Used Government Equipment Available For Sale

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kerry Carbonell, Public Affairs
  • 103rd Airlift Wing
BRADLEY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, East Granby, Conn. --  Would you like to buy an old camera that a base has used in the past? Have you ever wondered how cool you would look in a firefighter's suit? Well, there is a way to acquire this equipment and more.
The Defense Reutilization Marketing Office (DRMO) is responsible for redistributing turned-in equipment that they receive from various Department of Defense (DoD) agencies. DRMO's mission is to ensure that property is redistributed in a manner that limits the expenditure of federal resources and maximizes the life of the equipment. This will explain how you can take advantage of this program to acquire equipment for your office, nonprofit organization, or personal use.
The redistribution of the equipment is put into four distinct phases. The first three require a Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC), the last phase does not. They are referred to here in the order they occur. The Web site for the first three steps is www.drms.dla.mil. When at the site, click the link titled Reutilization/Transfer/Donation Customers.
The reutilization process begins with a 14-day screening cycle that offers available items to the DoD and special programs, including fire and police departments and other approved agencies. When a unit acquires property in this cycle, the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) will ship the property directly to the unit, once approved, using the Traffic Management Office.
When an item remains in the system following the reutilization phase, it will progress to the phase known as transfer. Federal agencies that do not belong to the DoD are eligible to receive goods via transfer. These requisitions are approved by the General Services Administration (GSA). DRMS does not ship this property; the receiving agency must arrange shipment themselves. Items will remain in the transfer listings for 21 days before proceeding to the donation phase.
The donation phase is a 21-day screening cycle for approved customers such as schools, nonprofit organizations, museums, and others. These acquisitions are also approved by the GSA and the customer is responsible for arranging shipment. The DoDAAC number that is used by donation customers is assigned to the state. All donation recipients must request property through their state coordinator who actually does the requisitioning. These customers must pick up their property or arrange their own shipment. Examples of donation customers include the Boy Scouts of America, UCONN, the New England Air Museum and other nonprofit organizations.
The last phase is the sale phase and is the final fate for property not claimed via reutilization, transfer or donation. Some property that has been deemed safe to sell is handed over to the sales partner, a company that is contracted to sell property to the public on behalf of the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. Their Web site is www.govliquidation.com. They operate an auction Web site similar to eBay where you can purchase items for personal use. If an individual would like to buy excess government material, that would be the site to visit. Also, part of the proceeds is returned to the U.S. Treasury (saving taxpayer dollars).