Posted on 06/21/2017 1:40:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Continued use of the uniform could cost the Pentagon an extra $72 million in the next 10 years, the report said.
The U.S. Department of Defense may have wasted nearly $30 million over the past decade on uniforms for the Afghan military that featured a forest-style camouflage pattern inappropriate for the country's desert landscapes, a top government fiscal watchdog said Wednesday.
A 17-page report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction says $28 million has already been spent by the Pentagon on the uniforms -- and perhaps another $72 million will go toward them in the next decade.
According to the analysis, the Pentagon decided in 2007 on a uniform for the Afghan National Army that included a camouflage pattern that presented two problems: First, it included a forest pattern for a Middle Eastern country dominated by deserts -- and second, the U.S. government didn't own the pattern, meaning it had to pay a private company for its use.
The report said that because the Department of Defense opted to use a private pattern, it cost the Pentagon an additional $26 million to $28 million. What's more, it added, is that the department could have used one of the many patterns it already owns that's just as effective -- or ineffective -- as the woodland camouflage pattern.
"Our analysis found that DOD's decision to procure ANA uniforms using a proprietary camouflage pattern was not based on an evaluation of its appropriateness for the Afghan environment," the report states.
"Our analysis found that changing the ANA uniform to a non-proprietary camouflage pattern based on the U.S. Army's Battle Dress Uniform ... could save U.S. taxpayers between $68.61 million and $71.21 million over the next 10 years," it added.
Because the U.S. military continues to use the proprietary design, SIGAR recommended in the report that the Pentagon conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether there is a more cost-effective alternative in outfitting Afghan troops.
SIGAR, a congressionally ordered watchdog group that monitors U.S. financial activities in Afghanistan reconstruction, said it shared the report with the Pentagon and department officials expressed "general agreement" with at least some of its contents.
The Department of Defense did not immediately publicly respond to the SIGAR report Wednesday.
“the Department of Defense opted to use a private pattern”
This is taking the “private contractor” thing a bit too far. Talk about war profiteering...
“Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.” — classic Far Side
That’s a deer with a target birth mark?
“....Pentagon decided in 2007 on a uniform for the Afghan National Army that included a camouflage pattern that presented two problems: First, it included a forest pattern for a Middle Eastern country dominated by deserts — and second, the U.S. government didn’t own the pattern, meaning it had to pay a private company for its use.....”
Just knowin’ the deciding vote was by a Democrat.
So we’ve been there something like 16 years now and still haven’t figured out what uniforms to wear? Don’t buy it.
This is someone out to make $$$ at taxpayer expense. Ridiculous
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interesting that throughout the whole piece the vendors name was never mentioned???
why the gag order on the manufacturer?
bonus question: how much has this Afghani uni vendor donated to the Xlintonista Foundation??
double bonus question: how much did this vendor donate to DNC/I’m with >>Hildabeast/ obamanation campaigns?
Am I crazy, or do our service men and women purchase their own uniforms? And am I understanding this story correctly, the Afghan Army uniform was chosen by the US military? Are we lacing them with microchips? Do they glow in the dark? Is the stupid color choice so we can see them if they happen to turn against us?
Well he wasn’t like that when he was Secretary of Defense . . . when it came to cuts . . . that is more of when I was referring to. I don’t even remember who was in charge of the Pentagon when Bush/Cheney were in office.
Probably plenty of old-style uniforms in possession of the jihadis. Changing the pattern to something non-standard makes friend-or-foe identification easier for a while.
Why would Navy people on ship be wearing ANY camo? Why not wear red or yellow, or even traditional white to better be seen if overboard?
You mean the hunter safety orange did NOT make them invisible?
OK so they spent $28B on the wrong color. That is done. Do we now expect them to spend #28B more to change the color and reissue?
HyperStealth
Follow the money. . .we want to know.
follow the $$$$$
First, let the Afghans buy their own uniforms!
Second, everyone in that department should be fired or reassigned to Shemya, Alaska. This is not the first idiotic decision they made. People’s lives were lost due to their decisions. Need I mention “Multicam”? The camo that stands out everywhere except a gravel parking lot! Or the uniforms that glow in night vision goggles?
Maybe we should just send Don Trump to negotiate a contract for a few kinds of desert pattern with Mossy Oak. I’m sure it would work out better than anything those guys came up with.
Thanx for linking me up..
Will be interesting to see if hyperstealth or owner guy cramer turn up as xlintonista foundation donors.
Afghanistan’s close-in fighting is in the mountains, not desert.
Yep.
What? No flowers? No tartan plaid?
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