Report details ‘abusive’ shipyard CO - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Report details ‘abusive’ shipyard CO

To some of his subordinates, Capt. Greg Thomas was direct and demanding, but got the job done.

To others, he was “abusive and lacking in trust, dignity and respect,” as described in an April 4 command climate survey launched following an anonymous hotline complaint about Thomas’ conduct.

In mid-May, Naval Sea Systems Command temporarily yanked Thomas, a rear admiral selectee, from his perch atop Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. A naval inspector general investigation completed Aug. 31 found Thomas’ conduct “went beyond the limits of professional conduct expected of persons in authority.” The firing was made permanent Oct. 25 after Thomas was formally reprimanded for conduct unbecoming an officer.

The IG interviewed 45 witnesses who served in various leadership positions under Thomas during his nine months as commanding officer of the shipyard. Nine said they were subjected to “demeaning, insulting or profane language or intimidating behavior” privately as well as in public. All names other than Thomas’ were redacted from the report, which was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

An active-duty officer with more than 30 years in uniform told the IG that while some of his interactions with Thomas had been amiable, “There have been times when it rises to the worst experience of my naval career in terms of dealing with a superior who will not listen, who wants to be very vocal and loud, and who just wants to dress [me] down. I don’t know that I’m being treated differently in that case.”

Some witnesses said Thomas frequently swore in anger: “He would say things like, ‘You’re the worst GD [redacted] I’ve ever seen. Any second class petty officer could run this avail. Everything down here is F’d up.’”

Another recalled a tour of the dry dock where the attack submarine Norfolk was being repaired and seeing Thomas walking up to him holding a cigarette butt in his right hand. He had been warned that Thomas did not like cigarette butts lying around and that he and his workers “made a conscious effort” to make sure the dry dock was cleaned.

“You see this f------ cigarette butt?” Thomas said. “This s--- is not coming into my g------ dry dock.”

Some witnesses said Thomas generally did not use profanity to make personal attacks. “Very careful not to say you’re F’d up,” said one civilian who said he was on the receiving end of “red-faced yelling.” Others said he would apologize if he learned they had been offended. Thomas acknowledged doing so, saying that in one such instance, “I went back to [redacted] and apologized. I said, ‘Hey ... these aren’t personal.’”

IG: Shoulder strikes merit assault charge

The IG also concluded that Thomas assaulted a female subordinate — apparently a civilian — in late February 2011, repeatedly and forcefully striking her atop her left shoulder with his cupped hand as he loudly criticized her over an inspection that he felt came too late.

“My shoulder was hurting,” said the woman, who told the IG she didn’t think Thomas knew how hard he was striking her.

Thomas flatly denied striking the woman but in an earlier statement told the IG, “If I did touch her shoulder while discussing a matter and any unintentional harm occurred ... it was not noticeable to me nor was it brought to my attention.”

The IG found that the woman was “a credible and believable witness” and substantiated the assault charge, as well as abuse of authority. A NAVSEA spokesman said he did not know why NAVSEA commander Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy chose to reprimand Thomas for conduct unbecoming but not assault.

Other witnesses spoke admiringly of Thomas. One said Thomas “has been nothing less than professional with me. ... He’s got a lot of energy, but I have never felt like his energy was directed at me ... in any sort of demeaning or hostile way.”

Thomas told the IG that he was under pressure to improve the yard’s performance on intermediate-level submarine maintenance. Thomas quoted former Submarine Forces commander Vice Adm. John Donnelly as telling him, “My No. 1 distraction in command has been your shipyard’s performance on my I-level work.”

Thomas acknowledged the criticism, telling the IG, “We had a very poor record. ... We were not getting boats underway on time.”

One commanding officer interviewed by the IG said he could relate to Thomas’ situation. “I saw a lot of pushback from the civilian workforce that wanted to maintain the status quo,” the officer said.

Thomas, a 1982 Naval Academy graduate, remains assigned to administrative duties at NAVSEA. He could not be reached through spokesman Chris Johnson, email or social media.