Photo By Keith Hayes | "DJ" Thornley, legal counsel, MCLB Barstow, talks to the group at his going away party...... read more read more
The man who has provided legal advice to the commanders of Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow for 13 years is leaving.
Donald Jonathon “DJ” Thornley is leaving to go back to work in the Washington, D.C. area.
The native of Manhasset, N.Y., said he has worked as legal counsel for the base during two different times, once from 2000 to 2003 then 2006 to the present time.
During his absence from 2003 to 2006 Thornley worked in Washington, D.C., but it is MCLB Barstow that has provided the most unique opportunities.
“I do some work that normally might be done by the (Staff Judge Advocate),” Thornley said, “because they’ve stripped the SJA out of this command.
“Most large bases have their own counsel,” he continued, “the difference here is that I’m serving two major commands; Marine Corps Installations West and Marine Corps Logistics Command.”
Thornley started his career with the Department of Defense as a Marine second lieutenant assigned to Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms.
“From there, I went to Okinawa, Japan; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Richmond, Virginia, and (Marine Corps Air Station) Cherry Point, North Carolina. After that I was at the Command Staff College at (Marine Corps Base) Camp Pendleton, the Beltway (Washington. D.C.), Japan, then here,” Thornley said.
His legal education was financed by the Corps.
“After two and a half tours as an artillery instructor for Fort Sill,” Thornley said, “the Marine Corps’ Funded Law Program paid for my legal schooling at the University of Richmond, Va., which has about a $60,000 a year tuition.”
Retiring as a lieutenant colonel from the Marine Corps, Thornley put his legal education to use at MCLB Barstow.
“I do things such as installation law which might be such things as tort claims; it may be debarments; or “request to enter” agreements, which are agreements between the base and the city, the county, or other military organizations,” Thornley explained.
“I do a lot of civilian personnel law, such as discipline, commendations, pay, and benefits. I do labor relations which has to do with union matters. I do contracting, environmental law, information law, (Freedom of Information Act) law, and privacy act litigation requests,” he said.
Thornley has worked with many different commanders over the years at MCLBB.
“Some are easier to work with than others, but they all bring their unique perspectives,” Thornley said, then expanded the statement to cover the High Desert population aboard the base.
“I cannot say enough about the quality of people here. Many people in the Beltway underestimate Barstow, and they figure … ‘Oh, people who go to Barstow are hiding’ but that’s not the case. You have a lot of very high quality people here,” Thornley concluded.
Of all the places he has been stationed or worked at, he said he is going to miss the desert the most.
“I’ve been with the Army and I’ve been with the Navy, but there’s just something about the Marine family that is truly different.
“I’m going to miss the desert and I’m going to miss Barstow as a true home.”
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.15.2016 13:06 |
| Story ID: | 204091 |
| Location: | BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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