Cover your actions -- Turn in government property properly

By G. Anthonie Riis | Fort Knox NewsJanuary 24, 2020

Cover your actions — Turn in government property properly
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Spring cleaning is just around the corner, but don't toss out that old office relic just yet.

The Defense Logistics Agency's Disposition Services at Fort Knox are here to help properly dispose of government property and keep personnel out of trouble.

"No one should ever just throw away government property," said Gary Morehead, a property disposal specialist with DLA. "By [Defense Department] regulation, anything purchased with government funds should be turned back into us for proper disposal. If it's on a property book, it has to be turned into us. [The unit] has to account for it."

Morehead said improper disposal of government assets may come with severe consequences.

"If government property is found in a dumpster, they [typically] check with us about it to find out if it's documented," he said. "If we don't know, [the Criminal Investigations Division] may investigate; if it's a sensitive item, CID will investigate."

Morehead said his services are applicable even for property not on any property book.

"Anything that was purchased with government funds should be accounted for and may be returned to us," he said. "We don't maintain property records if they're not in the property book; that's the unit's responsibility. If you used your government credit card -- you can file paperwork and bring it to us. Then, it will go in our books and be properly accounted for."

There are also options for offloading questionable property, according to Morehead.

"Non-property book items can be turned in to the recycling center, where they may sell it and earn money for the Army post," Morehead said.

He said his organization will do much the same with unwanted government property.

"Our main project is the reutilization of government property to government services. We'll offer it to other [U.S.] government or state agencies," said Morehead. "If no one in the system wants it, we have contractors who will sell it and give a cut of what they earn back to the Treasury Department."

The DLA website at https://www.dla.mil/WhatDLAOffers/EquipmentDisposition/ offers a variety of services for reutilization, transfer, or donation to other DOD organizations at no cost in most instances.

Customers are also able to electronically file a disposal DD Form 1348-1A document that is mostly pre-populated for faster and easier turn-in.

A transportation appointment may also be scheduled using the site's Scheduler tool, which arranges for local turn-in within 60 miles or non-local turn-in. A site zip code mapping tool directs the user to the closest DLA Disposition Services' location.

"We'll come to the customer who has property ready to ship. It will be palletized, documented and scheduled for a truck to pick up," said Morehead. "It then becomes our responsibility."