Fred Galvin, MARSOC officer accused of killing 19 civilians is vindicated.
Accused of killing innocent civilians, the Marines of Fox Company are finally cleared of wrongdoing. There are too many of these incidents that have gone on for far too long. The rush to judgment and the Press being motivated by “Click Bait” sensationalism needs to be stopped and those who do it held accountable. Fred Galvin and the members of Fox Company have been dragged through hell, guilty of nothing more than doing their duty.
After a decade of being falsely accused and forced to retire as a Major, Fred Galvin has been cleared and promoted to Lt. Colonel.
In addition to correcting performance reviews from the 2007 incident, the Navy board also called for another correction in Galvin’s record from 2011 when he was relieved of duty for questioning his commander’s excessive use of ordnance during a deployment in Afghanistan. The incident resulted in a career-ending performance review.
“The commanding officer made a judgement call. I questioned him and he relieved me for questioning the judgment of a commanding officer,” Galvin said.
The Navy board determined that Galvin was correct to challenge the commanding officer’s “demonstrated disregard for Marines and Afghan civilians through his choice of weapons systems,” the report said.
“Punishing a Marine for doing the lawful and morally correct thing is simply unjust,” the Navy board said.
Meanwhile, Galvin said the Corps’ continued failure to speak up publicly in defense of Marines is damaging.
“When this kind of stuff happens it is a moral hazard,” Galvin said. “God bless these people on the panel for standing up. This is a huge step forward.”
“We did not kill any civilians,” said Galvin. After 3 1/2 weeks, the longest trial in Marine Corps history, a military court ruled they acted appropriately, but it ended Galvin’s career. The Marines were shamed, stripped of honor; their reputations tainted.
“This destroyed their lives, and their families, it has a lot of effects,” added Galvin. The Marines suffered through health and financial problems, divorce, career stagnation, and unemployment. They were ostracized from the Marine Corps community and civilian society. After being forced into retirement, Galvin applied for 600 jobs, and was granted 1 interview.
The Pentagon recently released a report clearing Galvin and his Marines. The report calls the accusers a “perfect storm of toxic officers,” saying they “suppressed evidence,” were “grossly negligent,” and the “magnitude of their errors couldn’t be overstated.”
“It’s a complete indictment on those who immorally betrayed us,” said Galvin. Galvin wants the accusing officers investigated, some are still serving in uniform.
“The optimal result is holding those military officers accountable for destroying and repeatedly doing what they did,” said Galvin.
His record wiped clear, Galvin is putting this nightmare behind him. “It’s incredible, it’s life changing… it’s great to have our lives back,” said Galvin.
The Pentagon ruled Galvin is eligible to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He also hopes to be reinstated into the Marine Corps.
“A perfect storm of toxic officers” is the quote of the day. All too often in the military, those who could not lead a roll of shit paper to the head are empowered to destroy the careers of real warriors with a pencil. The officers who rushed to judgment need to be held accountable. It would be nice to see that they were reduced in rank and forced to retire.
Category: Crime, Government Incompetence, Legal, Media
Loves me some Marine Corps, but IME they do sometimes enthusiastically eat their own for no good reason beyond the thrill of the kill.
Glad to see this Marine’s honor restored.
It was Task Force Spartan that threw the Marines under the bus. USSOCOM did not want them there, felt the Marine Corps had no place in theater and the investigation was stacked from the beginning. The political climate at the time was abysmal, and unfortunately it happened with a boot licker Commandant in place, so the Marines of Fox Company had no help from the Marine Corps.
Military Times has a great series on the tragic events that surrounded this case.
https://www.militarytimes.com/special-projects/task-force-violent/2015/03/05/task-force-violent-the-unforgiven-part-1/
Never understood why one bad performance review kills a career in Active Duty.
Anyone can get an idiot commander or just have personality that doesn’t click.
But after reading the above, we can’t wonder why we have no balls yes men get promoted.
And it is why I like having National Guard sprinkled in.
They go home in a year and really don’t give a f*ck about career. They will tell you like it is and you pull this crap they will get a congressional investigation going in a heart beat.
Way to stay in the fight sir! Don’t ever let the bastards grind you down.
I had the pleasure of serving under Capt Noble, one of the platoon commanders from Fox Company. After this incident he intended to resign his commission but was offered another chance from our Bn Commander to lead Marines once again into combat. Capt Noble accepted and the man was an amazing leader and warrior. It was obvious from the moment these accusations started that Fox Company was innocent of the charges and were facing a stacked deck from USSOCOM officers who were embittered against the Marines getting into the SOF game. Unfortunately, the Marine Corps did not help, Gen Amos, an Obama lackey had a disdain for us ground pounders and never had any qualms throwing us to the wolves.
That man is why you will probably never again see anyone but a grunt general be the commandant. Amos was an accident that could not wait to happen.
The problem was Amos wasn’t really a Marine aviator. He was a squid that got into Marine aviation after separating from the Active Duty Navy and they allowed him into a Marine Reserve aviation unit without ever completing TBS.
The recently retired Assistant Commandant, was an aviator, completed TBS had a BSEE, served an initial tour as a ground pounder before getting into aviation, earning his wings, graduated from Test Pilot School and served in a number of aviation billets. He is the kind of Marine aviator that would be a suitable Commandant unlike Anus.
