Pentagon's record contract: a recording error

[helderheid]

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department said on Thursday it was awarding what might have been its richest-ever single contract at $24 billion, but it erred by a factor of 1,000.

The supposedly huge deal, listed in the Pentagon's daily contract digest, was said to have gone to Boeing Co for engineering support of the Air Force's KC-135 refueling fleet.

"No one at Boeing knows of a contract of anything of this magnitude," said Forrest Gossett, a company spokesman in St. Louis.

The Air Force referred callers to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where the contract was handled. A base spokesman, Ralph Monson, said the real deal was for $24 million -- a difference of more than $23.9 billion.

"The correct figure was $24 million," he told Reuters, adding three extra zeros had been tacked on by mistake.

"No clue how," he said after checking with the base's bean counters. "Thanks for bringing it to our attention."

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1841645120071019?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

[EVDebs]

1. DoD can't account for $2.3 TRILLION

War on waste
Defense Department Cannot Account For 25% Of Funds — $2.3 Trillion
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml

""According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions," Rumsfeld admitted.

$2.3 trillion — that's $8,000 for every man, woman and child in America. To understand how the Pentagon can lose track of trillions, consider the case of one military accountant who tried to find out what happened to a mere $300 million.

"We know it's gone. But we don't know what they spent it on," said Jim Minnery, Defense Finance and Accounting Service. "

Uh, can I get a refund ?

[flashl]

2. Wasn't their excuse, its the fourteen accounting systems?

[EVDebs]

3. As far as I'm concerned NO excuse is tolerable. The old OIG is now working for

Blackwater. You know, Mary Kay LeTourneau's brother, Joseph Schmitz, who's now a big shot with the mercenary company.

[flashl]

4. OMG Joseph Schmitz!!

That explains a lot.

[EVDebs]

5. Another Knight of Malta. That explains much more.