European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 7, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes thursday april 7.19bbcompetitive bidding saves army Money by David Tarrant suit writer Frankfurt an engine filter used in several Mil nary helicopters including the cobra used to cos the army $83,84 each. Now the army is buying the tame filter for j 19,10 a projected annual savings of $350,000. The reason the army recently began taking competitive bids on the filter contract instead of awarding it automatically to a sole source contractor. The engine filler is Only one example of How the army has been saving Money by encouraging Competition for Iti contracts said big. Gen. Charles r. Henry Liv army s Competition advocate general. Henry cited several other examples of savings Der ing an address to about 30 officers of the Usa eur contracting Center in Frankfurt wednesday. Industry representatives sad Henry have lot him privately that when you get yourself into a competitive environment it makes them do what they should have done to begin with it mates them efficient citing congressional and budgetary pressures Henry said the need to bring Competition into every level of the army contracting process is at a Iguni � Ever. We Don t have a bottomless pit he said of the army s budget. You axe critically important to the Good order of  Henry applauded Elt Orts by Usa eur contract and procurement officers to find Good deals. You were buying Hospital pumps and fusion pumps for the hospitals Henry said. The govern ment estimate said in would come in at 172,000. You went Back to the old sole source contractor and hit bid was 152,500. One of you said that s not Good enough and you went Back to another contractor and Bough it at $30,440 from a responsible  Henry look Over the Post of Competition advocate for the army in 1985. Since then the number of competitive contracts awarded has increased dramatically. Eighty eight percent of approximately j million procurement actions by the army in fiscal 1987 were competitively bid. Compared to just 48 percent Bine Yean before Henry said. About �0 percent of the $1.6 billion Usa eur spent on procurements in fiscal 1937 was competitively bid he said. Are we just buying cheap the answer is  he said. Doling thai for the first time in four years there was a decrease id the number of report of Quality control problems from the  Low bid � not necessarily what we re pushing Henry said in an interview after his remarks. Whit we re pushing is what is the Best value there is no requirement on the part of on contracting officer to open the  and Tahnyi Jirard the contract to the lowest bidder he said. Although virtually every army contract pm tie competitively bid. Henry said the elements ofe Agency the cements of time the elements of Deton Niini whether or not there s capability ill am hamper the competitive bid protest. But More and More the army will be out Ralgin its contracts and finding ways to eel better desk with out reducing Quality he my. Nobody t inf to be again Competition. The question is How do yowl Raate in a reality. And the answer that i be found is Yon do h with a lot of support of the army leadership.1 Henry said that since 19s5, he has met with every major commander of the army. And these Fellows come on and say this is important to the army. Its not just a  Dodds has doubts about warning lights on buses by William j. Bartman Uhli glm Bureau Washington the military s overseas school system has doubts about legislation aimed at making its school buses safer including a provision that the vehicles be equipped with warning lights. But the Bill s author rep. Many Martinez d-Calif., wants to work with the department of defense dependents Schoola to find a workable Way to Cor rect conditions that led la the death of a 5.year-old last year in West Germany. We re not trying to Jam his Down anybody s Throat a Martinez aide said. Dodds officials initially expressed reservations Over Martinez s proposal that the bus Drivers who often work for foreign transportation firms hired by  Roundup the military must be Able to read write and understand English. They said it would prove too expensive. However a Dodds spokeswoman said tuesday that the school system continues to study the proposed legislation and also believes that warning lights May not be a safety  while . Law would require bus warning lights to be heeded on . Installations when they go off base they Are not observed because of local Laws the child May become used to having the nights observed and More tragic Acci Dent could  if knowledge of English b required of the Drivers the spokeswoman added it will drive the Cost up for driven tremendously. We would have to hire White Collar workers instead of Blue  she said Dodds believes the stipulation for Drivers to be Able to read write and understand English i too strenuous ind that testing Tor the requirement would be difficult to administer Dodds has come under fire in recent years from parents Over the bus safely Issue. In addition to the Case of Kinder Garten student Jeremy Snyder in of Cilin Eireen lust year who died when lie was caught in the rear door of a moving bus other accidents have been reported involving Dodds buses. The Dodds spokeswoman said the school system wanted to use monitors Ronall school Huso but because of budget constraints has been Able to place monitors Only on vehicle carrying students in kindergarten through second Grade. Martinez s aide did not specifically address Dodds concerns about the legislation but did say we re double a this legislation goes Forward. Our emphasis is for a workable system that the military can implement. We re Noi try Ugto tie anybody  the aide Laid Dodds was Given a copy of the legislation two weeks before its March 29 inti Ducoli feb. The Dodds spokeswoman said a copy of the legis lation has been sent to the school Ytem t regional offices around the world for input. The Issue is scheduled for a hearing in May before the House armed service subcommittee on installation and facilities. We assume that when Dodds pre Senna its concerns the jaw May act changed in  the Dodd spokeswoman said. Engineers anniversary Heidelberg festivities May 6 and 7will Mark the 213lh anniversary of the army corps of engineers. Invitations Are extended to All army Engineer officers sergeants major civilian  activities will include the annual Castle Ball on May 6 at s20 per Jereon. May 7 there is a Choice of a tour of a Heidelberg Castle and City for is per person or a nectar River cruise fors10 per person. Reservations must be made no later than april 20. For information Call capt. Alan Vaughn at ets 370-8157. Day for expos Santa Barbara Calif. A president Reagan has issued a proclamation declaring Fri Day As National former prisoners of War recognition Day. Reagan s statement said to our former prisoners of War who endured to much we say that with your example and with god s help we will seek to meet the standards of Devotion you have set we will never forget your service or your sacrifice on Call Force exercises , Italy the 36th activation of nato s naval on Call Force Mediterranean will begin april 19, when ships from West Ger Many Italy Turkey the United kingdom and the United states assemble in Venice. A monthlong Mediterranean exercise deter rent Force i 88, will include training in warfare communications seamanship and replenish ment at sea. Participating nations will provide surface units submarines fat patrol boats aircraft an helicopters. The Force also will participate to nato s annual dragon Hammer 83 exercise. V i change Dodd worker Martinez spokeswoman army Pilot killed in copter crash was subbing to obtain flight to Stuj Tygart is the 28-year-old army lieu a team arrived wednesday from the tenant killed in a helicopter crash tuesday had not Center at fort Rucker ala., to invest 1k n Ilia -nl.kjll.1a Nilst Fotr ill. Illel to Orvn Illk j41, Vii of no  Fojtl i to Fol