It's true that most being sold on ebay in bulk are probably nicked. But some of the new ones can be sourced direct from the manufacture and legitimately sold. Also those selling just one or two can probably do so with a reasonably clear conscience- if they have been issued them, and they are surplus to requirements. I have just donated almost 30 complete 24 hr rat packs to the Scouts that i have been issued, but not used myself. Don't kid yourself that the relatively small numbers being sold off will make any dent in any logistics problems experienced by the army overseas. Its small fry when you consider in only one month just a platoon of troops will get through a little shy of 1000 of the things. It really will make no difference.
Ration packs for civilian disposal are clearly marked as such, and there are some companies out there whom sell those, and those only, to the public. Those are the ones I buy. The ones on a certain auction site are usually stolen, and there have been arrests within the MOD regards the same.
I remember years ago when the aircrew watches were practically unobtainable because they were all going onto a certain site as it started to get popular, people were getting booted from the service over it. The MOD were taking that seriously, as they had an NSN value of about £90 IIRC when you peeled off the lift tab on the packaging. They are going the same way now with other, lower value kit. Thankfully.
With ratpacks, if you are issued them and you dont use them, then they are to be returned to stores. It states that clearly in Queens Rules and Regs. It's classed as theft to do otherwise. They are NOT your property to give away en masse. The argument of they are yours to be eaten, well, ammunition is yours to be fired, you dont give that away either. Jackets and combat rig is yours to be worn, but again, you dont give it away. And up in size it goes. It's a function of scale, but it amounts to the same thing. Theft from the Government.
Regards the 'does it make much difference' argument, well, maybe if people stopped doing it, situations would improve. Looking at the cost of the things, the new experimental ones I'm seeing right now are over £20 per unit cost cost to the MOD, and I'd be pretty unhappy at seeing 30 of those given away, no matter what the deemed good cause. Frankly, I dont see 30 off them as a 'small amount' in any case.
Our opinions differ greatly, obviously, and if I get flamed for having and opinion the same as the official line on the matter, then fair enough, but I'll say it like it is.
We flame benefit cheats for nicking from the taxpayer, so how is kit theft different?
