Defense Secretary James Mattis ripped Pentagon officials for their “cavalier” spending following a recent report that the Defense Department spent $28 million on camouflage uniforms for Afghan soldiers that don’t match up with the country’s terrain.

In a July 21 memo released to reporters on Monday, Mattis addressed a June Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report. The document found that DOD began buying the forest-patterned uniforms in 2007, after a former Afghan defense minister saw them online and liked them.

The uniforms were purchased without testing to be used in a country that's just 2 percent woodland.

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“Buying uniforms for our Afghan partners, and doing so in a way that may have wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars over a 10-year period, must not be seen as inconsequential in the grand scheme of the Department's responsibilities and budget,” Mattis wrote in the memo that was addressed to the undersecretaries for policy, comptroller and acquisition, technology and logistics.

“Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur,” Mattis continued in the memo.

Mattis said a key finding of the SIGAR report was that the Pentagon personnel can reach a “complacent mode of thinking” if not careful.

“The report is an indication of a frame of mind — an attitude that can affect any of us at the Pentagon or across the Department of Defense — showing how those of us entrusted with supporting and equipping troops on the battlefield, if we let down our guard, can lose focus on ensuring their safety and lethality against the enemy,” he writes.

The SIGAR report also drew lawmakers’ attention.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) sent a letter to the Pentagon last week, demanding answers from DOD by August.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), meanwhile, called the findings “embarrassing and an affront to U.S. taxpayers.”

A House Armed Services panel will address the report on Tuesday, during a hearing with Inspector General John Sopko.

Mattis concluded that the report should be used as a motivator to prevent future wasteful spending.

“Rather than minimize this report or excuse wasteful decisions, I expect all DoD organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices — and to take aggressive steps to end waste in our Department," Mattis writes.</s>The Pentagon will be called to account on Capitol Hill this week for its pricey plan to outfit Afghan soldiers in uniforms with a private-label forest camouflage scheme of dubious value in the desert country.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., fired off a letter Friday to the Pentagon about the report from the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction that found the military may have squandered $28 million by purchasing uniforms for the Afghan army without testing their effectiveness. The uniforms use a proprietary forest pattern while woodlands cover just 2% of the country’s terrain.

Meanwhile, a panel of the House Armed Services committee will meet on Tuesday to hear from John Sopko, the inspector general, who blasted U.S. commanders in June for buying the uniforms that also featured fancier frills like zippers instead of buttons.

McCaskill, the ranking Democrat the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, called on the Pentagon to explain why it issued the contract without competitive bidding.

“This is a contracting decision that makes you smack your head in frustration,” McCaskill said in a statement. “It’s a prime example of wasting hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and we’ve got to get to the bottom of how this happened.”

The Pentagon has not refuted the substance of Sopko’s report. In a written response, military officials acknowledged they needed to study if a cheaper, more effective uniform exists.

All told, the Pentagon has spent $93 million since 2007 to buy 1.3 million uniforms for Afghan soldiers. Simply by using a camouflage pattern owned but not currently used by the U.S. military could have saved taxpayers $71 million, according to Sopko’s report.

McCaskill’s letter seeks answers in early August from the Pentagon on its progress toward a cost-benefit analysis of alternative uniforms, whether contracting law was followed and assurances that future purchases will have proper oversight.

The uniform flap has prompted bi-partisan outrage. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Iowa Republican, has pointed to the portion of the report that showed Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak chose the camouflage pattern because “he liked what he saw” of it during an internet search with U.S. officials.

Grassley, senior member of the Budget and Finance committees, blasted the decision as “embarrassing and an affront to U.S. taxpayers.”

Afghan soldiers do fight insurgents from the Taliban and other terrorist groups in terrain where forest camouflage would be appropriate. But no testing was done on the forest pattern’s suitability, according to the report. It goes on to point out that the U.S. military could have spent as little as $156,400 to determine a camouflage pattern’s effectiveness in its own lab.

Sopko scoffed at the selection process, facetiously asking if American commanders would have agreed to buy “pink or chartreuse” uniforms if the defense minister had liked them.

