DOD Unable to Track Equipment Given to Iraqi Forces, GAO Finds

The Department of Defense cannot fully track $2.3 billion worth of equipment provided to Iraqi and Kurdish forces through the Iraq Train and Equip Fund (ITEF), according to a Government Accountability Office report released on May 25. The type of equipment ITEF provides—and that the DOD is required by law to track—includes Kevlar helmets, body armor, machine guns, rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers, and ammunition. The Department developed a web-based system, called Security Cooperation Information Portal (SCIP), to track the equipment from its point of departure in the US, through staging areas in Kuwait and Iraq, to its final destination with Iraqi or Kurdish units in the field. Out of 566 completed requisitions reviewed, GAO said only 256 had recorded last dates of departure from the US, and none had recorded arrival or departure dates for transfer through staging areas or arrival at final destinations. As a result, “DOD cannot ensure that the equipment has reached its intended destination, nor can DOD program managers conduct effective oversight of the ITEF program.” In its response to GAO, the DOD said the lack of visibility may be due to problems with data importation from other military systems or failure of some components to report dates.