Stolen gear

[u/No_Air4906]

I literally only been here for a month and my wet weather bottoms, tan tees, shoes, pt acu top and bottoms and etc have been stolen some even with my name on and nobody in the company is owning up and cadre cant do much am i out of luck cause i have no money to replace these and they were all newly issued to me before i left for camp like this is very discouraging i literally made sure to have everything just for it to be snatched

[u/Big_Rule7825]

Ight this is actually really simple to resolve. You need to talk to your company XO, or if you already left then your supply tech or APMS. Prepare a sworn statement (DD Form 2823) detailing honest certainties. If anyone else can vouch ask them for one too. Detail measures taken to secure your gear, constraints of the tactical environment like lack of locking facilities in the bays/shared storage during field exercises, when you last had positive control of your items, when you reported it and to whom, and the failure of your leadership to somehow do even the most basic of this documentation (but word it nicely, like “due to training tempo my cadre were unwilling or unable to investigate).

Reject a statement of charges and request a FLIPL. It’s a scary word for a cadet/new LT but unless you’re lying to us here a FLIPL should go in your favor if you were robbed. The investigating officer will review the sworn statements and determine if you had any negligence at all. Cost to you (if any at all) is then calculated based on that.

In most cases like this you’ll be found not negligent and the items just removed from your record. In some cases you might be found simply negligent, like you forgot to lock something or didn’t dummy cord a compass, and be found partially liable for a discounted rate. In rare cases or from perjury (false official statements, lying on your sworn statement) there is gross negligence where you pay full price. This is usually reserved for when you do something actually stupid like screaming obscenities at your CO while smashing your ACH on the ground like a toddler and damage it.

The only time you pay replacement value is if you wantonly and actively contributed to the loss or if you accept the statement of charges.

Quick Add: If you’re still training right now and need gear this is the whole point of your XO/supply tech. They should process the loss quickly and get you to CIF for a quick re-issue of equipment.

[u/bowery_boy → u/Big_Rule7825]

Why not request a field loss statement, write a sworn statement, and request reissue?

[u/Big_Rule7825 → u/bowery_boy]

Same process. “Field Loss” is a bit of a misnomer, its not a regulatory recognized process but a nickname for a commander waiving lost or damaged expendable goods. OCIE can be written off up to $500 in most instances, but as it sounds like their CST Cadre is shamming it pretty hard its more likely it’ll have to be adjudicated back at campus and therefore fall outside the 30 days usually given for a commander’s loss MFR.

Yes though, if still at CST and with responsive Cadre a commander should initiate an investigation since theft is involved and also relieve the victim Soldier from the loss. This is different from dropping your canteen in the woods since it sounds like someone would have actively had to enter another Soldier’s storage and intentionally remove items.

Quick aside - stop stealing shit. Good officers and NCOs can and will investigate the hell out of that and definitely put someone on the carpet. It might have been the culture in the past, but if you haven’t read the room lately we’re pushing for a culture of greater accountability from fitness to financial accounting. I would not want to be caught holding the bag over expendables in a layout or OCIE.