When equipment is lost, unaccounted for, or damaged, the Government will often attempt to charge a servicemember for it. While each service varies on how they do this, they all follow the Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation, Chapter 7.

A common misconception amongst servicemembers is that if property goes missing and they were “signed” for it, they are responsible. That is not necessarily the case. The loss or damage to the property must be proximately caused by a servicemember’s negligence or abuse. This is a complicated analysis and why it is a good idea for a servicemember facing a property loss investigation to meet with an attorney.