Despite a 1996 law requiring all federal agencies to\u00a0conduct regular spending audits, the Pentagon has so far failed to\u00a0conduct a single one. While US lawmakers have pressed the DoD to\u00a0comply by\u00a0September of\u00a02017, a new inspector general\u2019s report indicates that meeting this deadline is highly unlikely.<\/p>\n
![\"Two](\"http:\/\/cdn2.img.sputniknews.com\/images\/102145\/63\/1021456393.jpg\" "\\"Two")
<\/div>\n\u00a9 FLICKR\/ SAMUEL KING JR
\n<\/a>US Air Force Cannot Afford to Buy Enough of Its Own $150mn F-35 Fighter Jets<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n_
\n“Army and Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis personnel did not adequately support $2.8 trillion in\u00a0third quarter adjustments and $6.5 trillion in\u00a0year-end adjustments made to\u00a0Army General Fund (AGF) data during\u00a0FY 2015 financial statement compilation,” the report reads.<\/p>\n
In common language, the Pentagon has no idea how it spent nearly $7 trillion.<\/p>\n
This is largely due to\u00a0the fact that the DoD fails to\u00a0provide the “journal vouchers” for\u00a0its transactions, intended to\u00a0provide serial numbers and dates, for\u00a0bookkeeping purposes.<\/p>\n
But the report also found that many of\u00a0the Pentagon\u2019s records were missing without\u00a0explanation.<\/p>\n
\n![\"People](\"http:\/\/cdn4.img.sputniknews.com\/images\/102009\/53\/1020095360.jpg\" "\\"People")
<\/div>\n\u00a9 AP PHOTO\/ STEVE HELBER
\nPentagon: Most Expensive US Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald Ford Won\u2019t Succeed in Combat<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n_
\n“DFAS Indianapolis did not document or support why the Defense Departmental Reporting System-Budgetary, a budgetary reporting system, removed at\u00a0least 16,513 of\u00a01.3 million records during\u00a0third quarter FY 2015,” the report reads.<\/p>\n
While nothing suggests foul play, a lack of\u00a0proper accounting makes it impossible to\u00a0determine how much money the Pentagon spends, and on\u00a0what.<\/p>\n
“While there is nothing in\u00a0the IG\u2019s report specifying that the money has been stolen, the mere fact that the Pentagon can\u2019t account for\u00a0how it spent the money reveals a potentially far greater problem than\u00a0simple theft alone,” Jay Syrmopoulos writes for\u00a0the Free Thought Project<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe report warns that the issuance of\u00a0journal vouchers must be enforced immediately.<\/p>\n
\n![\"\u041f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439](\"http:\/\/cdn2.img.sputniknews.com\/images\/104032\/88\/1040328843.jpg\" "\\"\u041f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044b\u0439")
<\/div>\n\u00a9 FLICKR\/ MWICHARY
\n<\/a>Pentagon Spends $1Bln on Single Computer Network That Raises Security Concerns<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n_
\n“Until the Army and DFAS Indianapolis correct these control deficiencies, there is considerable risk that AGF financial statements will be materially misstated and the Army will not achieve audit readiness by\u00a0the congressionally mandated deadline of\u00a0September 30, 2017,” it says.<\/p>\n
These problems are nothing new, however. A Reuters investigation from\u00a02013 determined that “for two decades, the US military has been unable to\u00a0submit to\u00a0an audit, flouting federal law and concealing waste and fraud totaling billions of\u00a0dollars.”<\/p>\n
Getting the DoD to\u00a0turn around\u00a0its lax accounting<\/a> in\u00a0one year seems as\u00a0unlikely as\u00a0getting the United States government to\u00a0spend less on\u00a0its military, and more on\u00a0education and healthcare.<\/p>\n
\n“Army and Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis personnel did not adequately support $2.8 trillion in\u00a0third quarter adjustments and $6.5 trillion in\u00a0year-end adjustments made to\u00a0Army General Fund (AGF) data during\u00a0FY 2015 financial statement compilation,” the report reads.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n\u00a9 AP PHOTO\/ STEVE HELBER
\nPentagon: Most Expensive US Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald Ford Won\u2019t Succeed in Combat<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n_
\n“DFAS Indianapolis did not document or support why the Defense Departmental Reporting System-Budgetary, a budgetary reporting system, removed at\u00a0least 16,513 of\u00a01.3 million records during\u00a0third quarter FY 2015,” the report reads.<\/p>\n
While nothing suggests foul play, a lack of\u00a0proper accounting makes it impossible to\u00a0determine how much money the Pentagon spends, and on\u00a0what.<\/p>\n
“While there is nothing in\u00a0the IG\u2019s report specifying that the money has been stolen, the mere fact that the Pentagon can\u2019t account for\u00a0how it spent the money reveals a potentially far greater problem than\u00a0simple theft alone,” Jay Syrmopoulos writes for\u00a0the Free Thought Project<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe report warns that the issuance of\u00a0journal vouchers must be enforced immediately.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n\u00a9 FLICKR\/ MWICHARY
\n<\/a>Pentagon Spends $1Bln on Single Computer Network That Raises Security Concerns<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n_
\n“Until the Army and DFAS Indianapolis correct these control deficiencies, there is considerable risk that AGF financial statements will be materially misstated and the Army will not achieve audit readiness by\u00a0the congressionally mandated deadline of\u00a0September 30, 2017,” it says.<\/p>\n
These problems are nothing new, however. A Reuters investigation from\u00a02013 determined that “for two decades, the US military has been unable to\u00a0submit to\u00a0an audit, flouting federal law and concealing waste and fraud totaling billions of\u00a0dollars.”<\/p>\n
Getting the DoD to\u00a0turn around\u00a0its lax accounting<\/a> in\u00a0one year seems as\u00a0unlikely as\u00a0getting the United States government to\u00a0spend less on\u00a0its military, and more on\u00a0education and healthcare.<\/p>\n
\n“DFAS Indianapolis did not document or support why the Defense Departmental Reporting System-Budgetary, a budgetary reporting system, removed at\u00a0least 16,513 of\u00a01.3 million records during\u00a0third quarter FY 2015,” the report reads.<\/p>\n
The report warns that the issuance of\u00a0journal vouchers must be enforced immediately.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n\u00a9 FLICKR\/ MWICHARY
\n<\/a>Pentagon Spends $1Bln on Single Computer Network That Raises Security Concerns<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n_
\n“Until the Army and DFAS Indianapolis correct these control deficiencies, there is considerable risk that AGF financial statements will be materially misstated and the Army will not achieve audit readiness by\u00a0the congressionally mandated deadline of\u00a0September 30, 2017,” it says.<\/p>\n
These problems are nothing new, however. A Reuters investigation from\u00a02013 determined that “for two decades, the US military has been unable to\u00a0submit to\u00a0an audit, flouting federal law and concealing waste and fraud totaling billions of\u00a0dollars.”<\/p>\n
Getting the DoD to\u00a0turn around\u00a0its lax accounting<\/a> in\u00a0one year seems as\u00a0unlikely as\u00a0getting the United States government to\u00a0spend less on\u00a0its military, and more on\u00a0education and healthcare.<\/p>\n
\n“Until the Army and DFAS Indianapolis correct these control deficiencies, there is considerable risk that AGF financial statements will be materially misstated and the Army will not achieve audit readiness by\u00a0the congressionally mandated deadline of\u00a0September 30, 2017,” it says.<\/p>\n