Posted on 07/20/2007 10:00:31 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Federal agents in charge of safely transporting nuclear materials took 3,400 rounds of ammunition from a training exercise in Texas back to Tennessee on board a government plane without declaring it.
The agents from the Office of Secure Transportation moved the rounds aboard a plane owned by the National Nuclear Security Administration in December 2005, according to a report from the Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General reviewed by The Knoxville News Sentinel.
The report found that most of the ammunition was later turned into a federal armory, and as of this year there were still 119 rounds unaccounted for.
The inspectors also found that some of the agents "apparently attempted to conceal the fact that armor-piercing rounds were lost, missing or stolen by turning in regular ammunition rounds that had their tips colored black to look like armor-piercing ammunition."
The inspectors concluded that the OST, which transports nuclear weapons, warhead components and special nuclear materials, does not adequately keep track of its ammunition.
The exercise was held at a private firing range in Kingsville, Texas, to train agents on a new rifle. Afterward, 3,400 of the 15,000 rounds of .308-caliber ammunition was unused.
An officer from the Eastern Command in Oak Ridge took possession of the rounds after signing a memo that indicated the ammunition was intended for "road use," the report said. But the proper forms were not used and the move was not properly approved.
That officer and 16 other agents from Oak Ridge took the rounds back with them aboard a DC-9 airplane and then stored the ammunition in their homes and lockers at Oak Ridge, according to the report.
A National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman did not immediately reply when asked whether the agents were disciplined.
At least twice the OST has reported being short on armor-piercing rounds like those taken from the range.
So what?
WHAT!!!!
Had weapons training and had 3,400 rounds left over? For shame. That’s just a hand full of ammo cans worth.
Sigh - longing for the old days.
Ok, lets see some equal treatment, these dirt bag agents need ten years each.
The government exempts itself from the laws that rule the rest of us.
I’ve set the switch to rock&roll just to burn up thousands of rounds because left over rounds could not be turned in. What a waste.
Col. Meyers: What’s your assessment of this situation, Gunny?
Highway: It’s a cluster flop, sir. Marines shouldn’t be sitting on their sorry asses filling out requisitions for equipment they should already have.
Col. Meyers: An astute observation.
The inspectors also found that some of the agents "apparently attempted to conceal the fact that armor-piercing rounds were lost, missing or stolen by turning in regular ammunition rounds that had their tips colored black to look like armor-piercing ammunition."
Theft of government property.
The inspectors concluded that the OST, which transports nuclear weapons, warhead components and special nuclear materials, does not adequately keep track of its ammunition.
What else are they not adequately keeping track of? I would be concerned about that.
That officer and 16 other agents from Oak Ridge took the rounds back with them aboard a DC-9 airplane and then stored the ammunition in their homes and lockers at Oak Ridge,
Again, government property being "stored" in their homes. That is theft, they are just claiming to have "stored" it for CYA reasons.
An officer from the Eastern Command in Oak Ridge took possession of the rounds after signing a memo that indicated the ammunition was intended for "road use," the report said. But the proper forms were not used and the move was not properly approved.
If the forms were not properly approved, which should have caught the improper form use, the ammo should have stayed in TX. BTW, what the heck is "road use"? Is it to use when they have road rage?
The inspectors also found that some of the agents "apparently attempted to conceal the fact that armor-piercing rounds were lost, missing or stolen by turning in regular ammunition rounds that had their tips colored black to look like armor-piercing ammunition."
Theft of government property.
The inspectors concluded that the OST, which transports nuclear weapons, warhead components and special nuclear materials, does not adequately keep track of its ammunition.
What else are they not adequately keeping track of? I would be concerned about that.
That officer and 16 other agents from Oak Ridge took the rounds back with them aboard a DC-9 airplane and then stored the ammunition in their homes and lockers at Oak Ridge,
Again, government property being "stored" in their homes. That is theft, they are just claiming to have "stored" it for CYA reasons.
An officer from the Eastern Command in Oak Ridge took possession of the rounds after signing a memo that indicated the ammunition was intended for "road use," the report said. But the proper forms were not used and the move was not properly approved.
If the forms were not properly approved, which should have caught the improper form use, the ammo should have stayed in TX. BTW, what the heck is "road use"? Is it to use when they have road rage?
“Road use” is when they are in the act of transporting to use against vehicles or hardened targets.
The government ( not military ) always furnished my ammo and insisted that I keep a supply at home for when I was deployed off hours from home and did not have time to go by office.
Ahhh.... thank you for clearing that all up. I still think that they are doing CYA by claiming they were “storing” it at home though, given the amount of missing AP and the fake AP ammo.
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