A DoD member claimed a loss of $1 trillion in goods during a military move

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A military member tried to claim up to $1 trillion in lost or damaged goods after making a military move, because you might as well go big or go home, right?

That nugget was tucked inside a report out this week from the Pentagon’s inspector general, which conducted an audit of household goods shipments during fiscal year 2018.

“DoD members filed a total of 40,265 claims, valued at over $1 trillion, for damaged or lost household goods. However, $1 trillion of that total came from one claim that was denied, from one member.” L-O-L.

As the report explains, service members can make a claim for any amount when a moving company loses or damages their belongings during a move. That has apparently led to some trying their hand at earning some big bucks. For example, the report noted, another DoD member said 22 items were lost or damaged, each estimated to be worth $1 million, for a grand total of $22 million.

Needless to say, these claims are out of the ordinary. Most loss or damage claims were valued under $5,000, according to the report.

Still, the IG found far more pressing problems than service members trying to get rich quick: Nearly half the time (41%), moving companies did not end up making their agreed-upon delivery date. Auditors also found that 21% of domestic household goods shipments had at least one damage claim filed in 2018, though most service members were compensated for the trouble.

You can check out the full report here >

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Paul Szoldra

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Paul Szoldra was the Editor in Chief of Task & Purpose from October 2018 until August 2022. Since joining T&P, he has led a talented team of writers, editors, and creators who produce military journalism reaching millions of readers each month. He also founded and edits Duffel Blog, a popular satirical newsletter for the military. Before becoming a journalist in 2013, he served as a Marine infantryman in Afghanistan, Korea, and other areas of the Pacific. His eyes still go up every time a helicopter from Camp Pendleton flies over his office in Southern California.