European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday november 11, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 5 b-1b fraud suspected company suspended by Norman Black a military writer Washington the air Force on monday suspended the Eaton corp s ail division from receiving any new government contracts and accused he company of fraudulent activities involve. Ing contracts on the h-1b bomber. The service said it is suspending the ail division because it appears the company has falsified Progress payment requests and Given Gra cities to govern ment  Progress payments Are monthly pay menu provided to defense contractors to compensate them for work hat has been completed. The air fora refused 10 disclose How much Money might be involved in the improper Progress payments or to put a value on the gratuities. The service did say that the falsification of Progress payment requests began in 1982 and continued to the present and thai gratuities were Given to govern Mcnol employees Between 1932 and 1985. A Pentagon official who asked not to be named said it did not appear the alleged illegal gratuities were very expensive Bui that auditors had discovered numerous cases. They All appear to be Worth less than Iso but they also appear to be i prop  the source said. The source refused to discus How much might have been paid out by the air Force 10 ail because of improper defense contract spending per capita Tor elected plates Tor 1956 11.7d3 Conn. Mast to. Call i. Ctitoi0o int Nim a Pulci source . Cut Bureau Progress payment requests. Runny Romain a spokesman for the Cleveland based Eaton declined to Dis cuss details of the matter but said the company would contest the air Force action. We believe that ail s current prac Tice in regard q gratuities and Progress payment reporting is fully responsible and we intend to seek an Early hearing with the air Force Debar men and sus pension review Board to establish thai fact Romain said the ail division is located on Long Island  Ard is one of the chief sub a. Moil. Idaho . Contractors on the new b-18. The air Force has previously acknowledged to Congress that the so called elec tronic counter measures equipment or radar jamming gear made by ail for the bib is still not performing up to specification even though the planes arc now in service. The air Force said its suspension will not Albect the contracts already held by he ail division and thus will not Ham per he company s continuing efforts to fix the problems with the bib radar jamming gear. But the air Force said the suspension would prevent the ail division from obtaining new contracts with any Agency in the menu live Branch of the United states Federal  Eaton will my be Given 30 Days to contest the suspension the air Rore said. But in the absence of any compel Ling evidence justifying a change the temporary suspension will continue until any Ivga proceedings fire  the air Force said. The service refused to disclose further information about the Case because of the continuing investigation. The suspension comes just two weeks after Eaton announced plans to sell its defense electronics operations. Eaton chairman James a Stover said on oct. 2h the company had decided it had to either increase thai sign win of its business or gel out. He said Eaton in tended to focus on its vehicle components and controls businesses. The air Force said the alleged improprieties by i he ail division were discovered by the defense contract audit Agency during routine audits. According to the air Force Eaton s ail division currently holds contracts Worth $3.96 billion with All but $79 million relating to the bib bomber. Those contracts will not be affected by monday s suspension. In fiscal 1986, the last year for which Complete figures Are available the Eaton corp. As a whole was ranked As the nation s 2qth largest defense contractor. During that year the company won new contracts totalling $1.1 billion. Marine Crew chief admits tampering with copter Justin Calif. A a Marine helicopter Crew chief has been barred from working on helicopters after he admitted he tampered with a cd sea sea stallion in order to show thai pilots arc la about safety Cpl. Kirk Hill is under investigation for the oct. 26 action and his allegations have led to an in Sriry into Squadron safety at the request of , Donald , Miller commander of the air Wing at the Tustin and Eltoro Marine corps air stations. Hill said that he and other Crew chiefs responsible for maintenance of the sea stallions of heavy Heli copter so 361 tried to Ell their superiors about Pilot inattention to safety but without re Ull. The tampering which caused erroneous readings in the cockpit of a helicopter posed no safely risk said Hill who was on the flight and later told officials Whai he had done. Hill 14, a Crew chief for seven months said the pilots looked at the erroneous readings said