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Bill would make sale of IFF gear illegal

A Florida lawmaker wants to set strict requirements for the destruction of equipment and accessories used by the U.S. military to identify friendly forces.

Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla., has introduced legislation requiring the total destruction of infrared patches and other devices, and the bill would make it a crime to possess, sell or trade the so-called “Identification Friend or Foe” items.

Meek is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, where his bill was referred for consideration. It is unlikely to be taken up this year because the committee traditionally wraps pending legislation into a single policy bill, and the opportunity to add new items into this year’s bill has expired.

“In the hands of our enemies, these patches could allow for infiltration in our ranks and expose our troops to unimaginable harm,” Meek said. “That is a nightmarish situation we cannot allow to occur.”

The bill, HR 4097, comes after new reports earlier this year that some special patches were sold as military surplus. When the government asked for the uniforms back, only a handful were recovered. Of about 4,800 uniforms sold with the patches, only about 350 were returned, Meek said.

No laws were broken because the uniforms — with patches attached — were legally purchased. Although buyers are required to return items if they are notified that the sale was in error, current law imposes no penalty if buyers do not comply.

Meek’s bill requires the “total destruction” of the infrared patches and any other IFF gear. Destruction is defined in the bill as “melting, cutting, tearing, scratching, crushing, breaking, punching or neutralizing,” with the goal of rendering the gear permanently unusable.

Similarly, the unauthorized possession of IFF gear would be a federal crime, punishable by a fine of $250 and up to six months in prison for each violation.