United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-12-11 monographic deposited born digital 12 p. GA 1.13:GAO-02-165 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165 P0b002ee18039f868 f:d02165 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165 GAO-02-165 Army procurement Delivery terms Uniforms Waivers Contract performance Manufacturing contracts Other Written Product A02549 The Army announced in October 2000 that personnel would begin wearing berets eight months later. In an effort to respond to the Army's requirement in the limited time provided, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contracted for production of nearly five million berets at a cost of about $30 million. In the process, DLA shortcut normal contracting procedures and waived restrictions, contained in the so-called ''Berry Amendment,'' that limit Department of Defense (DOD) purchases of certain items, including clothing, to those produced in the United States or its possessions. Despite these efforts, DLA was unable to meet the Army's deadline, and it terminated three contracts because the contractors did not meet delivery requirements. To date, DOD has received about 2.1 million berets--less than 1 million of which were distributed to Army personnel. DOD still expects another 1.6 million berets to be delivered by September 2002. DOD has taken steps to ensure that proposed waivers of the Berry Amendment are considered at an appropriate management level. DOD no longer allows the Under Secretary of Defense or the service secretaries to delegate their authority to approve Berry Amendment waivers. Requests for waivers mush also be supported by analyses of why alternatives that would not require a waiver were unacceptable. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165.pdf GAO-02-165 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-165 Other Written Product GAO-02-165; Contract Management: Update on DOD's Purchase of Black Berets; Army procurement Delivery terms Uniforms Waivers Contract performance Manufacturing contracts