Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released two reports on munitions storage—the “Audit of Munitions Storage in Bahrain” and “Audit of Munitions Storage in Jordan.”
These audits, the final two in a series of four, examined whether the Navy and Air Force, respectively, stored munitions within the U.S. Central Command in accordance with safety and security policies. The DoD OIG determined that personnel in Bahrain and Jordan did not consistently follow all applicable policies when storing munitions.
“Improper munitions storage can lead to injuries, damage, and even death,” said IG Storch. “The DoD can significantly reduce the risk of such incidents by following established policies and procedures.”
While the underlying audit report regarding munitions storage in Bahrain is classified, the DoD OIG identified that the Navy did not always account for munitions or designate storage areas as restricted areas. This happened because Navy personnel made administrative errors when accounting for munitions and misinterpreted the requirements for posting restricted area signs. During the audit, Navy personnel took steps to address some of the OIG’s findings.
In Jordan, the DoD OIG determined that, while munitions generally were stored in compliance with security and accountability policies, the Air Force did not manage munitions storage according to approved net explosive weight (NEW) limits at some of the reviewed munitions storage structures. The DoD OIG also found that Air Force personnel did not maintain consistent awareness of NEW totals in any of the reviewed munitions storage structures. These issues happened because of an administrative error and the failure of weapons safety managers to inform personnel of the NEW limits.
The DoD OIG issued multiple recommendations to the Navy and Air Force to enhance management processes, and we will continue monitoring their progress toward fully implementing these recommendations.