The burden of proof is on the nutters and kooks to demostrate that there is something unusual going on, not on me to prove that nothing unusual is going on (though I've provided plenty of evidence of the latter.)
We have established that the SSA and the National Marine Fisheries Service have had small numbers of armed agents for years.
For example, here's a link showing all the Federal Agencies that get Firearms training; (Note that is is from 2007, BEFORE the Obama Administration):
Federal Law Enforcement Basic Training
Note that the Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service and the Social Security Administration OIG OI are on there.
Now here's the problem: Fed Biz Opps only lists solicitations from the last 365 days.
Obviously, Federal Agencies have bought ammunition for their armed agents before this year. BUT IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to reasearch Federal ammunition purchases for the last 10 or last 20 years, make a graph, and try to make some arguement that purchases in the last month have been abnormal, not mine.
I'm going to go with the crazy, out-there assumption that Federal Agencies with armed LEO have been periodically buying ammunition for decades. You can find evidence to disprove it if you like.
And you know what? It hasn't! They contract their officers, said contractors providing their own weapons/ammo under contract. Not federal employees-- contractors. So this is new info. Sure, Dept. of Agriculture has Forestry Service Rangers who have to be armed for real "nutters" and pot growers on federal lands, and Fisheries-- if they have to board a foreign commercial vessel w/in 200 mi limit it's the Coasties who do that with them.
The SSA/OIG careers website states that "We have a staff of approximately 600 employees, 70% of whom are criminal investigators and auditors." 70% of the 600 SSA OIG/OI (Hq'd in either MD or Puerto Rico) is 420. If each one of these CIs and auditors were armed (and presuming all with 357 mag. SIG semi autos)and in the field, that would mean 414 rounds apiece (at 174K rounds). Doubt this seriously.
Given this is an IDIQ bid (and agreed, it is a bid, not an order), indef delivery/indef quantity, it is a whole lot of ammo at the top end, for a rather small number of what are not employees, but contractors (no doubt with prior federal officer resumes/licensing etc.). Judging from the amount of SS fraud, they're doing a poor job in any case.
It may be comforting to dismiss this as "nuts" and "kooks" but there are a lot of folks here on FR who are seriously connected, fair number of former operators and FLEs (GS-1801,1810,1811s or FS-2501s). Not putting too fine a point on it, they do know about FLETC in Glynco (do you really think the TSA needs to bid out for 800 lbs of RDX, when they can train there where they have plenty?). Folks here are rightly concerned, and not buddies of the Alex Jones or Charlie Sheen paranoids, and prefer to remain vigilant.
With the current "red" executive and his gal pal at DHS (studied incompetence empowered by marxist legations of Eric Holder),this is not a time for complacency or "just another day, donuts and coffee",nor for assuming it's vendor beltway bandits completing zero line budgets for the fiscal year. In view of the lying Chicago thug Cloward-Piven marxist tactics of this red executive, dismantling our Constitutional government, what is being questioned seems quite reasoned and prepared.
BTW there is a current listing of glynco training partners available on the DHS website. Deo Vindice.