A retired Marine Corps officer whose career was damaged after his unit was falsely accused in 2007 of war crimes in Afghanistan should have his rank elevated and be awarded back pay for damages, a Navy board has determined. The Navy’s Board for Correction of Naval Records determined there were extensive errors in performance reports for Maj. Fred Galvin stemming from a 2007 firefight in Afghanistan and a separate review in 2011. As a result, Galvin was passed over for promotion to lieutenant colonel. The board, in an October ruling that was approved Wednesday by the Navy, recommended that Galvin be assigned the retired rank of lieutenant colonel and receive commensurate back pay. The next step is for a special selection board to assemble and make a final determination on the promotion, according to the Navy board’s report. Galvin said his ultimate hope is to return to uniform after being forced into retirement in 2014. “I would like to continue to serve,” Galvin said. “God bless the people on this (board) for standing up for us. This is a huge step forward.”
This entire debacle was not one of the Corps finest moments in my opinion. When there was a growing trend by the Administration to vilify and prosecute warriors, the Corps turned their backs on a few of their own.
Marines didn’t do anything wrong,” Galvin said in a phone interview Friday. “But nobody in uniform has ever stood up and said these Marines didn’t kill civilians. Nobody in uniform ever stood up for us.”
Better late than never, I guess. I have met the leadership that is currently at the top of the Corps several times, can’t say I am a big fan of their leadership style. What we need is a little less cowbell and a bit more esprit de corps.
Source: Marine deemed falsely accused of war crimes is recommended for higher retired rank
Category: Marine Corps
Shutting the doors after the horse is out of the born, but its a nice step. He will still have that stigma attached to him. Whose to say how high he could have risen.
*barn
He is asking to return to duty, as he was forced to retire. It is likely they may give him the chance to make O-6.
Unfortunately he will never, ever make 06. The Corps is the cruelest of mistresses when it comes to real or perceived lapses of judgment by officers.
Not so fast.
The Naval Board of Cirrections has determined he was unjustly and unfairly treated.
His record will be scrubbed if all negative, unjust, unfair and unlawful entries.
A special selection board will assemble and he assured to be promoted to Lt. Col.
Once he is restored to Lt. Col. if he is permitted and chooses to go back on active or reserve duty, he will be on the top of the promotion list by year.
With no negitive info in his record, he is more likely than not to be promoted to Col. at first selection board.
The only info that can be used in the selection board process is info that resides in one’s service record.
I hope he returns to active or reserve duty and is promoted to Col. at next selection board.
And I also hope he and his unit are put in for the appropriate awards that would have been given for the period of the entire incident and unfair treatment.
BTW, this was a huge CORRECTION … and the future Col. should be proud to have stuck to his guns.
I have a wee bit of experience in this area … I am a four time voting member of the US Navy Selection Board process.
Don’t you just love it when a Master Chief Petty Officer with much qualifications verifies the conclusion that a broke down former E-4 Mafioso Artillery gun bunny/missile man dog robber came up with? See my post below.
Cigars and cocktails in the goat locker are on me Chief. Don’t tell the OOD. Tanks!
ROG WILCO ON SMOKE AND LIBATION
Finally! The truth has come out. Our brave men have been slandered, ridiculed, and betrayed for so damn long. And he’s not the only one falsely charged by any means. And while I’m thinking about it, I hope John Murtha is burning in hell!
Here’s an 2 minute audio excerpt titled; ‘How The Janissaries Who Still Head the US Military Betrayed Maj Fred Galvin’
I admire his desire to continue to serve, but that was spoken some five years ago, and I’m sure his life has changed since then. Then there’s the FU factor- this experience must have soured him on the leadership that left him and his men to hang. Tough decision.
At least the Corps is making good on advancement and back pay- five years of Lieutenant Colonel pay would be quite the windfall.
I wish him luck, whichever path he chooses.
“At least the Corps is making good on advancement and back pay…”
Based on what I observed during my Marine Corps career, I believe that the Marine Corps is only doing this because DoN is directing them to do so based on the findings of the BCNR. In my opinion, this is not an altruistic decision by the Marine Corps to benefit LtCol Galvin by any stretch of the imagination. They’re only doing this because they’re being told to do it.
The reason that I say this, and do I hate saying this about my Marine Corps, is that, from what I’ve seen, the Marine Corps as an institution does not like being told that it has made a mistake in matters such as this. I would guess that this decision to promote Galvin to the retired rank of LtCol will result in a significant adverse emotional event for some senior USMC leaders, both active duty and retired.
