[R-390] AF MARS record keeping, and "chains of custody"

[Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com]

Charles,

Three problems with chain of custody.

Part A. most were owned by units that would not admit they even existed let 
alone owned a R390.

Part B if you excessed an R390 you had to remove those radioactive meters. So 
the tag came off and the resulting unidentified junk was excessed as unknown 
item of zero value with meters.

Part C A unit keep property books. You were likely an officer and you had a 
list of equipment. Today the form is an 1149. Back then it was a different 
number. Your form listed the property and where it came from. It was yours until 
you gave it to someone else. You gave property to someone else because you had 
orders to do so. The day some new property arrived you had an idea where it 
came from, because it had an address on it. As property officer you keep all 
your property records forever.

So when you left some where and transferred all your property to the next 
fellow you had someone type up a very nice property form for you. This form 
listed you as owner and at the current location. The new owner signed for it and 
accepted it. His paper work shows no clue where the stuff come from or how long 
it had been at the current location. You have two records. I received this and 
I gave it to someone else. I have a superior officer signature on the receive 
copy and a signare on the transfered away copy. My book ballance is zero 
items. 


The new guy does an eyeball walk around and checks the serial number of every 
item. Lots of NCO's go along and help hunt every thing up. There are 
maintenance records in card files that should have a rack and room location on the 
file card. The property list should agree with the outgoing property list. The 
list should agree with the file cards. The property list should agree with all 
the property found by inspection. Usually three officers were involved in the 
passing of a property book. (more of a folder full of property forms).  Each 
type of end item was listed on one form. R390 NSN, Receiver 380 each serial 
numbers as follows. 380 serial numbers on the form.
R390/A NSN, Receiver 22 each serial numbers as follows. 
AN/TNH 11 NSN Tape recorder  400 each serial numbers as follows.

So you had a bunch of pages. 
Every thing was on the property book.
Tool Kits.
Racks
Work benches
Test equipment
Some guy had a property book of the buildings on base. Item 1 was the flag 
pole on the parade ground.

The outbound owner, the new incoming owner and a superior officer who had 
command of the outbound and inbound fellows. Outbound guy did not get relieved 
until the superior officer was happy that every thing was located and 
transferred. He looked at the NCO's and ask is every thing in order. The new guy did not 
sign for anything until he had seen every thing. You were not a property book 
owner by chance. You had some training in Officer school (OCS) to be a 
property book holder.


Things were found on post and added to the book. Things were lost and 
reported in the morning report as lost. Last seen at time of acceptance of ownership 
and not able to locate today. A reasonable search was made and the item 
located or not located. Lost property was no big deal. I had stuff stolen off a 
truck in Korea. We knew it was on the truck when we departed and not on the truck 
when we arrived. We know it was stolen off a moving truck. It happened all the 
time in Korea. We were supposed to have someone ride in the back of the truck 
with the stuff. Ever rode in an open pickup in Korea in January? 

Bottom line, once property transferred ownership once at a location all 
record of where it come from is lost. Excess property was transferred back to a 
depot. New requirements were request from depot. If depot di not have it, they 
requested it from some larger holding organization. Guys had R390/s new and used 
in crates and cared less what they were. They concern was that no crate got 
lost. Someday a rail car would be parked next to the depot building and would 
need to be unloaded. Another day you moved a bunch of crates onto a rail car 
and it was gone. Logistics is logical. History of equipment was not something to 
expend manpower on.

Roger L. Ruszkowski