The General Services Administration (GSA), though not a part of the Department of Defense, does furnish some materials and services to the Armed

Forces. It is responsible for supporting all Federal agencies.

GSA maintains stock points at several locations throughout the country. It also has open-end contracts with major suppliers for such items as typewriters, adding machines, and calculators. A good portion of the Navy's administrative supplies and equipment is procured from this source.

The GSA makes contracts with many manufacturers to buy at an agreed upon price. Most materials used by Navy imaging facilities are on the "GSA Schedule." This means that a local store, carrying material you need, may sell it to you at the established GSA price. However, material that is stocked by the Navy must be ordered from the Navy Supply System. Prices vary between the two systems; sometimes you will pay more for goods when ordering from Navy stock than you would pay through the GSA Schedule. The GSA "government prices" are generally 20 percent or more below the retail selling price. However, you must "buy Navy" first.

SUPPLY CATALOGS

There are over four million types of supply items in the Department of Defense Supply System. The Navy Supply System alone stocks over one million items. So you may have access to the entire resources of the government, a common language has been developed-the Federal Catalog System.

FEDERAL CATALOG SYSTEM

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) administers the Federal Catalog System that encompasses all items carried by the Department of Defense and the civil agencies of the Federal Government. Once an item is cataloged properly, this information is used for all supply functions related to the item from purchase to final disposal. When an item is placed in the Federal Catalog System, it is given a Federal Supply Classification (FSC) number.

FEDERAL SUPPLY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

Each item is classified in one, and only one, four-digit FSC number. The first two digits indicate the group or major division of commodities; the last two digits are the class or subdivision of commodities within a group. Presently, the FSC has 90 groups established (some are unassigned). These stock groups cover rather broad categories of material. The second two numbers, designating the class within the group, allow more specific identification. Class numbers may identify the commodities according to their physical or performance characteristics or may be based on other items in the class that are requisitioned or issued together. Classes are used to divide types of material within a stock group and create the FSC number as follows: