As children we are taught differently from our respective parents, relatives and loved-ones. Some parents teach their children that honesty is always the best policy. Other parents teach their children that “it’s only wrong if you get caught.” Upon entering the military, service members are taught not to lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do. The reality is that if you don’t go along to get along, you will end up with a target on your back.
Former Army Lieutenant Colonel Rick Lamberth happens to be one of the few who believe in integrity and honor, which does not always mix well with corrupt military officers or civil service employees attempting to steer contracts to friends and relatives.
After 31 years of combined service and 3 deployments to Southwest Asia (SWA), the U.S. Army medically retired Rick Lamberth. Because of his impressive resume, he became the Assistant Program Manager (PM) at the Army’s Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS).
For 4.5 years, Rick Lamberth served as an IT hardware portfolio manager after having conducted IT software portfolio management in the Pentagon.
During those years of successfully performing IT hardware portfolio management at the Army’s PEO EIS located at Fort Belvoir, VA, Rick Lamberth was exposed to massive contracting fraud, waste, abuse, and incredible mismanagement.
The fraud perfectly fits the description as outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation & Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (FAR / DFARS), Army Acquisition Corps, and DAU PM Level 3 training.
Rick Lamberth reported to Management & Leadership: the illegal steering of contracts and false acquisition packets, operating illegally funded warehouses, illegal accounting of IT property, wrongful use of monies, falsification of reports, brazen steering of lucrative contracts to certain contractors. He also reported the bullying, threats and intimidation which followed.
Rick Lamberth reports many more contracting illegalities & violations of federal law, but agencies of the federal government seem to be just fine with it, thank you very much.
Massive fraud and malfeasance is always reprehensible, but particularly painful now, given the fact America is desperately attempting to supply our nation’s hospitals with critically needed equipment during the deadly COVID-19 virus pandemic.
A few billion that was being absconded with or misappropriated, would sure be nice to have at the present to help combat the economic debilitating effects and rising death rates caused by the world-wide pandemic.
Department of the Army Civilians (D.A. Civilians) SES, GS-15 / Army Colonels and GS-14 equivalents repeatedly issued illegal and unethical orders to Rick Lamberth in regards to money and contracts. They wanted to make him a party to their system of organized crime.
Lieutenant Colonel Rick Lamberth specifically names…
Terry Watson,
Debra Lee,
Patrick Barnette,
COL. Charlie Stein,
COL. Enrique Costas-Olivera,
Craig Powderly,
Jeannie Winchester, and
James King.
Lt. Col. Lamberth suggests that if the matter was properly and honestly investigated, there would be many more people implicated. This is why we have characterized the fraud as being massive. It’s not just the amount of money, but the numbers of people involved as well.
The fraud is obviously deeply ingrained into the procurement system, because the perpetrators know they are seldom, if ever, held accountable for criminal and ethical misconduct. It kind of reminds us of when no one at the Veterans Administration could be fired and people died waiting to see a doctor.
The Management / Leadership of the Army PEO EIS repeatedly threatened Lamberth’s reputation and career if he did not cease and desist in reporting blatant illegal contracting practices. Do the words “whistle-blower retaliation” ring a bell?
As a DAU Program Manager Level 3 (PM Level 3) and Demonstrated Master Logistician (DML) from the Army Logistics University and 15+ years of service in the Army Acquisition Corps, Rick Lamberth appears to have been discriminated against, retaliated against, denied educational & training opportunities, and denied well-deserved promotions.
For all the crap Rick Lamberth has been forced to endure, he should be given a bonus from the taxpayers in the millions of dollars. Oh, yes… the evil people responsible for the fraudulent practices, should feel the long arm of the law.
Rick Lamberth absolutely refused to lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do in accordance with The Army Civilian Corps Creed and the Army Oath of Enlistment that Lamberth swore in 1981.
Upon reporting the contracting crimes to outside agencies such as …
the Army Criminal Investigation Division (C.I.D.),
the Army Audit Agency (AAA),
the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA),
the Army Inspector General (I.G.),
the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General, and
several Congress-persons,
… the Management & Leadership at the Army PEO EIS threatened to “Build a Case” around Rick Lamberth designed to ruin his reputation and career.
Here is a classic case of a man with integrity attempting to encourage the “system” to properly investigate the fraud and hold those accountable. But most people don’t know, the “system” is designed to protect the system and not ferret out fraud, waste and abuse.
It is believed that the Management / Leadership of the Army’s PEO EIS reached out to the Management / Leadership of the agencies mentioned above to “Squelch / Crush” any legitimate investigation or acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the Management / Leadership of the Army’s PEO EIS.
As a part of the ongoing cover-up by the Management / Leadership of the Army’s PEO EIS, Rick Lamberth is being subjected to retribution by being “Black Balled” with Federal hiring opportunities and not having been remunerated for cost avoidance / savings, personal expenses, legal expenses, and pain & suffering.
The Army’s” Zero Defect Mentality” & “Appearance of Perfection” harms military members, the Army, and the American taxpayers. It’s a terribly flawed system that must be changed.
Regardless of the threats Lieutenant Colonel Rick Lamberth WAS NOT and WILL NOT be deterred from exposing massive graft & fraud that is draining America’s strength and corrosive to her integrity.
When you give thanks for the military that is protecting us, also remember those people like Rick Lamberth who bravely challenge a corrupt system, not to get even, but to stop the chronic abuses and the incredible theft of taxpayer dollars. Few in our government seem to care, but Rick Lamberth does.
IMPORTANT: If anyone named in this article feels they have been wrongfully characterized, we are glad to provide equal time. Please submit your statement to: admin@MilitaryCorruption.com. Please know that we possess many documents LTC Rick Lamberth submitted in support of his claim. While we feel LTC Lamberth’s claims to be highly credible, we also would like to hear from any opposing side. Billions of dollars hang in the balance and the taxpayers deserve better.
