Statement of Lieutenant General James H. Adams III before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations on DoD Financial Management Efforts and Progress Towards Achieving a Clean Audit Opinion , April 29 , 2025
From the document: “Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Mfume, and distinguished members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the Marine Corps Audit. The United States Marine Corps was the first military service to receive an unmodified audit opinion – or clean audit opinion – in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. We received our second consecutive unmodified audit opinion just three months ago when our FY 2024 audit concluded. None of these accomplishments came easily. We earned it through the hard work and dedication of many Marines, civilians, contractor personnel, and partners across the Department of Defense (DoD).
I want to emphasize that while we are proud to receive an unmodified audit opinion, we do not take it for granted. An unmodified audit opinion is a significant achievement, that reinforces the service’s reputation for accountability, discipline, and leadership and reflects the dedication and hard work of the whole community, including financial management, acquisition, and logistics teams. These teams worked tirelessly to ensure proper stewardship of resources, from procurement to payment, and their commitment was critical to achieving a clean audit opinion. Unmodified opinions are difficult to earn. They require rigorous internal controls, which DoD currently lacks, meticulous record-keeping, and transparent financial reporting. Maintaining this high standard requires constant vigilance. Even minor lapses in oversight or procedural adherence can jeopardize our unmodified opinion. Therefore, we remain committed to continuous improvement in our financial management practices, recognizing that an unmodified audit opinion is hard-won but easily lost. We understand the importance of maintaining public trust through.”
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