Uncle Sam's Yard Sale: Gov't looks to unload Afghanistan war hardware

It could be Uncle Sam’s biggest yard sale.

After 12 years of war in Afghanistan, officials are now pondering what to do with $50 billion in equipment half a world away — including combat vehicles, dining rooms, gyms, clothing and more.

“A lot of this stuff, you're not really concerned about bringing it back,” said Jim Hasik, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. “I mean if a Coke machine falls into the hands of the Taliban, this is just not a big disaster.” 

But eventually, much of the gear will trickle down to the public. With the click of a mouse the spoils of war can be yours on govliquidation.com. Each day, new items appear on the site – as bases around the country release unneeded items – from rafts and trucks, to fire engines and pretzel stands.

But first, the massive effort to bring some of the equipment home. By December 2014, the U.S. military will have transported home some 35,000 vehicles and 95,000 containers at an estimated cost of $6 billion. It is the largest retrograde or pullout in history. 

“There are huge problems getting materiel out of Afghanistan,” said Don Olson, top civilian leader of the Sierra Army Depot, America’s largest repository of military equipment. 

The biggest problem, since Afghanistan is landlocked, is that the U.S. must fly the equipment out or pay exorbitant customs fees to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The cost of moving the containers alone could reach $237 million, officials estimate. 

Via: Fox News

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