Objective
We determined whether Redistribution Property Assistance Teams (RPATs) in Bagram and Kandahar, Afghanistan, have effective procedures in place to process equipment, to include preparation for shipment.
Findings
The RPATs did not have effective procedures for processing and safeguarding retail and wholesale equipment at the RPAT yards in Bagram and Kandahar, Afghanistan. Specifically, RPAT personnel did not accurately record 6,703 of 18,036, or 37.2 percent, of equipment valued at $157.4 million (see Appendix C) in the accountability systems or maintain sufficient documentation to support items that had been transferred from the RPAT yards in Bagram and Kandahar.
This occurred because Army Sustainment Command (ASC), Army Contracting Command- Rock Island (ACC-RI), and the 401st Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB) did not properly oversee contractor performance to ensure adequate establishing and transferring of property accountability at the RPAT yards; ASC did not provide sufficient resources to the RPATs; ACC-RI did not hold the contractor accountable for poor performance; and the 401st AFSB did not implement effective controls over equipment at the RPAT yards.
As a result, the Army reported accumulated losses of $586.8 million on 26 open Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss reports from May 2012 through May 2013 in retail and wholesale equipment at the nine RPAT yards in Afghanistan. Included in these losses were weapons, weapons systems, and other sensitive equipment.
We also identified that equipment at the RPAT yards was not being safeguarded in accordance with applicable regulations. When notified of the problem, the Commander, 401st AFSB, promptly acted to fix the identified deficiencies.
Recommendations
Among other recommendations, we recommend that ASC, ACC-RI, and the 401st AFSB update the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan and determine whether the contractor is meeting applicable requirements. We recommend the Commander, ACC-RI, initiate action to reform poor contractor performance. Finally, we recommend the Commander, 401st AFSB, employ Automatic Identification Technology and implement monthly reviews of the work performed by RPAT personnel to ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.
Management Comments and Our Response
Management comments from the Commander Army Sustainment Command were responsive to the recommendations. Comments from the Commander, Army Materiel Command, the Director, ACC-RI, and the Commander, 401st Army Field Support Brigade partially addressed the recommendations. Based on comments from the Commander, Army Materiel Command, draft Recommendations 3.a and 3.b were revised, consolidated, and redirected. Therefore, we request the Commander, Army Materiel Command, the Commander, Army Sustainment Command, the Director, ACC-RI, and the Commander, 401st Army Field Support Brigade provide revised comments to the final report by April 4, 2014.
This report is a result of Project No. D2013-D000JB-0133.000.