Garry Reid’s Departure Is Just The Start: Expect More Fireworks
Written by Christopher Sharp - 22 April 2022
With Reid’s apparent departure and accusations building up - how much longer will it be until AOIMSG is removed from an office which quite frankly appears highly dysfunctional and incapable?
The integrity of OUSD(I&S) is under tighter scrutiny than it ever has been following bombshell allegations and revelations reported by both The Debrief and Daily Mail.
Lue Elizondo confirmed in a recent interview with Ryan Robbins that Reid was involved in the departure of the first UAP Task Force Director, because, “Reid was working behind channels trying to make his life miserable”.
But it may not stop there, as there are now pressing questions about the Department of Defense’s Public Affairs Office too.
In 2017, Pentagon spokeswoman, Dana White, confirmed to POLITICO that AATIP existed and was run by Elizondo. That line was then contradicted by Pentagon spokesperson Christopher Sherwood in 2019 when he spoke to The Intercept.
The investigative communication (regarding the release of UAP videos) between the OUSD(I&S) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations itself even asserts that Elizondo was involved with AATIP and that it focussed on UAP.
The ramifications of Garry Reid’s apparent dismissal (or resignation depending on what spin is provided) as Director for Defense Intelligence, as reported by The Debrief, are sobering.
As previously reported, the Office Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSD(I&S) may be ill-equipped to undertake the mission of the new Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Office (known as AOIMSG), as legislated by Congress.
With Reid’s apparent departure and accusations building up - how much longer will it be until AOIMSG is removed from an office which quite frankly appears highly dysfunctional and incapable?
How was Reid even able to become Executive Secretary of AOIMSG when the Inspector General and (most likely) those higher-ups within the Department of Defense were aware of allegations against him from former AATIP Director Lue Elizondo, as reported in both The Debrief and Daily Mail?
According to The Debrief, multiple defense officials claim Reid played a central role in obstructing efforts to formally investigate purported UAP sightings going back to at least late 2017.
And Lue Elizondo confirmed in a recent interview with Ryan Robbins that Reid was involved in the departure of the first UAP Task Force Director, because, “Reid was working behind channels trying to make his life miserable”.
The integrity of OUSD(I&S) is under tighter scrutiny than it ever has been following bombshell allegations and revelations reported by both The Debrief and Daily Mail.
As some politicians have made clear, there are objects, which seem to possess advanced technology flying over U.S. defense assets with apparent impunity - with such pressing concerns (amidst recent Russian aggression), action is clearly needed to ensure a thorough and effective investigation is undertaken by an organization that is highly equipped in both skilled human resources and advanced technology. And that organization is clearly not OUSD(I&S).
Was The Pentagon’s Public Affairs Office Weaponised By Reid?
But it may not stop at the doorstep of OUSD(I&S), as there are now pressing questions about the Department of Defense’s Public Affairs Office too.
Elizondo has speculated to The Debrief about an alleged collaboration between Pentagon UAP spokesperson Susan Gough and Garry Reid to mislead the public:
“Last I heard, he was coaching Pentagon Spokesperson, Susan Gough how to respond to inquiries by the media about me. This would explain the obvious inaccuracies provided to the media about me by Ms. Gough,”
As previously reported by us, the sudden change in tone by the Pentagon’s Public Affairs Office regarding Elizondo’s former AATIP program is curious.
Susan Gough, in December 2019 appeared to have contradicted a previous UAP statement provided by the Pentagon (from May 2019), by another spokesperson, that AATIP, “did pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena.”
Then there is the matter of Elizondo’s role within AATIP.
In 2017, Pentagon spokeswoman, Dana White, confirmed to POLITICO that AATIP existed and was run by Elizondo. That line was then contradicted by Pentagon spokesperson Christopher Sherwood in 2019 when he told The Intercept that:
“Mr. Elizondo had no responsibilities with regard to the AATIP program while he worked in OUSDI [the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence], up until the time he resigned effective 10/4/2017.”
That line soon changed to know “no assigned responsibilities”, which to this day is repeated by Susan Gough.
Sherwood would later go on to state he was not really happy with the way “they’re handling this story” in relation to Elizondo.
In fact, the investigative communication (regarding the release of UAP videos) between the OUSD(I&S) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations itself even asserts that Elizondo was involved with AATIP and that it focussed on UAP.
If the change in tone from the Pentagon, as Elizondo suspects, was due to Reid’s influence, then that is a huge problem - as it suggests that the Department of Defense’s Public Affairs Office may have been hijacked by Reid in order to undertake a vendetta against Elizondo.
This brings up potential ethical repercussions and could amount to information warfare against the American public and press.
And then there’s Tara Jones, who is now apparently the acting Director for Defense Intelligence and formerly Deputy Director for Defense Intelligence.
In 2020, the Inspector General’s Office found that Reid had created the appearance of an inappropriate relationship or preferential treatment with Jones.
Jones previously worked within the Pentagon’s Public Affairs Office, which perhaps suggests she was in a position to assist with any potential misinformation campaign, as has been suggested. This is conjecture and speculation though.
Is OUSD(I&S) Fit For Purpose To Lead AOIMSG?
Photo by Jorge Alcala on Unsplash
If all the allegations and complaints (as reported in The Debrief and Daily Mail) stack up against Reid, and if Jones overlooked alleged bad behaviour by Reid, then that is disturbing, pointing to a toxic environment within OUSD(I&S), especially if Jones is his direct successor until a permanent replacement is appointed.
This is the same Jones who addressed toxic workplace cultures last year and was quoted alongside Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks in an article.
Jones remarked:
“How are we focused on those relationships, and creating an environment where insiders are actively contributing, feeling part of something bigger than themselves, understanding their value to the organization, being shown their values to their organization, and doing everything they can, out of this sense of belonging, that they are being vigilant against the myriad threats,”
If such allegations made against Reid are true, then Jones’ above statement may be seen as hypocritical. How on earth can such an environment (as Jones speaks of) be created under such circumstances?
And if the Pentagon is aware of such allegations, then appointing Jones as Reid’s successor speaks of tone-deafness within a Department Of Defense, which supposedly cares about addressing mental health. Those in power should surely undertake a thorough investigation of Elizondo’s claims before making such a move.
Although Reid may now be gone or (officially) prepared to leave, this may not be the end of the saga.
Elizondo previously stated that OUSD(I&S) “tried to kill the UAP effort for years.”
That suggests other players were involved.
Watch this space, as things may have only just started to get interesting. As Lue Elizondo recently declared:
“I’m not done yet, Garry Reid is the first domino to fall, there are others, and those individuals are going to be held accountable too.”
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