Many objects are lost in the army

Photo courtesy of the Canadian Forces, Cpl Gabrielle DesRochers
No less than 2186 battle uniform as these, which are audited during the military operation in Lithuania in 2014, have been lost or broken this year.

Boris Proulx

Friday, 12 January, 2018 22:47

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Friday, 12 January, 2018 22:47

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OTTAWA | military equipment disappeared with the stolen computers, passing by some 2000 weapons and accessories lost or broken, the Defence has escaped significant amounts of equipment yet this year, a sign of a culture of complacency, according to former high-ranking officers.

The armed Forces and its ministry are robbed 353 times during the fiscal year ending the 31st march last, reveal the public Accounts of Canada (published in October).

In total, theft and acts of vandalism have cost $ 88,000 in public funds, an increase of 32 % compared to last year.

“I think that it is related to a climate of laissez-faire, which is not disciplined. I would expect that there is a better control “, said retired colonel Michel Drapeau, formerly in charge of logistics within the canadian armed Forces.

It is particularly concerned about the dozen of flights computers and the sensitive data they may contain.

Lost objects

The stolen items add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost objects, a broad category that also includes the articles destroyed or damaged.

There are for example three arms actually lost (2 bayonets and a cap firing) in a jumble among 2183 weapons and accessories damaged.

The list also includes 4000 combat outfits indiscriminately classified as ” losses of public funds due to loss, destruction or accidental damage “, just like the two planes that crashed (the value of$ 2 Million), or damage caused by a fire to a building of Defense ($7.5 Million).

“The loss of any weapon, accessory or battle dress is a real problem,” admits the retired general Walter Semianiw.

He said that the figures contained in the public accounts do not allow you to truly decide what constitutes a loss of what has just been broken. A survey is normally required when any object lost or stolen.

Inventory

These data are known at the same time as the guard dog of the taxpayers of canada, Michael Ferguson, has concluded this fall for the 14th year in a row that the Defense manages to hurt his stocks, such as ammunition, fuel or medical supplies.

For the auditor general, the government fails to keep track of this material, and do not know the exact value. This inventory would be worth around $ 6 billion.

“There are a lot of rigorous work to do in order to ensure that the quantities [listed] are good, their value is accurate. […] The problem, as could be seen for 14 years. It is important that the ministry is how to set it up, ” he said, after having published this note in the last report on the public accounts.

However, it notes some improvements this year, such as the implementation of a plan.

Examples of thefts and losses of military equipment

Stolen objects :

• 2 flights of transport equipment : 16 800 $
• 10 computers : 16 724 $
• 88 flights of specific equipment military : 14 467 $
• 159 combat gear : 14 260 $

Total flights : 88 068 $ (32% increase)

Other losses of public funds

• 1 building damaged* 7 458 177 $
• 2 military aircraft crushed : 2 052 329 $
• 441 loss or breakage of equipment specific to the military : 358 726 $
• 232 computers that are lost* 285 885 $
• 3982 loss or breakage of combat outfits : 272 674 $
• 2186 loss or breakage of weapons and accessories : 139 960 $

Total losses and breakage : 12 730 063 $

Source : public Accounts of Canada, 2016-2017, vol III

* The office building federal Louis-Saint-Laurent in Gatineau, has been seriously damaged by a fire in April 2016, because of the “loss” of most of the computers of the department of national Defence this year.

– With the collaboration of Émilie Bergeron