Army retains in-house work force

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

The Army has announced a final decision to maintain in-house the jobs of 400 civilians who work for the Directorate of Public Works, U.S. Army Garrison, Hawai'i, rather than contract out the work.

The property maintenance and repair operations jobs had been the subject of a more than four-year study mandated by the Department of Defense aimed at improving efficiency in government operations.

On Nov. 13, 2001, the Army said that the in-house work force was determined to be more cost effective than a private industry contractor that bid for the work.

Both the contractor, Pacific Support Group, and the union representing the employees appealed the decision, which was then reviewed by an administrative appeals board.

Pacific Support Group subsequently protested the Army's decision to retain operations in-house, but the General Accounting Office denied the protest in August.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, yesterday said the use of the in-house work force will result in annual savings of $10.7 million.

"These results underscore the fact that our federal work force is very competitive in providing efficient and cost-effective services to the taxpayer," Akaka said.

The Directorate of Public Works study is the second of two efficiency studies conducted at Schofield Barracks. In April, an appeals board upheld a decision to transfer 200 civilian Directorate of Logistics maintenance and transportation jobs to BAE Systems out of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The five-year contract with BAE Systems is worth $51 million.