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NSIAD-93-139R 1 (1993-03-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaobackge0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GAO United States General Accounting Office National Security and International Affairs Division B-252390 March 11, 1993 The Honorable Bart Gordon 148667 House of Representatives Dear Mr. Gordon: This letter responds to your request that we review allegations that serviceable equipment and supplies provided for use in Operation Desert Shield/Storm were improperly disposed of and destroyed in Saudi Arabia.' The allegations were made by members of the 1175th Quartermaster Company of the Tennessee National Guard. Our specific objectives were to determine whether (1) the allegations were supported by other evidence and (2) the Army had sufficient controls to prevent such disposal and destruction of materiel. RESULTS IN BRIEF Seven soldiers assigned to the 1175th Quartermaster Company told us they had seen serviceable equipment and supplies burned and buried in Saudi Arabia. However, these soldiers did not have any additional evidence beyond their eyewitness accounts. Other Army personnel we interviewed, including other members of the 1175th Quartermaster Company, said they were not aware of instances where serviceable materiel was burned or buried. Our review of Army documents showed no evidence that units in the Persian Gulf were authorized to dispose of serviceable materiel or that the units had improperly done so. However, certain materiel that was no longer serviceable was burned and buried. We and several Army organizations have reported previously that the Army lost accountability and visibility of the equipment and supplies sent to the Persian Gulf. Consequently, materiel was vulnerable to loss and theft and, in such an environment, the materiel was also vulnerable to 'Serviceable materiel includes new and usable materiel. GAO/NSIAD-93-139R Alleged Materiel Disposal 14