Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the “Evaluation of the DoD’s Tracking and Accountability of Presidential Drawdown Equipment Provided to Taiwan.”
The evaluation found that the DoD did not effectively and efficiently implement accountability controls for Presidential Drawdown equipment delivered to Taiwan from November 2023 through March 2024.
"This report demonstrates the significant negative consequences of failing to follow established DoD policies for delivery of assistance to key security cooperation partners,” said IG Storch. “Had policies been followed, the DoD would have been able to provide Taiwan with military equipment in acceptable condition as mandated in the Presidential Drawdown Authority. Instead, the equipment arrived in Taiwan damaged and moldy. Such performance risks eroding Taiwan’s confidence in the United States as a reliable source of assistance.”
The DoD OIG identified more than 340 pallets of equipment that sustained water damage while stored at Travis Air Force Base for three months, pending a flight to Taiwan. This resulted in the United States incurring at least $730,000 in additional costs. Furthermore, the DoD OIG found that the DoD delivered equipment to Taiwan that was not mission-ready—preventing the DoD from meeting security cooperation goals.
The DoD OIG made several recommendations for the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), including developing a plan for drafting Presidential Drawdown execute orders. The plan should explain each Service’s specific responsibilities and timelines related to the shipment of Presidential Drawdown equipment to the port of embarkation and for requesting delivery of the equipment to ports of debarkation.
The DoD OIG will continue monitoring the DoD’s progress toward full implementation of these recommendations.