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Return to Article: GAO: Military gear for sale on Web poses security risk

• 48433
  

  Nothing but a fluff piece for GAO. Who didn't know that was happening? Way to run to the media for a little media attention on old news. I bought a tank engine off e-bay for shipment overseas during an investigation 4 years ago. Anyone who does these types of investigation has known for years that this was going on.

  Now for the real hard to swallow truth. Most of these items for sale are supplied by our own Military through DRMO! That's who should be investigated. Their practises concerning the end user of sensitive military equipment it absolutely atrocious. We had a case awhile back where we seized F-14 parts destined for Iran, purchased through DRMO. The seized F-14 parts were returned to the govt. Something like 2-3 years later, on another search warrant for selling aircraft parts to iran without a State Dept. license, guess what we find? The same EXACT F-14 parts seized in the previous investigation. Purchased from DRMO with the EVIDENCE stickers from the previous case still on them. The sticker listed seizure number, case number etc.

  We had a case where a guy was illegally selling pilot helmets with active heads up displays purchased from DRMO. If that was any other company they would be responsible for the end user.

  Most of the investigations I have been involved with concerning military equipment, the items have come from DRMO. We don't hold them to the same standards as we do other non govt. companies. If we did they would have been in serious trouble 10 times over. They aren't easy to deal with either and they don't have a good record keeping system either. So tracking who bought what can be rather difficult. The least DRMO can do is supply a list of customers so we can do a preliminary pre-emptive check or some sort of follow up to see exactly where some of the sensitve military equipment is going.

  Now go do a story on that GAO.

  shane Posted April 11, 2008 1:14 PM
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  Obviously, tight control is needed over some items. This doesn't mean that the DoD should be burying good used office furniture in landfills, or cutting up serviceable cars and trucks, toolboxes, etc. for scrap. As far as I'm concerned, that's fraud, waste and abuse. I know that there are a lot of nonsensitive items that DRMO doesn't want to deal with (and is willing to "Abandon and Destruct" in place), that are perfectly useful. If the DoD is willing to throw it away, they should at least allow the generating bases and posts to try to sell it and put the money back into their budgets or donate it to charity. Clear LOGICAL rules are definitely needed.

  noman Posted April 11, 2008 1:10 PM
• 48429
  

  The focus of the investigation shouldn't be on the availability of former military equipment on ebay or Craig's List. It should be examining how the equipment was "stolen" from the military. Identify the thieves, publish their names, prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Leave ebay and Craig's List alone.

  Dennis Yoakam Posted April 11, 2008 12:21 PM