The Pentagon has created a new policy—following Congressional direction—to reimburse service members for “privately purchased protective, safety, or health equipment.” As always, there’s a catch, or three: To claim the money, troops must have their receipts; troops must turn in this private gear; and the max reimbursement is $1,100 for any one piece of equipment.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