Since the war began in Afghanistan, Congress has appropriated $66 billion to train and equip Afghan security forces. There’s no end in sight as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis considers bolstering by several thousand the current U.S. force of about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan.</s>WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary James Mattis blasted the Pentagon in a memo this week after a recent report said U.S. military officials spent $93 million over ten years on camouflage uniforms for Afghan troops that failed to properly disguise them.

“Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur,” Mattis wrote in the memo, obtained by USA Today and addressed to the under secretaries for acquisition, policy, and comptroller.

The camouflage bought for Afghan troops is a dark-green forest pattern, when only two percent of Afghanistan is forest, according to a report by Pentagon watchdog Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

The Pentagon has bought these uniforms since 2007 without testing their effectiveness. The report also showed that special tailoring of the uniforms cost more money, as did using a licensed camouflage pattern when free versions could have been used, potentially adding as much as $28 million to the price tag.

The report said that going forward, the Pentagon can save as much as $71 million over the next ten years by switching to a new camouflage pattern.

The Pentagon has been under pressure to find savings and end waste, particularly since 2011, when Congress passed a bill mandating automatic cuts of $500 billion over ten years if the Pentagon was not able to lower its budget by itself.

Since then, training of troops and maintenance of equipment have taken the heaviest hits.

“Buying uniforms for our Afghan partners, and doing so in a way that may have wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars over a ten-year period, must not be seen as inconsequential in the grand scheme of the Department’s responsibilities and budget,” he said.

“Rather than minimize this report or excuse wasteful decisions, I expect all [Department of Defense] organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices – and take aggressive steps to end waste in our Department,” he said.

“I’m counting on all hands to take effective action,” he said.</s>Defense Secretary Jim Mattis criticized Pentagon officials for spending millions of taxpayer dollars on private label uniforms for soldiers with the Afghan National Army, highlighting a report that found the camouflage uniforms were ineffective."I expect all [Defense Department] organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices - and take aggressive steps to end waste in our department," Mattis said, according to the Military Times Mattis added that the decision "must not be seen as inconsequential" and urged the Pentagon to learn from their mistake."I highlight this report because it reveals two truths about our line of work. [First] our every action contributes to our larger mission," Mattis continued. Second, "our procurement decisions have a lasting impact on the larger defense budget."Mattis was citing a report released by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in June, which found Pentagon wasted as much as $28 million on the woodland uniforms because the Afghan minister of defense said he "liked the woodland, urban, and temperate patterns."The report also found that the dark forest-patterned uniforms were selected without determining whether they were right for the area, pointing to the fact that forests cover only 2.1 percent of the total land area in Afghanistan."In my view, the key finding of the ... report is not just that it exposes waste, or that it captures how funds are diverted away from other mission priorities, but rather that it serves as an example of a complacent mode of thinking," Mattis wrote, according to the Associated Press The SIGAR report will be the focus of a hearing by a panel of House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. The hearing will look into Pentagon spending on uniforms and equipment in Afghanistan and Iraq.</s>Mattis bristles at Pentagon waste of $28 million on Afghan uniforms

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has criticized Pentagon officials for wasting as much as $28 million by making a questionable choice of forest camouflage-patterned uniforms for Afghan National Army soldiers, Reuters reported.

The uniform pattern was selected without evaluating its effectiveness when only 2.1 percent of Afghanistan is covered by forests, the U.S. government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report last month.

The Afghan minister of defense at the time "liked the woodland, urban and temperate patterns," the report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said.

It potentially cost up to an additional $28 million dollars between 2008 and 2017, the watchdog said.

In a memo sent out to senior Pentagon officials on Friday and seen by Reuters, Mattis said the SIGAR report was an example of a "complacent mode of thinking."

"Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur," Mattis wrote.</s>WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis blasted the Pentagon bureaucracy for "cavalier" spending in light of a recent report that showed as much as $28 million had been wasted in buying uniforms for the Afghan army, according to a memo obtained by USA TODAY.

