Last week we told you about Sgt. Steve Adachi, who was issued a pair of Chinese-made boots before his deployment to Afghanistan. He refused to wear them and demanded American-made boots.
Adachi, a reservist deployed in the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, contacted the Teamsters. He wanted to set the story straight and make it very, very clear that his military organization was breaking the law by buying the boots.
My military organization in Hawaii purchased 150 pairs of boots from China for over ten thousand dollars, which is, in my opinion, illegal.After he received the boots from his unit in Hawaii, Adachi tried to exchange them for American-made boots at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor clothing store. But they told him they couldn’t be exchanged because the Chinese-made boots violated the Berry Amendment, which requires Pentagon food and clothing to be made in the U.S.
The Air Force Times reported the Berry Amendment does not apply in this case because the order was for less than $150,000. While he appreciates the Air Force Times coverage, Adachi said "If [the Air Force Times] did a thorough investigation, they would have gotten the story right."
Adachi explains:
My unit needed an exemption for all purchases – no matter what dollar amount – under Berry guidelines for items that are not 100% U.S.-made. If not 100% U.S.-made, the Buy American Act kicks in, allowing exempted purchases to be made below $2,500 and only if they are at least 50% American-made. The other 50% can only be manufactured by a country on an approved list. China is not on this list.
There was also a congressional inquiry back in 1998, Adachi said. The Audit Report from the Inspector General of the Department of Defense responded to complaints from members of the Air Force who were issued Chinese-made boots.
Legality aside, this is also about principle. For Adachi, defending the American dream abroad goes hand in hand with defending the American dream for workers at home.
Adachi’s unit bought the Chinese-made boots from the ironically-named U.S. Patriot LLC. In addition to being cheaper, the company claimed the American-made boots were lighter and had a composite toe. But Adachi didn’t buy it:
I checked with the military clothing sales stores in Hawaii and they offer Berry compliant tan boots for less than what my supply manager purchased them for – $79 versus $84. The supply company who sold the Chinese boots did make some incredulous claims: that they were 2 to 3 pounds lighter than an American boot. This claim is false and could be easily dispelled. The supplier even went so far as stating that the boots were required to be a “composite toe,” which are only found in China. Well, I said B.S. to that. The only requirement for our boots is that they be tan. Additionally, U.S. companies also make composite toe boots. And finally, the boots that were ordered and delivered to me were not even composite toe.
Since the Air Force Times story was published last week, Adachi’s stand against Chinese-made military gear has created a buzz:It appears that many are outraged that U.S. servicemen are “going to war” wearing uniforms that are made in China. Others have expressed concern about unemployment due to manufacturing jobs that have been outsourced.The supply company offered to exchange his Chinese-made boots for American ones. While he waits for US-made boots, Adachi says it’s about “Americans struggling to feed their families – Americans whose livelihoods have been taken away in this so-called global economy.”
Adachi says that what needs to happen next is education for all government procurement managers. There also needs to be more congressional interest, government auditing and enforcement of the Anti-Deficiency Act.
We salute Sgt. Adachi for fighting for America and our middle class.
