European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 17, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday february 17, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3military to replace controversial grease by the Baltimore Sun Washington a the . Military services have decided to replace a synthetic lubricant involved in a series of uh-1n helicopter crashes that have killed 11 service members even though investigators say that they Are virtually certain the grease did not cause the accidents. Although aviation officials in the air Force and Marine corps said that they see no urgency in replacing the synthetic lubricant called syn tech grease some conceded that they eventually want to eliminate recurring doubts about its Quality. A a everybody a comfortable with the grease right now but with any product there a room for improvement a a Marine officer close to the Accident investigations said last week. The switch is not expected to begin until 1996 at the earliest when development of a new More versatile grease is scheduled to be completed by the army the largest user of military helicopters said maj. George Rhynedance an army spokesman. The Baltimore Sun reported in late december that Washington apr a Pentagon scientist said saturday that he has been fired for complaining about waste fraud and abuse in the a Star wars missile defense program. Aldric Saucier 55, said an army colonel handed him his dismissal notice Friday afternoon. Saucier said he had just returned to his office after conferring with the staff of a House panel on National Security. He said the panel is investigating his waste fraud and abuse allegations. A they the army waited until everybody else had gone Home. It was the Valentines Day massacre a said Saucier adding that he was fired because a i  rep. John Conyers jr., d-mich., chairman of the House government operations committee called the army a action  the dismissal letter said Saucier had not a Demon questions about the Quality of syn tech grease had been raised after the first of four fatal air Force and Marine uh-1n helicopter accidents occurred in july 1990. These incidents As Well As two emergency landings by air Force helicopters last year had been linked to a suspicious mechanical problem involving the main drive Shaft of the twin engine uh-1n, a variant of the army a single engine helicopter made by Bell helicopter text Ron inc. Of fort Worth Texas. According to interviews and documents obtained by the Baltimore Sun the services never established specifications for the grease and until the fatal accidents relied mainly on contractor assurances that the grease was sufficient to meet the rigorous demands of military flying. During a review of the grease last year the lubricants Center at Robins fab ga., a indicated a decision had been made not to establish a military specification for the grease due to Cost considerations a said an oct. 3 air Force report warning of the Uhlna so High Accident  the Navy which oversees Marine aviation Accident started he can acceptably perform the duties of a government scientist regardless of Grade or  a congressional source familiar with the probe said staff investigators a give a lot of credence to Saucier a disclosures and will ask current and former directors of the strategic defense initiative a popular Lary called a Star wars a to respond to the allegations. A we take what he is saying very seriously a said the source speaking on condition he not be identified. A this Guy is a wealth of information. He a been at the meetings he watched As the decisions were  Thomas Devine a lawyer working on the Saucier Case for the governmental accountability project said he would file a complaint with Federal civil service officials monday under the terms of the whistle blowers Protection act. Investigations briefly suspended use of syn tech grease after the first uh-1n crash killed two marines and injured three others. Testing later indicated that the grease while meeting Bell helicopters standards May not have provided adequate lubrication to the helicopters drive Shaft coupling located Between the uh-1n engines and transmission the report said. Air Force analysts reported finding that the grease Quot most Likely used in a uh-1n that crashed in january 1991, killing two airmen came from the same 1987 syn tech Batch used in the earlier Marine helicopter Accident. That Batch was in the last year of shelf life at the time of both accidents the report said. An air Force Laboratory then faulted the Quality of two other batches of syn tech grease including one produced As recently As february 1991. A Navy Board also urged the services to buy a higher Quality grease after finding that Bell helicopter lowered its contamination and temperature standards in 1984, possibly Quot to make the specification meet the product a the report  Man kills 4 people during rampage Irvington Ala. Apr a gunman went on a rampage through a Rural Community saturday killing four people and wounding three others before driving off in one victims Van police said. Police were searching for Jason Oric Williams 24. They said he apparently quarrelled with Gerald and Claire Paravicini a couple he lived with in this town seven Miles Southwest of Mobile. Paravicini was found shot to death in the Road outside his Home and his wife had been badly beaten with the .22-caliber Rifle used in the slaying said Gardner Wilcox a spokesman for the Mobile county sheriffs department. Mrs. Paravicini a 16-year-old son Jeffrey Carr was shot through the Mouth but survived Wilcox said. The gunman then ran about a Quarter mile Down the Road to another Home where he apparently shot and killed residents Fred and Linda Barber and their 23-year-old son Bryan Wilcox said. Another son Brad was shot in the hand. He broke through a Glass door and ran for help and Williams fled in the Barbers Van Wilcox said. Carr was hospitalized in stable condition at the University of South Alabama medical Center. Mrs. Paravicini was treated there and released. Brad Barber was hospitalized in stable condition at the University a Knollwood  bowled Over by Coupon Bonanza Calamus Iowa a notice to the 339 shoppers whose cheerios boxes came without a cents off Coupon inside they be been found. The Box of cheerios that Audrey Henning bought was Short on of a but stuffed with 340 coupons Worth 50 cents off the regular Price of the Cereal. The Bonanza which general Mills blames on an Assembly line glitch was discovered recently when Hennings great granddaughter was trying to fix herself a bowl of Cereal and could not get much of anything to pour out of the Box. A there was some Cereal in the Bottom and a Little bit on top but i told them i got Gyp Ped a said Henning 81, of Calamus a town in East Central Iowa. The company smoothed things Over by sending Henning a Betty Crocker Cookbook plus plastic doodads for her great grandchildren. General Mills officials said they believe a glitch in the automated filling line caused the problem. A the problem is that the other 339 packages near that one did no to get a Coupon then a said spokeswoman Kathryn Newton who said she had never heard of a similar incident. If Henning who admits to eating a a lot of cheerios a bought one Box of cheerios a month it would take her More than 28 years to use All the coupons. They have no expiration Date. In a meeting of minds 1st it. Richard l. King or. Righta protocol officer from Pitburg a Germany huddles with a translator and a russian Soldier after one of the operation provide Hope flights landed Friday in Moscow. Provide Hope Airlift soars into 2nd week operation provide Hope concluded its first week sunday with three flights leaving Germany and Turkey bound for the Commonwealth of Independent states. Midway through the humanitarian Mission 39 flights have transported 190.3 tons of medical supplies and 1,137.1 tons of food to 13 cities in the Commonwealth according to a joint information Bureau spokesman at Rhein main a Germany. At least 64 flights will carry 2,250 tons of food and medical supplies to 22 cities in the former soviet Union Over the two week period. The three sunday flights were bound for Yerevan Armenia Minsk Belarus and St. Petersburg Russia. Star wars whistle Blower fired by army