The Marine Corps also has a very long memory regarding these sorts of issues. LtCol Galvin may indeed try to come back on active duty, but in my opinion the damage has already been done and he’ll (wrongly) be considered to be a pariah if he returns to the operating forces. It’s not right, but that’s the way that it will most likely play out. As such, it’s unlikely that he’d ever be screened/slated for O-5 command, and consequently he’d never be competitive for O-6. The best that he could hope for would be to get an assignment on a staff somewhere while he was on active duty.
All things considered, it might be best for him to just take the LtCol retirement and the back pay, close the door on his Marine Corps career, and get on with his life.
Just my two cents.
A common failing of the Suck is that it often believes that loyalty is a one way street that only works towards the top. I have lost track of Marines I knew, including myself, who found this out the hard way.
So true.
You can love the Corps, but it won’t love you back.
“…This is a huge step forward.”
Thanks for the update Dave. Remember this from a little while back. Will repeat my opinion from then.
The Major’s LTC DOR should date from the action in question (2007). And his DOR to Colonel should date from the expected time that a hard charging 5% list LTC could expect 06 Birds. He should be brought back to active with an 07 Star and at least a Brigade Command. With all back pay and accompanying awards, allowances, and benefits. Plus the cashiering and forfeiture of rank, pay, allowances for all officers involved in this travesty of Justice.
The above might be a good start to making up for the past 12 years of sacrifice that this, in my opinion, fine officer has made. Is it not reasonable to see a hard charging Major get to Star Rank in 12 years?
Is the top leadership a reflection of the previous CinC policies of promoting politicians in uniform? Asking for a friend.
The stench of the Obama Administration lingers, but is slowly dissipating. This is a step in the right direction to help clear the air.
Did they ever do anything with that jag off admiral?
Need a bit more specificity, cc s.
Crawford is the one I was thinking of. I don’t routinely follow Navy stuff.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/09/06/the-navys-top-lawyer-unlawfully-scuttled-a-seals-case-court-rules/
That one- he was supposed to be retired on 12 SEP 18 with rank intact. However, latest I can find is he was still active duty as of 2 Nov 18.
Interestingly, Senior Chief Barry’s appellate attorney, David Sheldon, urged Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson to place him on “legal hold and institute proceedings against him” because justice “demands those responsible be held accountable and in this case it is Vice Adm. Crawford who should be punished.”
Think I’ll do some digging and post an update. Thanks for reminder.
His DOR should run from the due course date that he would otherwise have been promoted to LtCol on. It’s a very easy date to determine.
He should be reinstated to active duty and given active duty credit for the years he has been fighting this thing from the retired list and then paid the difference between his retired O-4 and active O-5 with full other pays (BAH, BAS, etc).
I’m not sure how you figure any potential promotion opportunity to O-6? Since its a 50/50 proposition, I guess I’d be OK with a coin flip.
It is not typically a 50/50.
Officer promotions are much like enlisted in that you first must be promotable. You are stacked according to your year group (when last promoted). Selections are made based on record, potential and needs.
Having said that, if the Maj. receives a DOR going back to date of injustice, he will be on top of the list because he would have been a Lt. Col. for all those years. The fact he did not promote during that period would be briefed out and the selection board no doubt will be instructed that they can not consider any factor with respect to the long DOR and any procesings that caused such a situation.
He will be selected with a 100% confidence vote for Lt. Col., because the Corrections Board has spoken with no appeal options. If he returns to duty, his first time up and being on top of the list as a long in the tooth Lt. Col. he again will be selected for Col.
This is what the Board has CORRECTED.
I suspect a 100% confidence vote would be in order for promotion to Col. But we would never know that because those procedings are per selection board precepts considered secret.
Spot on Master Chief, let me freshen that grog for you, and here, let’s use this 50th Anniversary D-Day Invasion Commemorative Zippo to light that stogie.
Just think of all the potential good this fine officer would have done if he had not had this travesty happened.
MCPO,
Unfortunately, LtCol Galvin’s potential future selection for promotion to Colonel is not a “done deal” if he returns to active duty.
With very rare exception, Marine officers are not selected for promotion to Colonel unless they have had a successful tour as a LtCol as a battalion/squadron commanding officer. Throughout my Marine Corps career and afterwards, I have only been aware of two individuals who were promoted to Colonel who had not held command at the O-5 battalion/squadron level. One was a highly schooled/skilled operational and strategic planner who rated the promotion; the other was promoted purely through senior officer nepotism and did not rate the promotion.
