Air Force overpaid Boeing for soap dispensers on aircraft by almost 8,000%, DoD IG report says

A Defense Department inspector general's report on Tuesday found that the United States Air Force is drastically overpaying for soap dispensers aboard C-17 military aircraft.

The exact price that the Air Force paid Boeing for the soap dispensers was redacted, but it was reportedly more than 80 times the price of similar commercially available dispensers, according to CBS News. The service allegedly overpaid the company by $149,072.

The dispensers were part of a larger probe into the high price tag that the U.S. military routinely forks over to Boeing, which amounted to almost $1 million in unnecessary costs. A tip from an anonymous source triggered the probe.

"The Air Force needs to establish and implement more effective internal controls to help prevent overpaying for spare parts for the remainder of this contract, which continues through 2031," Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement. "Significant overpayments for spare parts may reduce the number of spare parts that Boeing can purchase on the contract, potentially reducing C-17 readiness worldwide."

A Boeing spokesperson said it is reviewing the allegations outlined in the report and would have a response in the coming days. 

Boeing currently has a contract with the Air Force regarding the C-17 aircrafts, which authorizes Boeing to purchase the needed spare parts for the planes, and then bill the Air Force for repayment, per the report. 

An Air Force spokesperson said the service is working with the agency in charge of contracts to ensure the numbers are accurate, and will also update its contracts to include additional information about other subcontractors. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.