This happens quite a bit when small items are supposed to be turned in. The vast majority of the items are turned into higher headquarters as directed. Then, depending on the item, the articles are redistributed as required, turned into GSA for distribution/resale to other governmental agencies, sold as surplus or the higher hq destroys and/or disposes locally as directed by GSA.
Usually all the items will get turned in. (no sense in keeping an item that we no longer need and no one is going to question that we turned in twice as many as we were supposed to have). However, here and there a stash doesn't get turned in because Pvt. Snuffy hid his and forgot about it or SGT Jones did the same thing, got out or transfered and didn't tell his relief about the stash. Anyway 4 or 5 years down the road you have a section room that has several boxes of items that no one has looked in for a while. A new section chief or plt sgt comes along and we have a general clean up and checking of said boxes. Various stashes are found and get turned into the supply sgt. He calls higher headquarters and if the items in small numbers, not on the books, and expendable will most likely to be told to dispose of them himself as it would not be worth the expense to ship them to higher for the same disposal. Or his 1 SGT or Commander will tell him to dispose of them. Seen it happen many times.
I'm not going to apologize for grabbing the blades. The unit was directed to dispose of the blades locally and I figure better that I (or another modeler) get and use them rather than having them buried in the local landfill. The origional batch I got was under much the same conditions. I happened to catch one of the Medics on the way to the dumpster to dispose of them and talked him into giving them to me. What I do get unhappy about is when an item goes through the system and then something ridiculous happens and really costs us money. Case in point - 3 or 4 years a go a gentleman back east bid on what was described as 1 lot parts - used, excellent condition, 12 HMWVV. He bid $15000 dollars and was high bidder. Imagine his suprise when he found that he was the owner of 12 complete, ready to run ex-USMC MP Humvees, all with 50,000 or less miles. Apparently thought he was buying enough parts to support 12 vehicles. Had them on the Net for $20,000 each, drive away, your choice of ten. Now thats stupid and wasteful expecially as there were at least two units that I know of which were short of that particular type of Humvee and had to wait several months before they got brand new ones.