The current mission of the naval inspector general is "to inspect, investigate, or inquire into matters of importance to the Department of the Navy and maintain the highest level of public confidence".

[1] In February 1942, while undergoing conversion in New York harbor, USS Lafayette caught fire and subsequently capsized.

Congress launched an investigation into the disaster to determine if the ship's loss was an act of foreign sabotage or merely negligence.

Initially, the naval inspector general was part of the staff of the commander in chief, United States Fleet.

The office served throughout World War II as a 'troubleshooting' unit for the chief of naval operations (CNO) by conducting inquiries and reporting on all matters which affected the efficiency and economy of the Navy; and by conducting inspections and investigations into any naval matter as required by the secretary of the Navy, CNO, Congress, or by law.