Results for AR 735-5

Relief of Responsibility and Accountability

AR 735-5 is the regulation for relieving Soldiers and civilians of responsibility and accountability for Army property: adjusting property records after loss, damage, destruction, or theft, and running the financial liability investigation of property loss. It is the source of the FLIPL process and the definitions of command, supervisory, direct, custodial, and personal responsibility. Any leader who signs for property should know these terms.

The FLIPL from start to finish

A financial liability investigation of property loss establishes what was lost, who was responsible, and whether their conduct caused the loss. Liability requires all four elements proved by a preponderance of the evidence.

What are the five types of responsibility for Army property?

Command responsibility, supervisory responsibility, direct responsibility, custodial responsibility, and personal responsibility. Command responsibility belongs to the commander and cannot be delegated. Direct responsibility belongs to the person who signed for and has physical possession. Personal responsibility belongs to whoever has the item in hand at the moment.

What are the two primary supply publications a unit works from?

AR 710-2, Supply Policy Below the National Level, is the policy. DA PAM 710-2-1, Using Unit Supply System, Manual Procedures, carries the procedures that implement it. Property accountability and financial liability are in AR 735-5.

What is a FLIPL and what form starts it?

A financial liability investigation of property loss. It is the formal investigation used when government property is lost, damaged, or destroyed and the loss cannot be settled by other means. It is initiated on DD Form 200, Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss, and it is governed by AR 735-5.

Supply & Property

Hand receipts, sensitive item inventories, command supply discipline, and what to do when something is lost or damaged.

Checklist and Tracking Document for Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss

The checklist a financial liability officer works through, and the tracking sheet that shows where a FLIPL sits in the process and how long it has taken.

Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss

The FLIPL itself: documents lost, damaged, or destroyed government property, the investigation findings, and any financial liability assessed.

Accountability and the five types of responsibility

Accountability is a records function; responsibility is a person's obligation for property. Knowing which type of responsibility you hold tells you what you can be held liable for.

Inventories: sensitive items, cyclic, and change of command

Different property gets counted on different schedules by different people. Sensitive items are counted by serial number on the shortest cycle of all.

Nonexpendable, durable, and expendable property

The accounting requirements code assigned to an item decides whether it goes on the property book, whether it stays on a hand receipt, and what happens when it disappears.

The hand receipt chain and the DA 2062

Property moves from the property book officer to the commander to the sub-hand receipt holder to the user, and a DA 2062 records every step of that chain.

When property is lost, damaged, or destroyed

Three instruments handle a loss: a statement of charges, a cash collection, or a financial liability investigation. Which one applies depends on whether the person admits liability and how much is at stake.

How much can a Soldier be held financially liable for under a FLIPL?

For a loss caused by simple negligence, liability is normally limited to one month of the Soldier's basic pay at the time of the loss, or the actual value of the property, whichever is less. Willful misconduct or gross negligence can make the Soldier liable for the full value. Specific exceptions are listed in AR 735-5.

What do you do the moment you discover a sensitive item is missing?

Stop, secure the area, and report it immediately through the chain of command. Do not wait to search on your own or resolve it quietly. Recount and search under supervision, notify the commander, and follow the unit's serious incident reporting procedures. Adjustment of the property record follows AR 735-5 once the loss is confirmed.

What is a hand receipt and what form is used?

A hand receipt is a document that transfers direct responsibility for property from one person to another and records who physically holds it. DA Form 2062, Hand Receipt or Annex Number, is the form. Signing it means you are accountable for that property and for its condition.

What is the difference between accountability and responsibility?

Accountability is the obligation to keep records showing what property exists, where it is, and what condition it is in. It is a records function that runs through the property book officer. Responsibility is the obligation of an individual to care for and safeguard property in their possession or under their supervision. A commander can be responsible for property that a property book officer is accountable for.

What is the difference between expendable, durable, and nonexpendable property?

Expendable property is consumed in use and is not accounted for after it is issued, such as cleaning supplies and batteries. Durable property is not consumed in use and does not go on the property book, but it does require hand receipt control, such as hand tools. Nonexpendable property retains its identity, requires formal property book accountability, and is hand receipted down to the user, such as weapons, vehicles, and radios.

What must an investigating officer establish before recommending financial liability?

Four things. That the person had responsibility for the property. That the person was culpable, meaning they acted with simple negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct. That the negligence or misconduct was the proximate cause of the loss. And the actual amount of the loss. If any one of the four is missing, liability cannot be recommended.

What rights does a Soldier have when named as respondent in a FLIPL?

The Soldier must be notified in writing of the recommendation and the basis for it, has the right to review the investigation file, may consult with legal counsel, and may submit a rebuttal for the approving authority to consider before a final decision. A Soldier found liable may also request reconsideration on the grounds AR 735-5 allows.