Key Takeaways:
– The U.S. Pentagon sent moldy and wet body armor to Taiwan, causing rectification procedures that cost $730,000.
– The shipment was part of a $345 million defense package authorized by the Biden Administration in 2023.
– The Pentagon reportedly violated guidelines when delivering military equipment through presidential drawdown authority.
– Future deliveries to Taiwan will supposedly be based on lessons learned from this ordeal.
The U.S. Defense Department spent an additional $730,000 in an attempt to fix an avoidable problem – moldy body armor transported to Taiwan. According to an independent watchdog report, the Pentagon neglected specific guidelines when delivering assistance through the presidential drawdown authority between November 2023 and March 2024.
Breach of Guidelines
As per the verdict of the Inspector General Robert Storch, the Pentagon’s deviation from the stipulated policies cost them an opportunity to deliver military equipment in acceptable condition to Taiwan. Instead, the shipments arrived damaged and moldy. This negligence threatens Taiwan’s confidence in the U.S. as their reliable source of aid.
This faulty equipment formed part of a $345 million package that the Biden administration declared in July 2023. It was the first drawdown committed by the U.S. to Taiwan.
Moldy Shipment Details
During transport, approximately 67% (340 out of 504 pallets) of the military gear experienced water damage while awaiting a flight to Taiwan for three months at the Travis Air Force Base. Damages arose due to exposure to fog, rain, heat and humidity because of inadequate storage facilities.
The inspector general’s report demonstrated that plastic-wrapped pallets trapped water, leading to visible mold spores and promoting further degradation. Out of the damaged pallets, 120 were delivered to Taiwan, holding over 3,000 moldy body armor plates and 500 wet tactical vests.
Aftermath and Rectification
Following the mixed-up delivery, Taiwanese officials dedicated several weeks to unpacking and drying the equipment. In response, the inspector general recommended that the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency clear ambiguities in roles and deadlines for shipping military equipment, besides ensuring stringent quality checks pre-shipment.
Pentagon spokesperson, Maj. Pete Nguyen, confirmed their commitment to ensuring the sufficiency of equipment delivered to Taiwan for operational purposes, promising to use lessons learned from this shipment for future deliveries.
Costs Incurred
The Pentagon spent $619,000 on labor and material costs at the base and a further $113,500 on equipment replacements before the shipment to Taiwan. However, as of May 31, 2024, the U.S. had not sent replacements for the moldy body armor plates and vests.
Concerns Over Ammunition
Aside from the moldy equipment, the inspector general also discovered that some of the 2.7 million rounds of ammunition received by Taiwan were expired and sent in original, incorrect, and loose packaging. Such substandard equipment supply could further undermine Taiwan’s confidence in the U.S.
Despite the outcry, Pentagon spokesperson Nguyen acknowledged the report’s significance, expecting that its insights would lead to improvements.