Army Regulation AR 735-5 Property Accountability Policies 10 May 2013

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Field exercise inventories should take place within 15 days of the end of an exercise. These inventories should also occur before and after deployments. This inventory should trigger component hand receipt updates. Evan M. FitzGerald was a Quartermaster Officer and a platoon leader, support operations officer, and executive officer, assigned to the Regimental Support Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin. He is now a practicing attorney and holds a J.D. from the University of Massachusetts School of Law, and an LL.M. in Transnational Law from Temple University.

If the Soldier does not contest liability they may voluntarily sign a Department of Defense Form 362, or Statement of Charges/Cash Collection Voucher. While DD Form 362 is an admission of liability for the lost or damaged property and an agreement to pay for it, the Army uses FLIPLs in situations where responsibility for the loss is in question, or where the amount to be charged is in dispute. INVENTORY RECORDS. Recording every step in the inventory is an essential factor to reduce the possibility of negligence. The paper trail should start on day one of the inventory. Current and future hand receipt holders should bring a tape measure, digital camera, pen, and paper. Using a digital camera creates a photographic record of property, identifies features and serial numbers, and creates evidence that can help defeat a claim of negligence, provided the date-time stamp option is on. Sensitive-item inventories are conducted every month by an NCO or officer. These inventories account for all equipment deemed sensitive on the hand receipt, which is normally everything contained in an arms room to include communications equipment. Direct responsibility obligates a person to ensure property they signed for is properly used, cared for, and kept safe.

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TA-50 is commonly stolen from closets and from cars because it has a high resale value to local pawn shops, so be sure to store TA-50 in a secure location.

When Army property is lost or damaged, financial responsibility can fall upon the Soldier or Civilian to whom the property was issued. Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss, or FLIPL, is the procedure the Army uses to recover the cost of lost or damaged property. Under Army Regulation 735-5, financial liability ordinarily will not exceed one month?'s base pay. However, in certain cases, such as the loss of personal arms or equipment, or damage to government housing, a Soldier can be held liable for the entire loss.

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All BII and COEI should be laid out according to its TM, supply catalog, or respective item listing. In the event there are similar end items, all component layouts occur simultaneously. Only inventories for items that can be physically touched occur; relying on the word of another person is not a legal defense to negligence. NSNs are 13-digit numbers for materiel and are listed in technical manuals (TM) and often on property data plates. NSN nomenclature contains the basic noun that describes the property and identifies the make, model, size, and related information to distinguish NSN item types with the same generic nomenclature. A NIIN is the last nine digits of an NSN. Follow your unit's inventory and supply procedures. The supply policies are there to prevent property from getting lost.

The commander and supply section should maintain copies of all property-related actions in both their offices and residences and keep this documentation for at least two years after a change of hand receipt holder inventory. A LIN is a six-character alphanumeric identification code for generic nomenclature and pertains to the listing line on which the generic nomenclature appears in bulletins and Army equipment authorization documents. LINs treat all NSN items possessing the functional capability expressed by the generic nomenclature collectively. For example, one LIN may cover all mechanics' tool kits, another heavy equipment transports, and a third M4 rifles. PBOs use LINs to identify equipment commanders will inventory during a cyclic inventory. Nonexpendable property includes all non-consumable major end items. Nonexpendable property has an ARC of "N." Inventory schedules must cover inventories of all property on every hand receipt and any property not currently on a hand receipt. The commander is usually responsible for at least two primary hand receipts: the unit property book and installation property book property. There may also be central issue facility, department of public works, or training and support center hand receipts.

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For more information about property accountability, the unit S-4, G-4, and PBO can provide assistance. Army Regulation 735-5, Policies and Procedures for Property Accountability; Army Regulation 710-2, Supply Policy Below the National Level; and Department of the Army Pamphlet 710-2-1, Using Unit Supply System (Manual Procedures), are also good resources. The FLO's resource is Department of the Army Pamphlet 735-5, Property Accountability Procedures and Financial Liability Officer's Guide. Cyclic inventories occur on a monthly basis when elected by the command in place of the annual 100 percent inventory. Ten percent of the total property on the primary hand receipt is inventoried each month (except for two months). This type of inventory should trigger the update of component hand receipts. Counseling sub-hand receipt holders in writing reduces the possibility of sub-hand receipt holder negligence. Before sub-hand receipt holders sign for property, the commander needs to provide them with a written counseling. The expectations of the commander should be clear and provide guidance about CSDP, inventory procedures and basic supply accountability. This written counseling statement serves as a training aid by passing along best practices to junior leaders. Commanders must conduct inventories for changes of command, changes of hand receipt holder, cyclic accountability, sensitive-item accountability, and when units conduct field exercises or deploy. Not conducting required inventories increases the likelihood of a finding of negligence due to poor accountability. Personal responsibility obligates a person to exercise reasonable actions to properly care for and keep safe property issued or acquired for a person's exclusive use. Personal responsibility always accompanies the physical possession of property.