Oh, and there are incredible deals too:

http://www.govliquidation.com/auction/view?id=3345742&convertTo=USD

Martin--that link was nutz!!--when i got to "animals not raised for food" i had to give it up...

Not on the buyers end, provided the equipment isnt illegal to possess (rifles, machine guns, sensitive equipment such as scopes, laser rangefinders, etc). From a soldier's point of view, again, speaking from experience, you can sometimes sell gear for more than it cost you to write it off-it largely depends on the equipment, and the shape it is in. There arent any legal ramifications for someone purchasing it, barring the exceptions I stated above.
Soldiers, especially good ones, are resourceful. We usually trade with other militaries for gear when we deploy, and often come up short when it comes time to turn it in. But, I couldnt purchase a british Goretex jacket for less than a few hundred $$$-but I can trade mine, and be charged $67 for my loss. Seems like a win-win to me!

ummmm. Still sounds confusing to me.

OK. You join the American Army , and they issue you a Alice pack , a canteen, and a knife . Let's stop at thease three items . A year later you leave the military . Do you take the stuff with you ?? Are they considered YOURS legally ?

I thought that when you leave the military you have to return what they gave you unless it was totally damaged in battle. If you haven't gone to any war, then the knife, canteen and pack should be returned in a reasoably good shape.

That is what I thought anyway !!

OTOH, I have seen something close to what you are saying : like safety items issued to us in our work ( safety shoes ..etc. ) They are OURS to keep even if we leave the job, but is the military the same ??

when i was in 67-69,you had to buy anything beyond your basic clothing issue so it was yours to keep.when i went to turn in my field gear in Korea the guy at the depot told me to go away,we don't want that stuff.i guess they did not want the work of dealing with it so i bagged it up and took it home-ETS..

There are several ways guys end up with extra field gear.

1. Anyone who uses the stuff regularly acquires two sets eventually. The field set and the inspection set. You don't buy it all at once, but slowly. The Clothing Sales store on Army posts sells some of the stuff, the rest you get at surplus stores off post or thru the mail/internet.

2. Joe goes AWOL. It is the rare case that all of Joe's stuff is turned in. He's gone, he's created a fair amount of paperwork plus PITA stuff for his buddies. So quite often, more often than not, people go shopping in his wall locker. If he didn't take it with, consider it gone. The cost of the items comes out of his paycheck, but poop on him, he's gone.

3. Paperwork snafus with supply. You are issued a widget. When you go to turn it in, the supply people say you were not issued one, no need to turn it in. Happens now and then.

4. You find lost stuff in the field. Amazing what people lose. Helmets, entire rucks, web gear, shovels, literally about anything has been found - except weapons. Lose a weapon, you and all your buddies stay in the weeds til you find it.

I still have a fair amount of stuff, most gotten legally, some found. Other stuff fell off the books I guess.

Generally, if you were issued an item, other than clothing in basic training, at some point you have to give it back.

Don't Forget the Cosmo!Anything Surplus normally has came into contact with it,in one form or another,lol!Make sure you wash anything Surplus,Real Well!For those that don't know,Cosmo is short for Cosmoline,A metal preservative used by Many Nations Military.It seems to find it's way onto anything/everything! That smell is distinctive enough to stay with you for, The rest of Your Life,lol!