There's a new IG in town

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Barbara Plante
  • 944th Fighter Wing, Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  New to the office but not the wing, Maj Christopher Bisdnack is the 944th Fighter Wings' newest Inspector General.

This new job is a natural fit for him.  Having served with the 944 FW for 20 years; he was first an enlisted member in the Logistics Readiness Squadron then after completing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management he became an officer under the Deserving Airman Commissioning Program working in the Equal Opportunity Office.

Originally from Bellingham Mass., Bisdnack always wanted to serve in the Air Force as he was growing up, "after two years of college, I joined the military for travel and education." 

He spent almost five years on active duty serving in both overseas and stateside assignments as well as deploying in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, NORTHERN WATCH and PROVIDE PROMISE.  After a brief break in service the major made the decision to continue his military career by joining the 944 FW in 1996. 

In his civilian career he currently serves as Postmaster for Gilbert, Arizona, for the United States Postal Service.  In this position he oversees all postal operations for over 250,000 residents with a staff of 200 employees.

He enjoys spending time with his family, supporting their goals and volunteering with them in the community.  He also loves all sports but golf is currently his number one interest.

While discussing his goals for the IG office Bisdnack said, "I want to continue with the growth of the wing and the F-35 mission.  Continue to be the eyes and ears of the wing commander and ensure wing members are mission ready, and make the IG program a place where all members, commanders and first sergeants feel free to use the IG office as a resource to make their jobs easier."

The 944th FW IG's office is the focal point to respond to complaints that cannot be resolved at unit level. Members can get help quickly and fairly under the Air Force IG Complaint Program and can make complaints at any level in the IG system without fear of reprisal.

  According to the Air Force Website any Air Force military or civilian member can file an IG complaint. Anyone, including civilians with no Air Force affiliation, may file Fraud, Waste, and Abuse complaints and depending on the circumstances, the IG may also accept complaints from dependents or relatives of military members and retirees and their dependents. However, it is always best for the actual "victim" or person who witnessed the alleged wrongdoing to file the complaint.

The types of complaints that are appropriate are any FWA and violations of law, Air Force instructions, or policy and should be against an Air Force program or person.  However, just because a person does not agree with management styles or potentially have a "personality conflict" with their supervisor does not constitute any injustice or mismanagement. 

Bisdnack mentioned that before filing an IG complaint members should use their chain-of-command and try to resolve the issues at the lowest level. However, if a member has a valid complaint that they are not able to resolve at lower levels it should be filed with the IG, command, or other grievance channels in a timely manner.  IG's may dismiss a complaint if there is no FWA, recognizable wrong or violation of law, regulation, or policy.  Note that complaints which are 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.

If you are not sure your concern is valid or unsure if you should file a complaint, contact Bisdnack at the IG office for additional guidance.  The office is located in the building 988, room 113, or call 623 845-6682.

Note:  IG services are available between UTA's through the 56th FW IG office.  Their phone number is DSN 896-8433. 

If you feel your issue is related to your civilian position, you will need to contact the DOD IG Hotline below.

DOD IG Hotline Phone:
800-424-9098(Toll-Free)
703-604-8799 (Commercial)
664-8799(DSN)