Fort Belvoir, VA –
On Wednesday, August 12, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) successfully hosted the second annual Department of War (DoW) Audit Conference, bringing together audit professionals and leadership from across the Department. Hosted at the Pentagon and joined by over 3,500 online, the conference served as a place to synchronize efforts, share insights, and discuss critical oversight challenges.
The conference started with a powerful keynote address from the Honorable Michael Powers, Deputy Under Secretary of War (Comptroller). Honorable Powers highlighted the importance of the Department’s financial oversight mission by removing operational barriers, adopting new technology, and embracing a culture of shared accountability.
Building on this strategic vision, an executive leadership panel featuring Ms. Jennifer Desautel, Director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency; Ms. Janet Stallings, Deputy Inspector General for Audit; Mr. Bruce B. Miller, Army Auditor General; Mr. Jeffrey J. Tribiano, Deputy Naval Inspector General; and Ms. Jacqueline R. Benningfield, Auditor General of the Air Force focused on efficient, accurate audits being foundational to ensure the Department can effectively meet its operational requirements and maintain a strategic advantage in a complex global landscape. This theme continued throughout the day, covering topics on maintaining oversight in a rapidly changing environment, adapting oversight practices to meet emerging mission needs, and demonstrating exactly how efficient audits directly enable overall mission readiness.
The afternoon sessions focused on modernization and technology, featuring a panel on how data and artificial intelligence transform audit oversight, allowing defense agencies to increase speed and accuracy with the help of technology.
The overall success of this second annual conference underscores the Department's unwavering commitment to unified financial oversight. By bringing together key components, including DCAA, the DoW Office of Inspector General, Army Audit Agency, the Naval Audit Service, and the Air Force Audit Agency, the event created a space to discuss modernizing auditing practices across the Department.