Funny, I don't feel fat..

Ungh. Every few years it seems a very smart and well meaning person just got through reading something about supply chain management or just-in-time and we get the laser dot on the forehead about the supply system.

The Navy keeps an average of $7.5 billion worth of spare parts and other goods it doesn't need every year because of poor planning and management, congressional investigators say in a report to be released today.

The Government Accountability Office report says the Navy hasn't heeded repeated warnings since 2001 about longstanding problems with the military's inventory management. The report from the GAO, Congress' non-partisan investigative agency, says the Navy's failure to keep track of changing requirements and a lack of communication among the proper officials led to surpluses of spare parts ranging from submarine sonar sets to engine fan blades for fighter jets.

The GAO found "incredible waste," says Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., one of the lawmakers who commissioned the report.

Consider the source, I guess.

Seriously though, who here thinks we have too many spare parts? Things can always be improved, especially in expediting and delivery, but when it comes to spares ... we're fat? No, not from what I see. Inefficient, of course - we're the military. Be glad we aren't hyper efficient.

Something that isn't mentioned enough is the fact what surplus there is in certain areas is there because it is needed. We have been lucky for the most part during this war - we haven't had to feel the hard facts of what war can do to equipment like the Army and the USMC. Some of our aircraft and a few specialty areas sure ... but not in the mainline Fleet.

No, in war isn't where you want to have a part-time peacetime MBA inspired spare parts system ..... or is that what we have anyway?

Are we looking at what the Navy version of the .50 cal ammo challenge .... the ..... well you get the idea.