What the hell. So he didn’t graduate marine OCS?
No OCS, No PLC, No TBS, Commisioned as an ensign from NROTC out of U of Idaho. Transferred from navy to Marine Corps after making Lt j.g.
What the fucking shit. He’s not even a marine.
I feel violated. How does a non marine become commandant. God damn it.
I love the rush to judgment. It’s like perfume to feed the greed that infests some people. It happens in the civilian world, too.
2007 … IIRC, if this is the MARSOC company(?) that was accused of “wildly firing” around their perimeter after being ambushed supposedly resulting in multiple civilian casualties. They were then removed from theater. If so, I remember commenting at Blackfive about it. I smelled something rotten then. Those guys got hosed.
For me, the “wildly firing” claim was a dead giveaway. No Special Operations unit would indulge in such a blatant waste of ammo. If anything, they were putting lead on target. These guys spend waaaaaay too much time in shoot houses, at the range, etc, to be “wildly firing” and burning up ammo for no good result.
The Marine officers that condoned this witchhunt need to get reamed, reduced in rank, and cashiered, because they clearly never understood the price of a salute.
By the way, are those Royal Marines in the berets?
This is good news although many of these men have already suffered the brunt for ten years. I have already written my representatives and ask them to support H.R. 21. I only hope the media will make as big a story of them being cleared as it did of their false and fake narrative.
This was some stateside Obama, love thy Muslim bullshit.
The media is always looking for their big scoop, the next Mai Lai so they can show how virtuous they are for reporting the truth. Then they wonder why nobody trusts them anymore.
I retired – officially – as of 31 January. One of the emotions I felt (aside from annoyance of having the blue card as opposed to a CAC) was relief. I was glad that I made it out without any crazy legal or bureaucratic hang ups. I never did anything shady, or even close to shady, but that doesn’t stop people from getting the Big Green Weenie, officer style. I’m glad that LtCol Galvin was cleared but it seems that the process ruined not just his Marine Corps life but the rest of it, as well. I’m looking for a new career with good paperwork and it is very hard. I couldn’t image doing it with the internet being chock full of innuendo and bullshit (the aforementioned click bait).
Hope he can get his life together.
Yeah the whole “marines take care of their own” saying really triggers me because of how common blue falcons are in the corps especially when it’s a career marine looking for their opportunity to burn another to get ahead. Once you hit fitness reports it’s basically required and any shits given towards anyone under you ceases less you get on the bad side of your higher because their dumbass ideas were challenged because it will negatively affect your marines.
Devil Dog I feel ya. Got marginal paper from an officer (Colonel), who had a case of the butt that I had two CARs to his none. Didn’t even have the stones to give it to me in person. When I approached him about it (he was in Oki, I was on the East Coast) he had the guts to say he “f__ked me, so what”. I took his response to the BCNR, when I took a pass for 5. They did nothing, because he was a protected species.
My personal experience with vets and especially the KC VA, Marines do take care of their own, the Marine Corps does NOT
Now, I am waiting, certainly without holding my breath, to see the court martials of those “toxic officers” mentioned in the article. I will put money against anyone here that if anything at all happens to them they simply get told to retire with no punitive consequences at all. Fuck the Suck.
I’m wid you USMC Steve. Will not be holding my breath either. Glad that the Marines got some of the Justice they deserved.
I would love to see the shirt bird officers that screwed these warriors over get hammered. Would also like to see that old proverbial check that’s in the mail…Not gonna happen!
I’m just hoping that the Toxic Officers they speak about are given a huge shit sandwich and all of them are given a hundred of them to eat…
Thank God for Marines like Fox Company, do the right thing and still get fucked in the ass over it.
I’m wondering if any of the aggrieved Marines took their own lives because of this shit.
I wouldn’t be surprised if at least a couple did…
A special place in Hell for those officers that pulled this shit…..
Congressman John Murtha was responsible for so much of this type accusations back then in several similar trumped up incidents. FUCK HIM! Hope he went straight to hell when he died.
Me, too.
I’ll not forget the Fox Co. wives (as well as others) when they attended an evening MARSOC meeting not long after the event. They were beyond hurt as they were dealing with the pain, confusion and sense of betrayal of their husbands by USMC leadership. All beautiful ladies, most with kids and the one who stated that she was the “last stop” before her proud Fox Co.husband felt totally abandoned. They really got screwed.A true gentleman,professional and stellar officer,Fred Galvin never let his marines down. The crusty CG of MARSOC felt immense pain as well. He was a crusty “grunt-Flag” and a calming influence in those rough days. HQ USMC never wanted MARSOC, and I feel took advantage of, and ignored the facts of Fox Co.’s commendable contact with the enemy that day. May God Bless those wives of Fox Co.
“May God Bless those wives of Fox Co.”
They also serve, who sit at home and wait.
He is not an O-5 yet.
The board is permitting him to go before a Special Selection Board for O-5 with the bad paper expunged. If he is selected and the Senate approves his nomination; his date of rank will be reset to where it would have been if selected in the primary zone, and he will be retired as an O-5 three years from that date.
If promoted, he would also be able to apply to the SECNAV for reinstatement on active duty (which is why the board didn’t rule on that part of his appeal).
Odds of promotion are pretty high, as under a Special Selection Board you only have to tie the last person selected. Odds of him returning to active duty are much lower.