Deploying Soldiers should inventory valuables

Carol Kulaszewski/Staff Judge Advocate’s Office

The Fort Lewis Claims Division recommends that all deploying Soldiers prepare inventories of the high-value electronic items and jewelry being taken on the deployment. The list should include the makes, models and serial numbers or give detailed descriptions of the items.

The inventories should be signed and dated by the Soldiers and verified by someone in their chains of command, such as squad leaders, section leaders or platoon sergeants. The names and ranks of the persons who verify the inventories should be printed along with their signatures.

Soldiers should retain copies of the inventories and carry them during deployment. One copy should be left with the Soldier’s family and one copy should be retained by the unit.

Soldiers must remember that the Army Claims Program is not an insurance program, and it will not compensate Soldiers for all losses. The Army will pay for losses due to enemy action and unusual occurrences, such as tent fires, or unforeseen floods that destroy billets.

However, many electronic items, such as laptops, iPods and DVD players are very susceptible to damage from the sand and heat that is typical of the environment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When Soldiers deploy, they assume the risk of damage that results from the severe, but normal, conditions in these countries, and such losses are not compensable.

Deploying units permit Soldiers to take along a certain amount of personal property. The authorization might be by weight or by volume in a tough box shipped in a CONEX or MILVAN specifically authorized to be used to transport personal property.

It has been apparent that CONEXs and MILVANs transported through Pakistan are targeted for pilferage. In light of that, Soldiers must remember the significant risk of loss present when they place personal items in these CONEXs/MILVANs.

When redeploying to home station, the general rule is that Soldiers may ship home the same amount of personal property that they took on the deployment. Claims for loss or damage during such shipments will usually be paid if, prior to such transport, the Soldier prepared a detailed inventory and packed the items as carefully as possible to avoid damage.

Currency, jewelry, iPods, laptops, cell phones and small, valuable items should always be carried and never placed in checked baggage or shipped in CONEXes.

The Army may not pay for loss due to the Soldier’s negligence, and shipping such items in baggage or freight containers would be considered negligence in almost every case.

Soldiers might acquire additional property while in-theater and find it does not fit inside their bags or exceeds their weight allowances. Some units attempt to assist their Soldiers by allowing them to place excess property in MILVAN/CONEX containers.

Such containers are subject to being opened and space requirements might change such that the space that was thought to be available for personal property might be needed for military equipment after the Soldiers have departed.

The safest course is to mail home all personal property, especially high-value electronic items and gifts. One benefit of this approach is that items returned home via military mail can be insured against loss or damage.

Any questions should be directed to the Claims Office at 967-0704.