that s weird and then ignored them. That Hill maintains proved that pilots routinely ignored warning lights failed to inform Crew chiefs about mechanical problems and broke such flight rules As flying with burned out lights. I did something 1 was t supposed to do he said. But t did it because it s been known the pilots Aren t being As trustworthy As they re supposed to be. It s our lives Loo,.if they mess  Miller said the pilots realized the malfunction was minor and were Correct in their decision to Fly. The Low number of accidents indicates there in t a safely problem he said. The last crash of a Squadron helicopter was in 1985 in Japan when a sea stallion on a Low level flight struck an unmapped logging Cable. The last minor Accident was in May 1986, when a helicopter practising for an air show dropped a howitzer. Miller noted Hill s record includes being punished for failing to shave for failing in pay civilian traffic tickets and for Drunken driving while off duty. He Laid Hill May have tampered with the equip ment in order to gel Oul of flying. Earlier on the night of the flight. Hill had begged off saying he was tired according to Miller. Col. De Schriber who will conduct the safety in Quiry said Hill s allegations Are worthy of invest Ign lion. When a Crew chief says he tampered with a plane to prove a Point he needs to be investigated sch Riber said. And maybe the pilots did miss some  the next step in the investigation of Hill s action is an article 32 hearing the military equivalent of a preliminary hearing it authorities decide 10 take action Hill could be court Martiale and punish ment can Range from reduction in rank to discharge. Gis will build Honduras Road Washington a the defense department monday announced that . Forces will participate in a Road building exercise next month in Honduras. The Pentagon said the exercise code named fun erics Campos Strong roads 88 Honduras will ultimately involve about 15.500 . Active duty and Reserve soldiers from engineering units by the time it is completed next june. Only about 1,200 americans will be working on the project at any one Lime however with units rotating in and out of Honduras every 15 Days the Pentagon said. Deployment preparations Are already under Way. The Pentagon mid but the actual work Wilt not begin until the end of december. The exercise is intended to upgrade or construct roughly nine Miles of dirt and gravel Road in North Central Hon Duras completing a three year Effort to open a land route into the Yoro Valley the Pentagon said fuertes Caminos 88 is a follow on to two other Road building exercises in Honduras known As blazing trails 86 and blazing trails 87. The exercise is intended to demonstrate . Commit Mentlo the Region the Pentagon said and to give re scr its and National guardsmen realistic experience. Remains of korean War vet identified Washington a the remains fan Ameri can Soldier who disappeared More than 37 years ago during the korean War have been identified and will be buried this month in West Virginia the Pentagon announced monday. The remains discovered last May by korean work in Wen identified by the army s Central identification Laboratory in Honolulu As those of Cpl. Jack l. Walter who was is years old when he disappeared during heavy fighting on july 31, i9jo, near Schinju South Korea. Walker of us iss. W. Va., was reported As missing in action on july 31, 1950. And carried in that Szalus until a presumptive finding of death was issued on dec. 31, 1953," the Pentagon said. Last May 21, korean workers who were moving Graves in the Sirun Dong Community cemetery discovered the remains along with dog tags bearing Walker s name. The Pentagon said the remains had been positively identified last month and then moved on oct. 31 to the . Army mortuary at Oakland army base Calif. Walker remains will do shipped from California on wednesday for burial in Charleston. W. A. On sat urday the Pentagon said. Sands or time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Nov. 11, 1947 the , military government in Germany decreed a Law to return 13 billion Marks in pro genies to jews and others who were swindled by nazis. 30 years ago today. Nov. 11, 1957 Ingrid Bergman landed at Paris orly Airport and told tie press i want to be left alone once and for  the swedish born actress had re fused to comment on reports thai she planned to divorce italian movie director Roberto Rossellini. 20 years ago foday. Nov. 11, 1967 Surveyor 6 settled softly on the Moon and televised pictures of a rugged area never before photographed at close Range. The pictures were received 50 minutes after the probe s Landing. 10 years ago foday. Nov. Ii 1977 israeli prime minister Mcnac hem begin expressed to . Ambassador Samuel Lewis his Reguci for civilian deaths in an israeli air attack on Lebanon. The death loll reportedly had passed 100, with about 1 to wounded