DR LAWRENCE McQUILLAN

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Guest for second hour:

Anthony's credentials: United States Marine Corps (1990-1999)
Military Police, K-9 (Military Working Dog), SWAT (Special Weapons Assault Team)
Accident Investigator, DOD (Department of Defense) Instructor, Manager of MWD Kennels
Military Awards and accolades:
Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal 3rd Award, Navy and Marine Corps Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Ribbon, National Defense Medal, Certificate of Recognition 3rd Award, Meritorious Mast 4th Award, Certificate of Appreciation 5th Award, Certificate of Achievement, Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation, and Letter of Appreciation 19th Award (DD214)
US Marine Corps Meritorious promotions:
Private First Class (Squad Leader throughout boot camp) June 2, 1990
Lance Corporal (#1 Graduate, Military Working Dog [MWD] Detector Course) January 15, 1991
Corporal (Won meritorious selection board, but promoted by time in grade) December 1, 1992
Sergeant (Meritorious Promotion through board selection at the base level, Marine of the Year, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii) August 2, 1993
Superior Physical Performance Award April 6, 1993 and June 1, 1993
Provided personal protection of the Presidents of the United States; President Bush Senior and President Clinton, Vice President of the United States Gore, and other foreign and domestic dignitaries of various diplomatic affiliation
SWAT School, Honor team (#1 Graduating team), Special Reaction Team, and Fort McClellan, Alabama February 7, 1992
7th Annual Police Canine Competition at Schofield Barracks, awarded: 1st place Overall Top Dog, 4th place Narcotics Detection, 4th place Obedience, 2nd place Scouting, 1st place Controlled Aggression with MWD Rex 279C (Top Kennel Awarded to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii) 1993
Military Policeman of the Quarter, Provost Marshall’s Office, Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii June 30, 1993
Marine of the Month, Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii June 30, 1992
Marine of the Quarter, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii October 23, 1992
Noncommissioned Officer of the Month, Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii June 30, 1993
Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter, Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii June 30, 1993
Top Honor Graduate, Sergeants Leadership Course, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, 1993.
Planned and performed over 200 MWD demonstrations for Congressional Staffers, Foreign Dignitaries, and charitable civilian organizations as Assistant NCOIC for Military Working Dog Demonstration Team, 341st Training Squadron, 37th Training Group, 37th Training Wing, Lackland Air Force Base 1994 – 1996
K-9 Instructor and trainer for Joint Task Force 6, Mission JT650-97, in support of Virgin Islands Police Department, located a Kilo of Cocaine onboard a civilian vessel, March – April 1997.
US Marine Corps Team Sports Experience:
Football – All Marine Team, Kaneohe Bay – 1992
All Marine Team, Camp Pendleton – 1998 and 1999
Volleyball – Base champion, Lackland Air Force Base – 1996 (Coach and player)
Department of Veterans Affairs performance awards and last performance appraisal:
1. Performance award, 12/10/10, exceptional performance.
2. Performance award, 5/18/11, exceptional performance.
3. Performance award, 6/21/12, exceptional performance.
4. Most recent Performance appraisal dated December 3, 2012, Performance appraisal states I am fully successful in all areas except for Cooperation and Organizational Support. Immediate supervisor explained why I was exceptional, stating, “Mr. Silveria meets the exceptional level for performance for Cooperation and Organization Support because he is fully supportive. As a member of the Innovation Team and a new RVSR, he participated in several initiatives to assist the office in resolving the claims that were pending the longest and readily suggestions for improvement in processes/procedures as he identified areas where improvement was needed. Mr. Silveria also remained flexible as the workload of the Innovation Team increased in both volume and complexity as necessitated by the workload for the RO.”

In actuality, the problems are not with the individual employees, rather with the incompetent managers who are not following or aware of the laws, rules, and regulations governing their positions. The managers are all civilians at the RO and think like civilians, not worried about the Veterans, only getting numbers for the RO, not helping Veterans.

Currently, several Veterans working for the RO have filed EEO charges for discrimination based on disability. Some Veterans have been terminated by the managers of the VA Oakland RO while out on sick leave per their doctor’s orders for treatment of their disabilities. Some have gotten their jobs back with extensive damages and continued retaliation while working at the VA. Many Veterans have left on their own to get a job where they are not constantly harassed or discriminated based on their disabilities.

One particular former Marine who has worked for the Oakland Regional Office for the past 5 years has had enough and for the past two years has reported discrimination based on disability, harassment, increased surveillance, retaliation, and hostile work environment to the EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity), FLRA (Federal Labor Relations Authority), OIG (Office of Inspecting General), OSC (Office of Special Council), DOL (Department of Labor – Office of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement), OWCP (Office of Workers Compensations – Department of Labor), Senator Feinstein, Senator Boxer, Congresspersons Spier, Honda, Lee, and Stark. The EEO has multiple charges (23 total on one complaint) submitted by not only the former Marine, but 7 other disabled Veterans have submitted EEO charges against the managers of the RO with nothing but more retaliation. The AFGE union is not helping any of the employees and Federal Labor Relations Authority charges are still pending after over a year of reports filed with the FLRA.

The OIG has not done anything with any of the reports to them about abuse of authority, waste of resources, or hostile work environment. The Office of Special Council has done nothing with the multitude of reports, not even a cease and desist, to protect the employees from further prohibited personnel practices. The DOL is investigating possible embezzlement of Federal funds by the AFGE local 1159 union president who happens to be a buddy of the Oakland Regional Office director, Douglass Bragg, as well as many non-compliance violations regarding the collective bargaining agreement (aka Master National Agreement between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Federation of Government Employees, 2011).

Finally, Senator Feinstein and Boxer sent letters back to the former Marine stating that they cannot help Federal employees due to the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act is for political functions and voting, not compliance or reports of hostile work environment. Disabled veterans have been ordered back to work off FMLA leave per their doctors because the managers stated they do not recognize their disabilities.

The veteran is 90% service connected by the VA and the VA managers stated they do not recognize her disability and she had to return to work for a lower paid position without reasonable accommodations immediately. There is so much more to report that are affecting the VA Oakland Regional Office and the VA National claims process that cannot be reported in one letter. Please contact me and I will give you whatever information you ask regarding the problems at the VA.

I will also explain how the executive managers to include: Oakland Regional Office Director - Douglass Bragg, Western Area Director – Willie Clark, Under Secretary for Benefits – Allison Hickey, and VA Secretary – Erik Shinseki, have not responded to any of the pleas from the veterans or civilian employees regarding the hostile work environment.

The government is convoluted and there are many people in the chain of command who are not here for the Veterans. At the end of the day the executive managers and local managers are giving face time for political reasons, but do not care about the Veterans. I can provide multiple examples, but do not want to disclose everything until someone contacts me about the problems that are affecting the VA Oakland Regional Office, delaying Veterans claims, hurting quality government employees, and violating several laws in place to protect veterans.