Millions of dollars worth of gear, including combat boots, helmets, vests and aircraft parts, is being junked by the Pentagon rather than stored or sold as surplus to suppliers who sometimes sell it back to the military. 

Of roughly 1.8 billion worth of equipment the Defense Department downgraded to scrap from January through June, at least 330 Million dollars worth came from categories of gear the Pentagon most frequently buys back from surplus dealers, according to the National Association of Aircraft & Communication Suppliers..