U.S. MARINE CORPS - CAMP BUTLER, OKINAWA, JAPAN DESTROYED Whistleblower's Career, LIED to Office of the Special Counsel, Covered Up Environmental Violations, Health and Safety of citizens placed at risk FPO AP Nationwide

I was formerly the supervisor of the Environmental Compliance Section of the Facility Engineer of the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. I was removed from my supervisory position because I was ordered to falsify personnel records for poor performing employees, and I refused to do so. The Marines removed me from my position and then kicked me off the island and sent me back to the U.S. to silence me.

These were not just run-of-the-mill performance problems. These were serious environmental issues, such as the deliberate dumping of diesel fuel into a ditch which went off-base into the Japanese living area, a serious chemical fire at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma which released toxic fumes, almost losing a waste oil disposal contract which would have cost the Marine Corps over $700,000 in additional disposal charges and mismanagement and gross negligence in not setting up an efficient program for reacting to spills of petroleum-oil-lubricants and hazardous substances.

These issues went to the very core of protecting the environment as well as protecting the health and safety of U.S. personnel and the Japanese public at large. This is a very serious issue on Okinawa where the government there and the Japanese public want the U.S. bases removed.

Falsification of records is a criminal offense as it is fraud against the Government (Black v. Department of the Air Force, 29 MSPR 133 [1985]).

The individual who conspired for my removal was Major John Galli, USMC, Environmental Officer, and he was supported by his superior: Colonel Richard Holihan, USMC, Facility Engineer. Col Holihan is a typical arrogant a****** Marine Corps officer. He even referred to his environmental staff as "environmental Nazis" and "staff pukes".

I tried to reverse my removal by filing a case against them with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) and then the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). In spite of my hiring an excellent attorney and paying him over $25,000 I was defeated by the system. The Marine Corps lied to both these agencies to cover up their mismanagement and Cavalier attitude about this and to hide the truth from the Japanese.

Everything I have mentioned can be found in the case archives of the MSPB under Docket #SE-313I-97-0504-I-1 and Docket #SE-1221-98-0110-W-1
Gary W. Mackey v. Department of Navy. My carrer was ruined. I still work for the Federal Government but at a different agency at a lower grade, and my career has been dead for over 10 years. I thank Ripoff Reports for being a venue where I can report this.

I want to emphasize that I DO NOT condemn the entire Marine Corps or the many thousands of men and women who sacrifice daily for the defense of this nation. I only condemn the individuals I named along with their civilian stooges (including Mr. Joe Cook, assistant environment director) who conspired against me.

As a warning to other potential whistleblowers in the Federal Government, do not expect the OSC or the MSPB to help you. Your best ally would be an organization like Public Employees for Environmental Reposibility (PEER).

Gary
Bossier City, Louisiana
U.S.A.