The report found that U.S. military officials have purchased the forest-camouflage uniforms since 2007 without testing their effectiveness, or accounting for the fact that just 2% of Afghanistan is covered by woods. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction also found that special tailoring boosted the cost of the uniforms, as did using a licensed camouflage pattern when free versions were at hand. The report will be the focus of a hearing by a panel of House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

"Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur," Mattis wrote.

Mattis' letter is unusual in that the military regularly pushes back at reports by the special inspector general's office, which is led by John Sopko. It has disputed his finding, for example, that millions were wasted building a gas station in Afghanistan.

This time Mattis took the hit on the uniforms, and made sure those in charge of purchasing decisions and policy knew about it. He addressed his memo to the under secretaries for acquisition, policy and comptroller.

"Buying uniforms for our Afghan partners, and doing so in a way that may have wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars over a ten-year period, must not be seen as inconsequential in the grand scheme of the Department's responsibilities and budget."

Possible savings up to $71 million

Sopko's office determined that the Pentagon could save as much as $71 million over the next 10 years by switching to a new camouflage scheme. So far, the Pentagon has spent $93 million to buy 1.3 million uniforms in the forest camouflage pattern for the Afghan army.

Mattis, in his memo, returned to a theme that has guided his decision making as Defense secretary, notably the readiness of U.S and allied forces to fight the enemy. If decisions do not enhance what Mattis refers to the "lethality," he has little time for them.

"The report is an indication of a frame of mind — an attitude that can affect any of us at the Pentagon or across the Department of Defense — showing how those entrusted with supporting and equipping troops on the battlefield, if we let down our guard, can lose focus on ensuring their safety and lethality against the enemy."

The inspector general's report drew rebukes from senior senators, including Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. McCaskill demanded answers from the Pentagon on the uniform.

Mattis concluded his memo by warning his subordinates to cut waste.

"Rather than minimize this report or excuse wasteful decisions, I expect all (Department of Defense) organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices -- and take aggressive steps to end waste in our Department," Mattis wrote. "I'm counting on all hands to take effective action."</s>Secretary of Defense James Mattis slammed the Pentagon for wasting $28 million on Afghan army uniforms following the release of an accounting report.

Mattis scolded the Pentagon for “cavalier” purchases of forest-camouflage uniforms that have continued since 2007, despite the fact that only 2 percent of Afghanistan consists of wooded areas, according to a memo obtained by USA Today.

“Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur,” Mattis wrote, relying on the findings of a 17-page Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report released in late June.

That Mattis accepted the SIGAR report sets him apart from past practices at the DOD of disputing the government watchdog’s findings.

“Buying uniforms for our Afghan partners, and doing so in a way that may have wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars over a ten-year period, must not be seen as inconsequential in the grand scheme of the Department’s responsibilities and budget,” Mattis added.

Part of the reason the uniforms cost so much was because special tailoring was used. Moreover, according to SIGAR, the Pentagon could save up to $71 million over a period of 10 years simply by changing the kind of camouflage away from a proprietary brand.

“The report is an indication of a frame of mind — an attitude that can affect any of us at the Pentagon or across the Department of Defense — showing how those entrusted with supporting and equipping troops on the battlefield, if we let down our guard, can lose focus on ensuring their safety and lethality against the enemy,” Mattis said.

For Mattis, lethality has played a central role in determining which policies and programs are worth keeping around and which need to be shed to maintain combat readiness.

The House Committee on Armed Services is set to review SIGAR’s report during a hearing Tuesday.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact .</s>US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has issued a sharp rebuke after the Pentagon wasted millions of dollars buying the Afghan army a pricey uniform that may have made soldiers easier to spot.

According to a memo released Monday, Mattis told Pentagon procurement officials that the decision to buy the overpriced woodland green camouflage uniforms "serves as an example of a complacent mode of thinking."

"Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur," Mattis wrote in the July 21 memo.

The office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) issued a report last month saying the Pentagon may have spent as much as $28 million more than necessary when it decided in 2007 to purchase the dark-green camouflage uniforms.

SIGAR also found that a private company held rights to the camo design and that Afghanistan's then defense minister, Abdul Rahim Wardak, essentially chose the pattern on a whim.

The proprietary design meant the uniforms cost about 40 percent more than non-proprietary camouflage.

