Defense Surplus Equipment Disposal, Including the Law Enforcement 1033 Program

The effort to dispose of surplus military equipment dates back to the end of World War II when the federal government sought to reduce a massive inventory of surplus military equipment by making such equipment available to civilians. The disposal of surplus real property, including land, buildings, commercial facilities, and equipment situated thereon, is assigned to the General Services Administration, Office of Property Disposal. The Department of Defense DOD through a Defense Logistics Agency DLA component called DLA Disposition Services has a policy for disposing of government equipment and supplies considered surplus or deemed unnecessary, or excess to the agency s currently designated mission. DLA Disposition Services is responsible for property reuse including resale, precious metal recovery, recycling, hazardous property disposal, and the demilitarization of military equipment. DLA Disposition Services manages the reutilization, transfer, donation and sale of surplus military property. The ReutilizationTransferDonation Program through DLA Disposition Services establishes a process for property considered no longer needed by DOD to be redistributed among various groups. Property considered surplus can be reused, transferred, donated, or sold potential recipients may include law enforcement agencies, school systems, medical institutions, civic and community organizations, libraries, homeless assistance providers, state and local government agencies, veteran s organizations, and the public. Property that is no longer needed by the government may be acquired through public sales, if the property is appropriate and safe for sale to the general public. Recently, the Law Enforcement Support Program LESO, also referred to as the 1033 Program, has been the subject of media reports.