Defense Inventory: Property Being Shipped to Disposal is Not Properly Controlled
Abstract
The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended, places responsibility for the disposition of government real and personal property with the General Services Administration. That agency delegated disposal of DOD personal property to the Secretary of Defense, who in turn delegated it to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics) provides overall guidance for disposing of property. The military services are responsible for determining if certain property they hold exceeds their needs. Once they do so, the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), a component of DLA, carries out disposal functions. Excess property is generally sent to 1 of 113 disposal offices for redistribution within DOD or transfer to other federal agencies. Property that is not redistributed or transferred is designated as surplus and can be donated to eligible entities such as state and local governments among many others. The property that remains after this process may be sold to the general public. Disposal offices are not authorized to handle weapons, classified material, drugs, firearms, ammunitions, and explosives. The military services dispose of these items. DOD provides guidance for establishing an internal control system to safeguard property that is being shipped. The key management information system supporting these controls is the In-transit Accountability System. Maintaining control and accountability over excess property being shipped is important for two key reasons. First, the property includes sensitive military parts and equipment that need to be safeguarded. Second, the property is valuable and may include pilferable items, such as photographic equipment and supplies, hand tools, shop equipment, and clothing. During fiscal year 1998, the military services shipped to disposal millions of items with a total reported acquisition value exceeding $20 billion.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- AD1150654
Entities
People
- David R. Warren
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office