The highly critical SIGAR report also says officials ordered the uniforms without conducting any formal testing or evaluation.

"The purpose of equipping the Afghan National Army is to bolster the Afghan government's capacity to provide for its own security, and ultimately, to help defend our country from terrorist attack," Mattis wrote.

He added that he wanted the episode to serve as a "catalyst" to bring to light wasteful practices.

Lawmakers at the House Armed Services Committee are scheduled to hold a hearing Tuesday on the matter.

Mattis is considering whether to send thousands more US troops to Afghanistan to help beleaguered Afghan partners as they struggle to contain a resurgent Taliban.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has criticized Pentagon officials for wasting as much as $28 million by making a questionable choice of forest camouflage-patterned uniforms for Afghan National Army soldiers.

The uniform pattern was selected without evaluating its effectiveness when only 2.1 percent of Afghanistan is covered by forests, the U.S. government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report last month.

The Afghan minister of defense at the time "liked the woodland, urban and temperate patterns," the report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said.

It potentially cost up to an additional $28 million dollars between 2008 and 2017, the watchdog said.

In a memo sent out to senior Pentagon officials on Friday and seen by Reuters, Mattis said the SIGAR report was an example of a "complacent mode of thinking."

"Cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an ineffective and wasteful manner are not to recur," Mattis wrote.

"Rather than minimize this report or excuse wasteful decisions, I expect all DoD (Department of Defense) organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices - and take aggressive steps to end waste," Mattis wrote.

The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee has a hearing scheduled for Tuesday that will look at Pentagon equipment and uniform procurement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

President Donald Trump is weighing sending more U.S. troops to Afghanistan to reverse the gains made by Taliban militants and support the fight against Islamic State and crafting a broader South Asia strategy.

In a sign of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, a Taliban suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul on Monday, killing up to 35 people and wounding more than 40.

Nearly $110 billion has been appropriated in Washington for reconstruction in Afghanistan since 2002, when U.S. forces drove the Taliban from power for harboring militants from al Qaeda, which carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.

In 2014, SIGAR said that more had been spent in current dollar terms on reconstruction in Afghanistan than had been spent on the Marshall Plan, which helped more than a dozen European countries after World War Two.

Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2017. Follow Reuters on Twitter.</s>Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has chided the Pentagon for its “cavalier or casually acquiescent decisions to spend taxpayer dollars in an effective and wasteful manner,” cautioning the department that such missteps are “not to recur.”

The memo, obtained Monday by Fox News, highlights a June report by the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan (SIGAR) which found that as much as $28 million had been wasted by the Pentagon over a ten-year period on uniforms for Afghan soldiers with a camouflage pattern deemed unsuitable for the country’s predominantly desert terrain.

“These actions connect directly to our mission and budget situation,” Mattis said in a July 21 memo to the Defense Department’s acquisition, policy and finance chiefs. “The purpose of equipping the Afghan National Army is to bolster the Afghan Government’s capacity to provide for its own security, and ultimately, to help defend our country from a terrorist attack.”

INSIDE AFGHANISTAN: ARE MORE U.S. TROOPS WHAT AFGHANS WANT?

The Defense Secretary goes on to state that, in his view, the SIGAR report not only “exposes waste” and “captures how funds were diverted away from other mission priorities” but also serves as an “example of a complacent mode of thinking.”

Mattis concludes the memo with a stern warning that such blunders must not happen again.

“This principle applies equally from the smallest procurement to the Department’s largest programs,” he added. “Rather than minimize this report or excuse wasteful decisions, I expect all DoD organizations to use this error as a catalyst to bring to light wasteful practices – and take aggressive steps to end waste in our Department. I’m counting on all hands to take effective action.”

TALIBAN CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR KABUL BOMBING THAT KILLED AT LEAST 24

The Afghan uniform debacle is slated to be a key topic of discussion on Tuesday during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

The U.S has been involved in the seemingly intractable Afghanistan war for almost 16 years, with the deployment of several more thousand troops likely in the coming months.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis criticizes The Pentagon for wasting US$28 million for Afghan woodland camouflage that did not match the country's terrain.