United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2002-01-25 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:GAO-02-75 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-75 P0b002ee18039f1cf f:d0275 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-75 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-75 GAO-02-75 Accountability Inventory control Military inventories Military materiel Procurement policy Procurement records Surplus property 12th Congressional Regional Equipment Center Other Written Product A02704

The Defense Department (DOD) encourages the reuse of excess property, including vehicles, weapons, hand tools, lumber, medical equipment, and furniture. DOD components, civilian federal agencies, and "special programs" have equal priority and first rights to excess property. This report discusses excess property issued to three of 12 special programs--the Military Affiliate Radio System, the Civil Air Patrol, and the 12th Congressional Regional Equipment Center. Between 1995 and 2000, these programs obtained $34 million worth of items that they were not eligible to receive. The three programs were able to obtain the items because the DOD facilities that store the property are not required to verify which items the programs are eligible to receive, and because program officials do not consistently follow applicable guidelines. GAO also noted that the programs' lists of property they are allowed to obtain are not comprehensive because the lists exclude mission-related items similar to those already permitted. Furthermore, these programs did not have reliable records for more than three-quarters of their excess property. Together, the three special programs obtained more than 80,000 hazardous supplies. In many cases, program officials were unaware that their programs had received such items. GAO found similar problems in other special programs. This lack of accountability increases the risk of mishandling excess property and the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-75/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-75.htm GAO-02-75 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-75 Other Written Product GAO-02-75; Defense Inventory: Control Weaknesses Leave Restricted and Hazardous Excess Property Vulnerable to Improper Use, Loss, and Theft; Accountability Inventory control Military inventories Military materiel Procurement policy Procurement records Surplus property 12th Congressional Regional Equipment Center Title 10 Section 9441 10 U.S.C. 9441 Public Law 102-396