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Military surplus is goods, usuallymateriel, that are sold or otherwise disposed of when held in excess or are no longer needed by themilitary.Entrepreneurs often buy these goods and resell them atsurplus stores. Usually the goods sold by the military areclothing,equipment, andtools of a nature that is generally useful to the civilian population, as well asembroidered patches, name tags, and other items that can be used for a faux military uniform. Occasionally, vehicles (jeeps, trucks, etc.) will be sold as well.[1] Some military surplus dealers also sell military surplusfirearms,[2] spare parts, andammunition alongside surplus uniforms and equipment.
Demand for such items comes from variouscollectors,outdoorsmen,adventurers,hunters,survivalists, and players ofairsoft andpaintball, as well as others seeking high quality, sturdy, military issue garb.Reenactment groups usually seek historically-accurate restrike uniforms and equipment for displays, filmwork etc.
The goods may be used, or not. Some merchants of surplus goods also sell goods that are privately manufactured in military standards. Most items that are sold in military surplus stores in the United States are deemed "military grade". This designation refers to meeting a relevantUnited States Military Standard. For example, uniforms meet Army Regulation 670-1.
The history of army surplus in the United States dates back to the aftermath of theAmerican Civil War.[3] The US government possessed huge quantities of surplus uniforms and equipment. The US Army sold large numbers of old-pattern uniforms to the point that Congress disallowed spending on new uniforms until the obsolete patterns were depleted.[4]
In the 1870s, Francis Bannerman VI operated "Bannerman's surplus".[5] His surplus company was one of the largest ever to operate. He builtBannerman's Castle, a massive storage facility onPollepel Island in theHudson River, to store his goods.
TheMilitary Surplus Act (or Kahn-Wadsworth Act) was signed into US law by the 66th US Congress in 1920. Sponsored by RepresentativeJulius Kahn (R) of California and SenatorJames Wolcott Wadsworth, Jr. (R) of New York, it distributed 25,000 surplus army trucks to state highway departments for road-building purposes.
TheSurplus Property Act of 1944 (ch. 479, 58 Stat. 765, 50A U.S.C. § 1611 et seq., enacted October 3, 1944) is an act of the United States Congress that provided for the disposal of surplus government property to "a State, political subdivision of a State, or tax-supported organization". It authorized a three-member board, known as the Surplus Property Board, a structure that was replaced within a year by an agency run by a single administrator. Many of its provisions were repealed on July 1, 1949.
TheForeign Assistance Act of 1961 defines "Excess Defense Articles". The EDA Program is administered by theDefense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). Excess defense articles areUS DoD andUS Coast Guard-owned articles no longer needed and declared excess. This excess equipment may be offered at reduced or no cost to eligible foreign recipients on an “as is, where is” basis in support of national security and foreign policy objectives.
TheArms Export Control Act instituted theInternational Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) in 1976 during theCold War with the USSR and were intended to implement unilateral arms export controls that reflected those imposed onEastern Bloc countries by the multilateralCoordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls. Though they be surplus, goods are still subject to ITAR regulations.
