Secretary of Defense James Mattis slammed the Pentagon for wasting $28 million on Afghan army uniforms following the release of an accounting report.
Mattis scolded the Pentagon for “cavalier” purchases of forest-camouflage uniforms that have continued since 2007, despite the fact that only 2 percent of Afghanistan consists of wooded areas, according to a memo obtained by USA Today.
“Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur,” Mattis wrote, relying on the findings of a 17-page Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report released in late June.
That Mattis accepted the SIGAR report sets him apart from past practices at the DOD of disputing the government watchdog’s findings.
“Buying uniforms for our Afghan partners, and doing so in a way that may have wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars over a ten-year period, must not be seen as inconsequential in the grand scheme of the Department’s responsibilities and budget,” Mattis added.
Part of the reason the uniforms cost so much was because special tailoring was used. Moreover, according to SIGAR, the Pentagon could save up to $71 million over a period of 10 years simply by changing the kind of camouflage away from a proprietary brand.
“The report is an indication of a frame of mind — an attitude that can affect any of us at the Pentagon or across the Department of Defense — showing how those entrusted with supporting and equipping troops on the battlefield, if we let down our guard, can lose focus on ensuring their safety and lethality against the enemy,” Mattis said.
For Mattis, lethality has played a central role in determining which policies and programs are worth keeping around and which need to be shed to maintain combat readiness.
The House Committee on Armed Services is set to review SIGAR’s report during a hearing Tuesday.
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