Results in Brief: Improvements Needed in Transparency and Accountability of U.S. Army Reserve Component Equipment Transfers

Abstract

We determined whether the Army had transparency and accountability for Army Reserve Components' (RCs) equipment transfers. We reviewed documentation for 290,500 pieces of equipment transferred between 2003 and 2011, valued at approximately $7.6 billion, to determine whether the Army followed DoD Directive 1225.6, "Equipping the Reserve Forces," April 7, 2005 (Directive), when transferring equipment. We found that Army officials did not implement accountability procedures to verify the transfer and replacement of 239,332 pieces of RCs' equipment, valued at approximately $5.8 billion. Specifically, RCs transferred 203,997 pieces of equipment to Army Active Component (AC) and other RCs without the Secretary of Defense's (SECDEF's) approval. This occurred because the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8 (G-8) and RCs inappropriately determined that proposal plans were not required for 203,929 equipment transfers within RCs; and G-8 did not follow the requirement for preparing a proposal plan for 68 pieces of equipment transferred to the AC. RCs transferred another 1,203 pieces of equipment to AC and other RCs before obtaining SECDEF approval because G-8 did not initiate the approval process in a timely manner. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (ASD [RA]), G-8, and RCs could not accurately account for the replacement of 34,132 pieces of RCs' equipment transferred to AC and other RCs because ASD (RA), G-8, and RCs' informal processes were not effective for verifying equipment replacements. The Army could not determine the total amount of RCs' equipment transfers for the purpose of mobilization because it did not maintain a central repository. As a result, RCs have lost transparency of their equipment transfers and may experience equipment shortages that could hinder their ability to train soldiers and respond to emergencies.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 28, 2012
Accession Number
ADA568182

Entities

Organizations

  • Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Accountability
  • Contracts
  • Department Of Defense
  • Directives
  • Emergencies
  • Guidance
  • Information Operations
  • Instructions
  • National Guard
  • Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Management
  • Shortages (Logistics)
  • Storage
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Transparencies

Readers

  • Aerospace Test and Evaluation
  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.