Dirty secret: Air Force paid 80 times going rate for soap dispenser

WASHINGTON − The Air Force needs to clean up its act on buying spare parts for its workhorse C-17, the Pentagon inspector general announced Tuesday, blasting the service for spending 80 times the commercial rate for soap dispensers.

The bathroom boondoggle meant the Air Force overpaid $149,072 for the plastic-bodied pump dispenser, the inspector general found after receiving an anonymous tip. In all, the Air Force “did not consistently pay reasonable prices” for more than a quarter of the spare parts for the C-17, according to the inspector general's review.

The bottom line, according to the inspector general, is that the Air Force overpaid nearly $1 million for a dozen different types of spare parts. The inflated cost for some spare parts means others can’t be bought, and the readiness of the plane to fly missions could be affected.

“The Air Force needs to establish and implement more effective internal controls to help prevent overpaying for spare parts for the remainder of this contract, which continues through 2031,” Robert Storch, the inspector general, said in a statement. “Significant overpayments for spare parts may reduce the number of spare parts that Boeing can purchase on the contract, potentially reducing C-17 readiness worldwide.”

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Cost overruns for cargo plane commodes have captured headlines before. In 2018, Defense One reported that the Air Force had spent $10,000 for a toilet seat cover on its C-5 cargo plane. Tuesday's report redacted the price of individual soap dispensers.

One reason the Air Force overpaid for soap dispensers and other parts was that contracting officials failed to “review invoices to determine fair and reasonable prices before payment.”

The Air Force agreed with the “intent” of the inspector general’s recommendations to “determine whether spare parts prices are allowable and reasonable before payment” and to seek repayment of at least $902,946.

In a statement, the Air Force said is working to ensure the accuracy of payments and updating contracts.