As I noted in my post above, the Marine Corps (i.e. senior USMC leadership) doesn’t like being told that it has made a mistake, and it also has a very long institutional memory when it comes to issues such as this. Consequently it’s unlikely that LtCol Galvin will ever be given command of a battalion. That’s because the USMC command screen/slate boards that designate LtCols to be assigned as battalion/squadron COs are not governed by statutory processes; those boards can be highly subjective, and senior leadership is typically deeply involved in the selection process. Therefore, and regardless of how wrong it may be, it’s doubtful that LtCol Galvin would ever be considered favorably by senior USMC leadership for O-5 command because of the controversy that has surrounded him. The bottom line here is that if he isn’t selected for O-5 command, then he won’t be competitive for future selection to O-6. We may wish for things to be different, but chances are they won’t be in this case.
— BREAK —
If Forest Green is up on the TAH net today, please pitch in here with your observations/comments.
The Colonel selection board President is a LtGen with several other GO members. If the golden BB strikes, and the President and members are all Maj Galvin asshole buddies, he MIGHT be remembered with some fondness before they all have a laugh and a beer.
He won’t make Col, he won’t receive command after years out because he no longer has credibility. Too many credible LtCols will not make promotion to waste one for this.
“…senior officer nepotism and did not rate the promotion.” LOL, the Duck’s Ass!
Yup. That’s the guy.
hmmmm. For some reason I thought the Corps was above all of that. Thanks for the added insight Mick and Forest Green. hmmmm
There actually is an appeal, if DoN opts to use it. Decisions of the BCNR/BCMR can, and often are, appealed to the DC Federal Court. I don’t recall actually seeing the military branch file any appeals, however. Usually, it’s the (former) service member.
Good. The very least that could be done for him. Nothing but good wishes for him, his family, and whatever path they select.
Good to see the BCNR doing the right thing. As for the senior leaders in the Military – we need more adults/leaders and less political animals in those positions.
There are moments where I once again have some faith that we are capable of doing what’s right and correcting what was wrong.
This action doesn’t fix things, but it at least says, “We fucked up here’s some money to help your family.” ….
Without pain to those who fucked him over in the first place I’m not convinced the lesson will be learned in a manner that will teach the Political Animals that even though some animals are more equal than others there is a price to be paid for serious malfeasance.
That’s the thing, there’s never any punishment for the ones who cause this. These “public servants” go on spending other people’s’ money. When they make a mistake, the taxpayer is on the hook to correct it. They rarely ever even get fired.
“Without pain to those who fucked him over in the first place I’m not convinced the lesson will be learned in a manner that will teach the Political Animals that even though some animals are more equal than others there is a price to be paid for serious malfeasance.”
Absolutely 100% correct, spot on. I would like to see this scumbag admiral retired at the last pay grade he was able to fulfill in a satisfactory manner. I’m hoping that would be 0-1. What is the base pay for an 0-1 over 30 +/-?
Fully agree but from what I have seen, officers rarely get what they deserve when they commit crimes that we enlisted swine would go to Leavenworth for. They just get to retire.
After first reading this post, I spent some time reading accounts of what happened in 2007 when the Marine convoy was hit by a car bomber and, quite frankly, it’s some sickening stuff. For instance, before any investigation was conducted, an Army colonel said this about the matter, in a prepared statement to Afghanis: “This was a terrible, terrible mistake and my nation grieves with you for your loss and suffering. We humbly and respectfully ask for your forgiveness.”
That apology may have made John Nicholson, the colonel, John Nicholson, the general. He was promoted by Red Line, retained by Trump, and headed up UN and US forces in Afghanistan. He got good at apologizing, doing it again in 2015 when a hospital was mistakenly hit, asking “humbly and respectfully ask for your forgiveness.” Games, games, and more games.
I’m confused. The convoy got hit by a car bomb and the Marines fought back. That would be a normal thing to do, wouldn’t it? You can understand why I’m confused, right?
I did read the AMN article. It seems to me that someone was looking for scapegoats, and these Marines were the next in line for that. But that’s just my view.
I’m glad those reprimands were reversed. Move forward now.
Someone with better math skills that me: How much money is he looking at getting? That’s GOTTA be a dope chunk of change coming his way.
How very fortunate are we that Trump won the 2016 election.
If it was that bad under Obama, can you imagine how that would have further metastasized under a Clinton administration?
The decay of the Obama admin is sloooowly dissipating, far too slowly. This is just ne example. Who knows what the country (and the world) would have looked like but for the disaster of those eight years. Opportunities lost and impossible to recover.
The fact that Fred Galvin wants to return to active duty is enough for me. I knew him briefly at MARSOC as one class act and an awesome professional. He knows what may/may not await him in USMC but he loves the USMC still so I would defer to his judgment on this. OK, doesn’t make 0-6 ? Who knows, but I know he would be respected by 99% for his dedication to Corps and all also knowing he didn’t have to come back. But is compelled to do so. I feel it is likely to continue to serve, honor and also correct false perceptions of his Marines of Fox Co. 3/2007