Accountability and Inventory Levels of Air Force Medical War Reserve Material at Fort Worth, Texas

摘要

This is the first in a series of reports on the efficiency and effectiveness of deployable medical systems (DEPMEDS) used by the Military Departments. DEPMEDS are standardized modular field hospitals that can be pre- positioned in the event of a contingency, national emergency, or war operations. The Air Force DEPMEDS are air transportable clinics, air transportable hospitals, and contingency hospitals. During the audit, the Air Force warehoused 10 air transportable hospitals and other associated war reserve material at two Government warehouses in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1996, DoD issued a new strategy to provide health service support for future battlefield situations. The health services support would be smaller, operate at greater distances from the enemy, and employ state-of-the-art technological advancements and innovations capable of providing medical care in theater. According to Air Force data, $45.5 million of medical war reserve material is maintained in Fort Worth to support DEPMEDS projects. The overall audit objective was to determine whether DEPMEDS operations are managed effectively and efficiently. This report discusses how the Air Force accounted for and managed its medical war reserve material at Government warehouses in Fort Worth. We also reviewed the adequacy of the management control program as it applied to the specific objective. In subsequent reports, we will discuss the overall objective. The Air Force maintained adequate accountability over medical war reserve material warehoused at Fort Worth; however, it warehoused about $33 million of medical war reserve material that was not needed to satisfy its DEPMEDS requirements. Timely disposal of the unneeded medical war reserve material would allow DoD to reduce leased warehouse costs by about $260,OO annually, or $1.6 million over the Future Years Defense Program for FY 1999 through FY 2004.