Report finds DoD program improperly funded PR services

The American Supports You (ASY), a Department of Defense program, is under fire after the DoD's Office of Inspector General issued a December 12 report that the program had improperly fueled $9.2 million for PR, instead of using the funding to assist service members.

ASY was created in 2004 by the Pentagon as a way to showcase US support for troops and their families. Earlier this year, the Office of the Secretary of Defense solicited for a $6.5 million PR and marketing bid. Until then, Susan Davis International had handled the account, garnering $8.8 million in contracts.

The report also stated that officials used Stars and Stripes as a "funding mechanism," the newspaper reports. A Pentagon spokesperson told Bloomberg that the PA offices had already made changes to the program and that spending was controlled.