Current Events > The Pentagon lost track of $715 million in weapons and gear

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://taskandpurpose.com/syria-weapons-isis-pentagon-inspector-general-report

The U.S. government failed to effectively account for nearly $715.8 million in weapons and equipment allocated to Syrian partners as part of the multinational counter-ISIS fight, according to a new report from the Defense Department inspector general.

The audit, publicly released on Tuesday, revealed that officials with Special Operations Joint Task ForceOperation Inherent Resolve "did not maintain comprehensive lists of all equipment purchased and received" to equip Syrian allies in the anti-ISIS fight (known as CTEF-S equipment) in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 due to a lack of a central repository for accountability documentation.

In addition, officials with the 1st Theater Sustainment Command "did not properly store or secure" the relevant equipment in accordance with Pentagon guidelines so far that, in at least one case, 1st TSC personnel "stored weapons outside in metal shipping containers, exposing the equipment to harsh environmental elements, such as heat and humidity."

The core focus of the report is the resulting equipment redundancies that arise from poor accounting. "Without accurate accountability records, such as inventory records and hand receipts, SOJTF-OIR personnel could order equipment that SOJTF-OIR already has in stock, risking unnecessary spending of CTEF-S funds and further overcrowding the BPC Kuwait warehouse resulting in equipment being stored outside."

Poorly maintaining gear or ordering duplicates is one thing; maintaining custody of sensitive equipment, especially weapons, is another. Indeed, the DoD audit found that the lax standards for gear accountability left "thousands" of weapons and other gear "vulnerable to loss or theft."

While Military Times rightfully notes that the audit doesn't indicate that any of these weapons ended up in enemy hands, the audit suggests that the lack of clear accounting makes it impossible to determine what gear, if any, may have ended up where it doesn't belong.

"Without conducting consistent inventories and ensuring proper security for CTEF-S equipment, 1st TSC could not determine whether items were lost or stolen which could delay the initiation of an investigation," according to the report.

---

Did they check under the couch cushions?

---

It's not so much that they lost track of it, but rather that nobody was doing proper inventory management so they have no catalogue of what is in their possession.

---

and yet the government would fuck you over for life if you "lost track" of .1% of that in your personal assets during tax season

eston posted...

It's not so much that they lost track of it, but rather that nobody was doing proper inventory management so they have no catalogue of what is in their possession.

this

Things like this are what gives me pause when it comes to universal healthcare. I love the idea but I'm often horrified by how our government runs this kind of stuff.

---

Jiek_Fafn posted...

Things like this are what gives me pause when it comes to universal healthcare. I love the idea but I'm often horrified by how our government runs this kind of stuff.

Government can't even keep it's voter registration logs up to date.

Most Government Bureaucracies have giant gaps in their inventory tracking or suck at keeping it accurate.

---

and no one will go to prison over it. disgusting.
---

Hmmmmm

---

Since this is the military, I assume at least 300 million of that equipment are just a handful of loose screws and a single bullet.

---

AlisLandale posted...

Since this is the military, I assume at least 300 million of that equipment are just a handful of loose screws and a single bullet.

Or missing Humvees.

---

maybe it's in a cave with a box of scraps

---

At least they're improving?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-6b-missing-in-iraq-may-have-been-stolen/

---