True and false - I've been issued a unit purchased knife but I've never heard of a unit being able to use local funds for small arms. Maybe in special operations forces.
I've met plenty of Rangers and never heard one mention seeing a Glock. I've also never seen anybody in/from a special operations unit with one. Then again, I've never heard anybody in the military call special ops types "pipehitters" so what do I know?:whistling:
Bren, back in the day (ala 2003-2005) there was a few sources of funds that units could draw from. One of the most notorious was FOO money. Basically envelopes with cash that was directed through the civilian supply chain monitored by DoD Civilians. I wouldn't go near that stuff with a 5ft pole as it spelled disaster all over it with accountability and possible civilian corruption to the likes of which I am glad I know nothing of. I know we paid our interpreters with it as well as purchased a lot of local goods. Some GS civilian once handed me an envelope with $26K in small bills to take deliver to our BN S4 on a FOB outside the AO ... no signatures nothing and he never told me how much was in it. Of course I opened the large envelope only to count out the money and obviously lock up with our CQ desk because I was not carrying it around all day and sleep under my pillow that night. Our unit also had a "cashier" that would travel with the BN Commander who paid Iraqi's for collateral damage during the beginning of the war. Basically he carried a little over $100K in a rucksack w/o frame. Pretty interesting times. Again I saw that as a disaster for potential investigation so the farther away from FOO money I was the better.
OK second type of unit funds that the S4 @ Brigade was able to use was an in theater account funds that could be directed at the will of the BDE Commander. Those funds were used to purchase goods from Rock Island Arsenal (among others) and there folks could get Remington/Mossberg shotguns, M2's, MK19's and other rapid field items. Purpose was for units deploying (typically National Guard & Reserve) to have the ability to get their MTOE requirements while in theater because many of these units did not have their equipment when they were deployed. Now this was *somewhat* controlled meaning MTOE was to be observed. Was it though? Well that depended on how well the unit was organized and honest. I seem to recall about a dozen M2's that we found in a MILVAN from 3ID that we turned in at the end of our tour that were on no property books. It was a cluster and the PBO office located on LSA Anaconda had their hands full with all that paperwork surveying what exactly there was in theater. Mostly because the units did bulk purchasing of everything through open lines that were non-existent on the ULLS-G boxes. ULLS-A however were much more monitored though I am not sure exactly the ramifications were with them because I was never in aviation.
OK third type - this was how folks were ordering Benchmade knives and all that cool stuff. The DoD allowed unrestricted items to be purchased with unit funds through the ULLS-G box. They were monitored by the SPO at each BDE level and these items (so long as they were NOT Class VII) could be purchased so long as the item had an NSN. This last type we are all familiar with as that is how you got your Wiley-X, Oakley, Benchmade Autos, Gerbers, etc.
Anyway that is the short and skinny of it. :wavey:
