European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday february 20, 1992 the stars and stripes c Page 5af s inventories in disarray Gao says Washington apr the air Force does no to know precisely what weapons aircraft and parts it owns or what they Are Worth a general accounting office report said tuesday. The report following one in 1990 that revealed air Force records significantly understated the costs of multimillion Dollar weapons systems said the records remain seriously inaccurate. Inaccurate inventories can become expensive mistakes the Gao said. If for example the records of a logistics Center understate the number of missile launchers it has on hand the Center might end up buying More than it needs. The Pentagon said it has put into place a series of a Short term fixes to improve reliability of its financial information. Officials also said the inventory problems Are not As bad As the Gao says. A Many of the variances in inventory balances Are corrected through Day to Day Supply operations a said Alvin Tucker defense department Deputy comptroller. But the Gao said the High error rate a seems to contradict the air forces claims that errors Are routinely corrected. Based on inventory inspections at four of the services five stateside logistics centers the Gao estimated that air Force records differ from actual inventory by 18.3 percent. At All of the centers Gao investigators found per postal service probed for buying . Property Washington a the . Postal service is under investigation for its Purchase of two new York properties including one it knew was contaminated by toxic waste that would Cost millions of dollars to remove. Sen. David Pryor d-ark., has asked the general accounting office the investigative Arm of Congress to look into the real estate deals. The properties involved Are 37 acres in Maspeth Queens for which the postal service paid $14.6 million and a former american Telephone amp Telegraph co. Building in College Point Queens for which the postal service paid $65 million. The Maspeth property had been the site of a Furnace used by Phelps Dodge corp. To remove Copper and brass from automotive radiators. New Yorkus department of environmental conservation has said it could take years to clean up Metal contaminants in the surrounding soil. Pryor chairman of the Senate governmental affairs subcommittee that oversees the postal service asked the Gao in the stars and stripes10 years ago feb. 20,1982 a a Federal appeals court temporarily barred the Reagan administrations plan to Grant tax exemptions to racially discriminatory private schools.20 years ago feb. 20,1972 a air Force fighter bombers knocked out at least six anti aircraft guns inside North Vietnam. At the same time american air activity in South Vietnam came almost to a standstill. 30 years ago feb. 20,1962 a attorney general Robert f. Kennedy arrived in Bangkok Thailand declaring that the . Government was determined to help defend Thailand against the communist threat of neighbouring Laos. 40 years ago feb. 20,1952 the French National Assembly approved a six nation european army plan in which for the first time in history French soldiers would fight Side by Side with German soldiers. The deputies attached provisos aimed at ensuring the germans would not attack France again. Last october to intervene after his own staff spent months probing the purchases which he said suggested a Gross the postal service bought the Maspeth land in late 1986 after unsuccessfully trying to buy the at amp to building according to documents collected by Pryor a subcommittee and examined by the associated press. Less than a month after taking title to the Phelps Dodge site the postal service bought the at amp to building and its surrounding 24 acres for $65 million. The Senate panel says one appraiser valued the at amp to property at about $45 million. The documents reveal that the postal service bought the Phelps Dodge site on the Assumption it could quickly resell it. But the plan backfired when Phelps dodgers cleanup efforts failed to satisfy the state department of conservation. The postal service is now using the former at amp to building As a general mail facility. The Phelps Dodge site is unused pending cleanup. Sen. David Pryor dark. Sonnet made up inventory numbers a to arbitrarily Force accounts into balance. At Ogden air logistics Center in Utah the staff told Gao investigators that they ignored errors so that higher level officials would not have to be told about them. One of the those errors was a $1.31 million discount in the number of missile launchers the Center had. The Gao counted 640 in the warehouse the centers official count was 579. A this is an example of a significant inventory error that Alc staff were aware of but left in the system to avoid acknowledging a High Dollar inventory adjustment a the report agents raid facility developing anti tank weapon Al Segundo Calif. Up the Fri recently raided a Northrop corp. Complex that is developing an anti tank weapon a company spokesman said tuesday. / the feb. 11 raid related to the a Brilliant anti tank a Bat program from the West Complex of Northrop a electronic systems division in Al Segundo. Company spokesman Tony Cantafio said Northrop has not been informed of the nature or scope of the probe. Reports emerged this week that the agents were seeking pricing information on the company a proposal to the army and that paper shredders were impounded. Northrop of los Angeles received a $344 million contract last year for the army weapon. Northrop has described the weapon As a a sub munitions containing Small bombs that Are self guided and use acoustics and infrared sensors to attack targets. The project is the latest in a string of Northrop programs placed under investigation. Others have included the b-2 stealth bomber and the f-20 Tiger shark fighter. . Coins May soon have new look Washington up after More than a Quarter Century without change . Coins May carry new designs starting next year under a Bill ready for a final congressional vote. The first Coin to be redesigned would commemorate the 200th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of rights which also would provide the themes for the other redesigns of the Penny Nickel dime Quarter and half Dollar. Presidential images on the front sides of the coins would remain unchanged at least for a while. Authorization for the designs is include world War ii de in a Senate passed Bill that was expected to win final approval by the House on wednesday. The changes would Mark the first major redesign of the five coins since 1964 when the John f. Kennedy half Dollar was first minted. The Back sides of the Quarter and half Dollar were changed temporarily in 1976-77 to commemorate the Bicentennial of the declaration of Independence. During debate on the Bill tuesday supporters said the change will bring in More than $250 million in additional Revenue for the Treasury because the Cost of producing the new coins is less than their face value and because Many current coins will be taken out of circulation by collectors. Opponents said the Public is Happy with the current designs and there is no need to change them. A the Lincoln memorial Monticello Liberty a Torch and the american Eagle Are timeless designs a said rep. Al me Candless a Calif. The Bill requires the Treasury department within six years to permanently redesign the Back sides of the five most common coins. 50 years ago today feb. 20 194 a a . Navy task Force led by the Carrier Lexington tries to attack the japanese base at Rabaul on new Britain but is driven Oft by heavy air assaults heavy tosses delay Japan s plans for increased attacks on new Guinea. Japanese troops invade the portuguese Colony of East timor threatening Australia to the South. A submarine carries president Manuel Quezon from the Philippines source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith publishers inc a year ago Day 35 feb. 20 one american Soldier is killed and seven others Are wounded in a ground engagement. North of the saudi Border . Helicopters attack an iraqi Bunker Complex up to 15 bunkers Are destroyed and 500 iraqis Are taken prisoner. Baghdad radio says Saddam Hussein is sending iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz to Moscow soon with the reply to the soviet peace plan. A
