U.S. Special Operations Command purchased at least $26.3 million in extra gear ranging from handheld radios to night vision goggles, according to a Pentagon audit, equipment that could potentially end up in the hands of other U.S. service members.
An audit of the Department of Defense Inspector General made public on March 29 examined five SOCOM equipment programs to ensure that the command, increasingly on the front lines of the Global War on Terror, was appropriately recording excess equipment in its inventory. The findings are not great: three of the five programs — night vision binoculars, next-generation handheld radios, and biometric sensors used for site exploitation — accounted for that eye-popping $26.3 million number.
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WNU Editor: I say "have more than you need rather than not having enough".
2 comments:
I agree. In a military situation, we will want to have more than we need. This differs from a business situation in the private sector. In these situations, we often work with things like "just in time inventory." In this situation, we carefully analyze to find out how much we actually need and temporary shortfalls can be made up very quickly. In contrast, having to much inventory costs money that eats away at the bottom line. Also, in the private sector, generally the supply lines to get more/material inventory to cover temporary shortfalls are generally assumed to be secure and stable.
In contrast, in a military situation, we need to be fully prepared. Since it may not be known exactly how much we need and the supply lines to get new supplies will likely NOT be stable, it behooves the military commanders to purchase more than they think they might need. I think someone may be trying to apply private sector auditing and accounting standards to military operations. I think that would be a mistake.
My reaction was more in line of compliments on restraint. Given total expenses of the military - or the cost of a single fighter aircraft - this is modest and desirable overstock.
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