LESSON 3
PROPERTY CONTROL IN MEDICAL UNITS
Section I. INTRODUCTION
3-1.
NEED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Simply identifying and ordering supplies and equipment for use within various
units is not enough to assure an efficient medical supply system. When the supplies
and equipment are received, they must be accounted for and someone held responsible
for them until they are either consumed in use or become unserviceable. It is
imperative, therefore, that everyone in the US Army have an understanding of property
accountability and responsibility.
3-2.
PROPERTY DEFINED
Property is an inclusive term used by the US Army to designate supplies,
equipment, buildings, grounds, and similar items. It is divided into two classes--real
property, and supplies and equipment.
a. Real property is land and the interests in land, leaseholds, standing timber,
permanent buildings, improvements, piers, docks, utilities systems, warehouses, rights-
of-way, easements (either temporary or permanent), and improvements permanently
attached to and ordinarily considered to be real estate. It does not include equipment or
machinery which has been affixed to or removed from land or buildings or which may be
removed without destroying the usefulness of the structure. These items are accounted
for under regulations applied by the installation DFAE.
b. Supplies and equipment are all the raw materials and manufactured articles
needed to equip, maintain, and operate a military command. Included are food, clothing,
equipment, arms, ammunition, fuel, forage, and materials and machinery of all kinds.
Supplies are further classified as expendable, nonexpendable, or durable supplies.
(1) Expendable supplies include articles which are consumed in use, such
materials, preserving materials, and so forth, and articles such as repair parts and
components which, when issued for immediate installation, are used to repair or
complete other articles and thereby lose their identity.
(2) Nonexpendable supplies are articles which are not consumed in use and
which ordinarily retain their original identity during the period of use, such as weapons,
vehicles, machines, tools, and instruments. Non- expendables may further be classified
as installation or organization property.
(3) Durable supplies are items that are not consumed in use, retain their
original identity, but are not characterized as nonexpendable or expendable. These
items include no consumable components of sets, kits, outfits, and assemblages; all
tools; and any other non-consumables.
MD0029
3-2