Misuse of Government Vehicles Costs All Involved
Pfc. Garry J. Welch
okinawa marine staff

Misuse of government vehicles is a growing problem in the Marine Corps, said Thomas L. Ramer, the Garrison Mobile Equipment Operations Officer on Camp Foster. It costs a lot of money to keep the vehicles running and misuse drives up the costs even more.

“There seems to be a common misconception throughout the Marine Corps on what ‘official use’ actually is,” said Ramer. “If you are doing something that directly relates to the mission, then you are using the vehicle correctly.”

If Marines are driving to the mess hall or the barracks then it is not official business and the vehicle is being misused, added Ramer.
 
“When government vehicles are misused it costs a lot of money just in fuel,” said Gunnery Sgt. Hugh M. Weise, the procurement chief for GME. “At least a few times a week we get reports of government vehicles parked in unauthorized places, and that’s becoming a huge problem. If units allow government vehicles to be misused, it’s just a waste of resources.”

When GME is notified of a vehicle being misused, the driver will be given a citation. After the driver has been cited, they will be required to take a refresher course on the proper use of government vehicles. The purpose of the course is to make sure the mistake does not happen again and the driver can keep their license, he added.
 
“If the road masters catch someone misusing a government vehicle then they might issue a citation to the driver and may even take the driver’s license,” said Weise. “Depending on the situation, GME may also confiscate their vehicle and give it to another unit that they feel needs it and will use it correctly.”

According to Ramer, government vehicles are most commonly misused to get to and from chow. The Green Line is available for Marines to ride to the mess hall, Exchange and The Spot, so it really isn’t necessary to take a government vehicle to get chow, Ramer said.

“We aren’t going out to get Marines in trouble for this stuff,” said Ramer. “We just want them to use the vehicles (correctly), misuse puts more miles on already old vehicles, and the more you put on them the more they break down. Every time a vehicle goes down, it affects everybody.”

Taking care of government vehicles and using them properly not only ensures that they are available for Marines to use for official business, but it also helps save GME money that can be put to better use, Ramer said.
 
“If a Marine’s leadership finds out that the Marine was misusing the government vehicle, they can educate that Marine on what official use actually is, or take a more active role in the management of government vehicle use within their shop,” said Weise.