USA getting rid of equipment over in Iraq....

[jas428]

My sister is a Captain in the military and is on her 6th (or so) deployment in Iraq. She writes us weekly with updates and we just got one that was all about how much equipment and military belonging that the US is literally destroying daily over there before the troops come home. She, and others, are furious and completely puzzled why they are wasting millions and millions of dollars on blowing up machinery and such when they could be selling it or taking it 'home'. I just didn't know if anyone had any input on why the US, when in such debt and supposedly helping Iraw out, would destroy so much stuff that is in good shape. She said even the things they had in their living quarters and on main bases such as flat screen tvs and computers are being blown up.

And just as a note, her job is (and has been for 20 years) in the military is Intel (how ironic lol) but when I did ask her (only once) about the IQD she was truly unaware of any idea of it being an investment. Not that it matters, but before someone asks I wanted to point that out.

[bodiddily]

The answer is simple, it is pure logistics for although it appears wasteful in most cases it is the cheaper option.

[jas428]

I was under the same impression about it being more cost effective but apparently its not. They spend money on all of that equipment and rather than selling it off (since they obviously don't want to take it back to the USA) they are literally blowing things up just to get rid of it. She wouldn't be so upset about it if there was a reasonable explanation for it and she and the crew she is responsible for have been asking to at least donate some of the lighter material (paper, writing utensils, books, etc) to local schools that they helped build. They were denied by her higher-uppers several times before she finally got permission to donate some of it. It really sounds like a waste of money to me. Why spend millions on equipment only to destroy it and not even try to sell it. She was very clear in the everyone she is stationed with feeling very rushed to get out of there (even though most of them are only crossing borders to other countries and not actually coming home) that they are just doing whatever is the fastest method to get rid of things, pack up, and ship out.

She also did say that the Iraqis that she has been working with and training with on and off for years are very sad and nervous about the troops leaving. She said the ones shes worked with have always been very grateful and appreciative of their help and they have never had a problem expressing their gratitude. So thats at least promising that not everyone over there is against us, althought the numbers are small.

[DoD]

The explanation is simple, it's cheaper to blow it up than to ship it. I work for a contractor in Kandahar that took over from KBR and we have recieved over 200 containers

of equipment that was shipped from Iraq to here from KBR. 80% of what's in these containers are DRMO (junk). Now, add the cost to ship it from Iraq to Afghanistan, then

add all the resources for handling this stuff and NOW the expense of shipping it back out of here. The problem with giving all this stuff away is you don't know where it will end up.

[jas428]

The explanation is simple, it's cheaper to blow it up than to ship it. I work for a contractor in Kandahar that took over from KBR and we have recieved over 200 containers

of equipment that was shipped from Iraq to here from KBR. 80% of what's in these containers are DRMO (junk). Now, add the cost to ship it from Iraq to Afghanistan, then

add all the resources for handling this stuff and NOW the expense of shipping it back out of here. The problem with giving all this stuff away is you don't know where it will end up.

I guess the materials I am talking about are not junk. Fully operational machinery and equipment that they are given orders for blowing up everyday. Vehicles, electronics, etc. All in full working order. Its definately not junk or she and her unit wouldn't be so upset about it. Not to mention the expense of the bombs and explosive they are issuing to blow it all up.

[winterset]

I guess the materials I am talking about are not junk. Fully operational machinery and equipment that they are given orders for blowing up everyday. Vehicles, electronics, etc. All in full working order. Its definately not junk or she and her unit wouldn't be so upset about it. Not to mention the expense of the bombs and explosive they are issuing to blow it all up.

As wasteful as it seems it has always been the American way to destroy or abandoned equipment after a war, check the history.

[gymrat76541]

Those Iraq people who are scared now are the same Iraq's who have been selling out their own people.

Now that they're protection is leaving - of course they are scared.

If they dropped a dime on or pissed anyone off in the past - pay back is comin'.

[Tiffany23]

I can add my as I'm in the business, that is a civil servant that is reponsible for moving gov't equipment back and forth between international shores.

First of all, all that equipment is Gov't property, so it has to be cateloged, shipped, stored, and then redistributed to it's next place of use. This is ALL very expensive. For instance, I had less than 8,000 lbs of personal house hold goods shipped here in New Zealand it and it cost approx $60k. So imagine what it would cost to ship hundreds of thosands of items back to the US.. Someone somewhere must have done a break even analysis and decided it was more cost effective to destroy and dispose of than to transport home.

Think of what the headlines would be if instead they were selling it to the locals. A local Iraq citizen picking up a 60 inch plasma TV for $100 would make headlines across the world.

Sucks don't it?

oops, as I was replying I see DOD answered the mail, in a lot less words than I. So...what he says!

Edited October 31, 2011 by Tiffany23

[dinarokie]

we had to put everything 4' deep in the ground .... tanks, jeeps etc etc ..... anything coming back to the states had to be cleaned very very well, before we could put on the plane .... im sure they are destroying several million dollars in equipment...