Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the “Evaluation of the Accountability of Ukraine-Bound Equipment to Sea Ports of Embarkation in the Continental United States” and a related management advisory regarding the Naval Support Activity Crane, Indiana. The evaluation examined whether DoD Components effectively account for defense materials provided to Ukraine from their points of origin to seaports of embarkation within the continental United States.
"DoD personnel do important work getting materials to Ukraine quickly so they can be used in response to the Russian aggression there," said IG Storch. "The efficiency of logistics processes directly affects the utilization of U.S. security assistance, and the ability to track shipments provides transparency, increases accountability, and enables the DoD to respond swiftly to any disruptions or security concerns. It is essential to have a resilient and secure logistics network that prioritizes timely and reliable tracking.”
The evaluation found that the DoD has accounted for, and rapidly transported, defense materials for Ukraine, but it did not always follow DoD policies in doing so. In some cases, DoD Components shipped defense materials with inaccurate or inadequate documentation. Additionally, DoD personnel could not easily identify or track equipment bound for Ukraine. As a result, personnel spent additional and unnecessary time and effort correcting documentation errors and tracking shipments.
The DoD OIG recommended that the U.S. Transportation Command review its shipping operations to identify best practices for use in future Presidential Drawdown Authority operations and develop and implement procedures to simplify the shipping acknowledgment processes. The DoD OIG also recommended that the Defense Security Cooperation Agency update the orders used to carry out such missions. IG Storch highlighted these recommendations in a memorandum to the Deputy Secretary of Defense as particularly important in furthering the rapid provision of security assistance following the passage of the most recent supplement appropriation for Ukraine. The DoD OIG will monitor the progress toward fully implementing these recommendations.