Army : What constitutes waste fraud and abuse?

The definitions:
Fraud is defined as the wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. Fraud includes false representation of fact, making false statements, or by concealment of information.

Waste is defined as the thoughtless or careless expenditure, mismanagement, or abuse of resources to the detriment (or potential detriment) of the U.S. government. Waste also includes incurring unnecessary costs resulting from inefficient or ineffective practices, systems, or controls.

Abuse is defined as excessive or improper use of a thing, or to use something in a manner contrary to the natural or legal rules for its use. Abuse can occur in financial or non-financial settings.

If by "gross waste" you were hoping to find a dollar amount threshold definition, there isn't one. If it is big enough that you think it might need to be reported, then it is already big enough to be reported.

If you witness it, and for some reason cannot report it to your chain of command, call the DoD hotline, or if you want, your closest IG, which is where the DoD hotline will likely direct your case anyway.

You are lucky. I will give you the Federal Fiscal Law perspective. Remember PTA:

- Purpose: Is it a legitmate purchase? A general asked for a runway to be built at his base and was denied. He had a very long and wide sidewalk built in the middle of a field which he used as a runway. This was not a letigimate expenditure and he was booted out of the military.

- Amount: Is the amount appropriate? Ordering $900 hammers is illegal.

- Time: This is where Trump ran afoul with Fiscal Law. He had no authority to delay funds to Ukraine nor eliminate funds. Current funds should not be used for purchases for the next fiscal year. The government and the military should make timely payments to prevent taking advantage of contractors.

Irony is I have degrees in Accounting and Finance but joined the army because I did not want to become a bean counter. I started in aviation then went to tanks. Guess what? They made me a budget officer! lol

Putting twisted helicopter skids into the back of a truck a transporting them to a salvage yard for sale is theft. In CA, salvage yards won’t even pay you cash for scrap materials like brass, copper or large aluminum pieces. They make you wait for several days to be slow down the theft of copper wires and pipes.