What should be done to a damaged item before turning it in?

• A. Mark it as unserviceable, document the damage, and follow disposal/reclamation procedures
• B. Repair it and reissue it
• C. Return to vendor for replacement without documentation
• D. Ignore damage if cost is high

Answer: (A)

Damaged government property must be treated as unserviceable and handled through the proper disposition process. Marking the item as unserviceable makes its status clear to anyone handling it, and documenting the damage creates an auditable record for accountability and financial purposes. Then follow the disposal or reclamation procedures to get the item out of circulation and routed to the appropriate channel (repair, cannibalization, or turn-in to DRMO). This ensures the item is not reissued until it’s properly inspected and processed, and keeps inventory and funds accurate. Returning to the vendor without documentation bypasses accountability, repairing and reissuing without proper disposition can hide faults, and ignoring damage is unsafe and violates policy.