Gordon S . Heddell Gordon S . Heddell ( born August 13 , 1943 , in St Louis ) is a former Inspector General ( IG ) of the United States Department of Defense . Previously , Heddell also served as Inspector General for the Department of Labor . Early government experience . Heddell began his government service as a U . S . Army chief warrant officer and helicopter pilot , serving in both South Korea and Taiwan during the Vietnam War . After leaving the military , he served as a special agent in the United States Secret Service for 28 years . While with the Secret Service , Heddell served as special agent - in - charge of the Vice Presidential Protective Division , leading and managing the physical protection of the Vice President of the United States . He eventually rose to the position of assistant director for inspections , serving as a key advisor to the director , providing advice and counsel on all facets of Secret Service leadership and operations . Inspector general service . From 2001 to 2008 , Heddell served as inspector general of the U . S . Department of Labor , where he led efforts to combat labor racketeering and organized crime in the workplace ; fraud against the Foreign Labor Certification Program ; and weaknesses in the Mine Safety and Health Administration . Heddell was sworn in as the seventh inspector general for the Department of Defense on July 14 , 2009 , one year after being appointed as acting inspector general . Heddell is responsible for directing audits , investigations , and inspections , and for developing audit and investigative policy in the largest federal office of Inspector General , with a workforce of over 1 , 600 and an annual budget exceeding $ 300 million . In this capacity , Heddell provides oversight of all the programs and operations of the Department of Defense and military services , including ongoing military operations in Southwest Asia . In 2010 , Heddell directed and led the Department of Defense oversight efforts that achieved $ 6 . 4 billion in monetary benefits and investigative recoveries , and conducted criminal investigations resulting in 281 indictments and 245 convictions . As inspector general , Heddell served on the executive committee of the federal Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency , chaired the Information Technology Committee , and was editor - in - chief of the Journal of Public Inquiry . Heddell was also the chair of the Defense Council on Integrity and Efficiency and served as the chair of the Interagency Coordination Group of Inspectors General for Guam Realignment . Recognition . Heddell is a recipient of the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award for outstanding government service . He was also selected by the University of Illinois Alumni Association as its recipient of the 2009 Alumni Achievement Award for alumni of the University of Illinois at Springfield . Education . Heddell received his bachelor ' s degree from the University of Missouri , his master ' s degree from Sangamon State University ( today known as the University of Illinois at Springfield ) , and was a Woodrow Wilson public service fellow from 1994 - 2000 . Heddell graduated at the top of his Treasury Federal Law Enforcement Academy class . Heddell created a partnership between the Secret Service and two inner city Washington D . C . public schools .