Army Regulation 840-10

Army Regulation 840-10
Title	Army Regulation 840-10
Subject	Management of Lost, Abandoned, and Captured Property
Issued	U.S. Army
Status	Active

Army Regulation 840-10

Army Regulation 840-10 prescribes policies for the management, documentation, and disposition of lost, abandoned, captured, and other nonexpendable property observed or collected by United States Army units and personnel. It establishes standards for inventory control, property accountability, reporting procedures, and disposal actions that intersect with authorities such as the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and allied partner procedures including those used by North Atlantic Treaty Organization members. The regulation interfaces with statutes and directives issued by entities like the United States Congress, Government Accountability Office, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Purpose and Scope

The regulation defines categories of property—lost, abandoned, captured, found, and unclaimed—applicable to operations ranging from training at Fort Bragg and Fort Hood to contingency operations in theaters such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It outlines reporting chains to authorities including the The Inspector General of the Department of the Army and coordination with legal offices such as The Judge Advocate General's Corps. The scope extends to interactions with international law instruments like the Geneva Conventions when handling captured materiel, and interfaces with customs authorities such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and allied counterparts including British Army logistics offices.

Historical Development and Revisions

The regulatory lineage traces through post‑World War II property control doctrines influenced by lessons from World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War, and was refined during post‑Cold War reorganizations involving U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command. Revisions responded to audits by the Government Accountability Office and legal guidance from the Department of Justice, and reflected procedural modernization following operations such as Operation Desert Storm and stability tasks in Balkans. Amendments incorporated advances in supply chain management technologies used by corporations like Boeing and Lockheed Martin and standards promulgated by National Institute of Standards and Technology for information systems supporting property records.

Property Management Policies and Procedures

The document prescribes procedures for receipt, documentation, temporary custody, and turn‑in of items to property book officers at installations including Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, and Fort Benning. It mandates coordination with career fields such as Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance Corps, and Signal Corps for classification and disposition, and sets data reporting requirements compatible with enterprise systems influenced by Defense Logistics Agency practices. Procedures reference auditing and oversight by organizations like the Inspector General and prescribe interaction with civilian agencies including Federal Bureau of Investigation when items have evidentiary value. Training for implementation is aligned with curricula from institutions such as the United States Army War College and United States Military Academy.

Salvage, Disposal, and Accountability

Salvage and disposal pathways cover transfer to disposition authorities including the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service and sales administered with oversight akin to practices by the General Services Administration. Accountability standards require documentation to withstand scrutiny from auditors at the Government Accountability Office and investigators from the Department of Justice; they also address environmental considerations with reference to Environmental Protection Agency regulations when hazardous materials are involved. The regulation outlines coordination with allied logistic organizations like NATO Supply Agency and domestic law enforcement including U.S. Marshals Service when property is subject to forfeiture, and details salvage reporting that supports legal processes such as courts‑martial prosecuted by Office of the Judge Advocate General.

Roles and Responsibilities

The regulation assigns responsibilities to command echelons from brigade commanders at posts like Fort Bragg to senior leadership within U.S. Army Materiel Command and the Secretary of the Army. It defines duties for staff elements including property book officers, logistics planners from U.S. Army Logistics Support Element, and legal advisors from Judge Advocate General's Corps, and requires coordination with agencies such as the Defense Contract Management Agency when contractor property is implicated. Training and certification obligations reference institutions like the Army Logistics University and oversight by inspectors from the Inspector General of the Department of the Army.

Implementation and Compliance

Implementation relies on integration with automated management systems influenced by Defense Logistics Agency platforms and guidance from the Office of Management and Budget. Compliance is enforced through administrative actions, audits by the Government Accountability Office, and investigations supported by the Department of Justice or Federal Bureau of Investigation when criminal activity is suspected. The regulation mandates reporting channels to senior authorities including the Secretary of the Army and coordination with allied partners such as United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for multinational operations, ensuring property disposition meets statutory, fiscal, and operational accountability standards.

Category:United States Army regulations