February 8, 1996
Office of the Inspector General
Office of the Secretary of the Army
Washington, DC 20310-1700
Attn: LTC Bill Davis, USA
Subj: Allegation of Retribution by a DA Civilian against a Small Business for Informing the DAIG of his earlier Activities prejudicial to the Business
Gentlemen:
This letter illustrates how the actions of a mid-level Army official have interfered with the legitimate business activities of Militec Incorporated, a small company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. This official's behavior has been a persistent problem, for years having dogged the company and its efforts to market a quality product, one which will save the military services lives and money. Ironically, end-users in the services have consistently supported the company's expectations, praising the product based on their hands-on experience, only to be blocked from acquiring it. Now, Militec is apparently the object of retaliation for having brought earlier prejudicial actions of the official to the attention of his Inspector General.
The product is MILITEC-1, a synthetic-based metal conditioner that allows weapons and machines to operate more reliably and more efficiently. The ongoing problem is personified by one Maurice Lapera, Chief of Fuels and Lubricants for the Army Mobility Technology Center at Fort Belvoir, a TACOM subordinate activity. Mr. LePera has for years obstructed Militec's endeavors to provide its product to military customers who tested it and want to use it.
Mr. LePera, during a long career as an Army employee, has established his "turf" as the exclusive decision-maker on all military lubricants even though his charter relates to mobility issues. For any product to get into the market he controls, without his personal stamp of approval, threatens his position. He insists that anything resembling a lubricant must meet the military specifications he has developed over the years in concert with the major oil companies.
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