any Stars and Stripes expenditures connected to America Supports You because the matter is under review.


Rest of article at: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=49649



uhc comment: It sounds like Stripes is trying to justify (or figure out) why they spent $499,000 on a PR firm in July 2006.

[Ian David]

1. It should be called, "Chickenhawks Cheer Your Death" instead of "America Supports You." n/t