Air Force squadron spends $56,000 on metal coffee cups

[yortsed snacilbuper]

Last edited Fri Sep 28, 2018, 12:53 PM - Edit history (1)

An Air Force squadron spent almost $56,000 to replace broken just dozens of metal coffee cups over the past three years, in the latest example Pentagon procurement pricing irregularities.

The cups are used by the 60th Aerial Port Squadron at Travis Air Force base in California because they can reheat coffee and tea on air refueling tankers in flight.

But, because of the container’s design, the handle breaks easily whenever the cups are dropped.
“Unfortunately when dropped the handle breaks easily leading to the expenditure of several thousand dollars to replace the cups as replacement parts are not available,” Tech. Sgt. James Hodgman, a squadron spokesman, said.

The cups now cost approximately $1,220 each, according to Hodgman in a July news release. Two years ago, they bought 10 cups for $9,630. This year, they purchased 25 more for $32,000, which is actually a price of $1,280 a cup.

link

[tymorial]

1. How the hell does a coffee cup cost $1220?

Even if it was something particular special that price is completely outrageous.

[zipplewrath]

2. The cup doesn't

The testing, and records retention requirements do.

It's rather convoluted, but is most likely connected with some testing they are required to do every time they make a new batch of them. If they would order 100K of them, it'd be alot cheaper per cup. The real question is why they don't just make better handles.

[procon]

3. A Stainless Steel Thermos can be bought for around $35

and it will keep their coffee hot for hours. They're quite durable; my DH still has his old thermos and it must be at least 30 years old.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

6. I have a yeti coffee cup, it keeps my coffee hot all day,

I preheat it with hot water and then fill it with coffee, lasts over eight hours, I got it as a gift so I don't know what it costs?

https://www.yeti.com/drinkware/rambler-30-oz-tumbler/21070070027.html

[lpbk2713]

4. One solution ...

Don't be so damn clumsy.

[Renew Deal]

12. Or take off the handles and use some gloves

Oh yeah, that's some good coffee

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. And here I thought my Yetti collection was expensive

[yortsed snacilbuper]

7. I have two old stanley thermos that I would donate to the air force for free,

and they are bomb proof!

[Aristus]

8. Corporate welfare for defense contractors.

The TV show The West Wing once demonstrated in the narrative why submariners needed $3,000 ashtrays. A character who was a Naval officer smashed one with a wrench to show that it would break into three large dull pieces instead of shattering and causing a hazard to eyes, faces, etc.

The character he ws demonstrating this for replied: "You just smashed a $3,000 ash tray!"

"Yeah......I wish I hadn't done that..."

My thing is: why the hell are/were submariners smoking on a submarine? I would think oxygen would be at a premium in such an environment.

[Basic LA]

9. Remember the story of NASA's ballpoint pens?

They spent a fortune developing something that could work even upside down & in zero-G. When our astronauts were showing it off on the space station, the Russian cosmonauts shrugged & held up their 2-cent pencils. (So the story goes.)

[Brother Buzz]

10. Ironically, those pencils were made in a factory...

built by an American industrialist, Armand Hammer, using German technology, and it's still operating today.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

11. Were they writing letters and keeping their readings on paper note books?

Paper is heavy, seems like they would have to burn a lot of fuel to carry paper into space?

[lpbk2713]

13. Probably available at almost any Dollar Store.

But of course the Defense Dept (or NASA) would pay $200 each.

[Basic LA]

15. Still had checklists & clipboards.

That's how I picture it in my (faulty?) memory at least.

[sl8]

14. Snopes:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-write-stuff/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-nasa-spen/

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

17. Are they made of gold?

Trumpy will want some if that's the case