ATF has a history of lies, misinformation, an overbearing mentality, and disenfranchising many of its employees. Typically, their best and brightest employees. Anyone with an intelligent mind or creative ideas is considered an "outsider." ATF even treats the licensees / permittees so critically and without respect it creates animosity towards the agency, it's people, and the government as a whole. Waco and Oklahoma City were the blowback of such a militaristic approach to enforcing laws. It is well known you cannot approach people with an iron first and expect them to be obedient and / or submissive forever - either your employees or the people you serve. America is not a communist state....yet. I am sure, if those in a position of authority had their way, they would prefer total control over everyone, everything and at all times.

The lack of self-relection within this agency is truly beyond belief. It's always someone else's fault and anyone trying to make it better is simply dismissed with passivity or seen as a trouble-maker for attempting to go against the status quo. If they promoted individuals with intelligence, "people skills" and tact, they might have better luck in creating a positive work environment. They should stop having so much animosity towards people who try to make things a bit more tolerable by giving input. They should stop all of the trivial gossip, start focusing on their duties, and never tolerate uncivilized behaviors in the work place such as the physical hostilities, backstabbing, snitching, abuse of authority, bad attitudes, and inflexibility. They should stop promoting those who don't follow the rules, are not qualified to be in a position of management, or are promoted based on some type of "status" such as race or the good ol boy system. This only creates more animosity. Everyone knows this is the current employment practice. They should learn to promote those that do excellent work and have tact. Then send them to intensive managerial training - pass or fail - just as agents or IOI's are sent to training to learn their duties. Everyone knows this is how it should be. After all, not everyone is meant for management - regardless of their credentials.

Finally, get rid of the egos and the "we're above the law" mentality. The most probable escape from one's own biases begins with the admonition to disenfranchise oneself from self-importance. Ego must be disallowed to have its sovereignty over the facade it creates about the importance we all have about ourselves. In this way, we are able to step back from our programming and see an identity about ourselves emerging that dispels the myths of who we have lived with all of our lives and thought we were. If you can do this, and it takes time, then you will begin an association with the world around you that you never saw before - you never saw it before because "YOU" were in the way. Once we all get out of the way of ourselves, the little, the big, the trace, minute, mass, the dead, the alive can be observed without the hazardous props of self-importance. You cannot "see" anything as long as you refuse to stop seeing you first. Ego is a flaccid misconception of ourselves that continually needs "puffing up" through the distortions and lies that we all perpetuate as our true (false) identities. Our positions in life, income levels, physical appearance, social status, symbols of importance, i.e., badges, ID cards of officiousness, the offices we hold, academic qualifications, licensures, fancy cars, big homes, and other materialistic items, all of it. These are the very masks that we present to camouflage ourselves to others and therefore with this type of self-indenturing to our pretenses, we are always focused on them, our false selves, and cannot see what is going on around us in person, place or thing.

ATF is one of the biggest examples of hypocrisy that exists in the government. They are supposed to enforce laws relevant to firearms and explosives (and alcohol and tobacco to a limited extend), yet, they cannot even obey the basic, unwritten law of humility, integrity, and equality in the workplace. They should not be attempting to enforce any laws until they can learn the human characteristics of respect, dignity and fairness in the office and when dealing with licensees.

If Mr. Strotheide was in fact terminated as the DIO, there is a God. I am appauled that he was promoted to DIO from his previous post as Supervisor in the Oklahoma City field office. He did nothing but allow illegal and unethical activities to take place there for years. There were a few "priviledged" IOI's (specifically IOI Jack and IOI Matt) using government vehicles in the Oklahoma City field office for their own personal use. Mr. Strotheide did nothing. He was knowingly allowing illegal activities to take place. Mr. Strotheide failed to uphold the duties and responsiblity of his position.

A couple of IOI's (specifically the same 2 individuals listed above) in the Oklahoma City field office often used racist remarks regarding gays, blacks, women and others, and Mr. Strotheide did nothing to remedy such language in the office. He was knowingly allowing such unethical behavior to take place. Mr. Strotheide failed to uphold the duties and responsiblity of his position.

Mr. Strotheide was also known to backstab some of his subordinates by telling others about their personal issues. There was no trust among IOI's and the Supervisor or "upper management" for this reason. He had a 'favorite' person within the Oklahoma City field office (IOI Matt) he would tell everything to, whether or not it was a need to know or a right to know issue. Mr. Strotheide would "spill the beans" to this "priviledged" person.
Mr. Strotheide failed to use tact and judgement when dealing with subordinates.

Mr. Strotheide always showed preferential treatment to a select few, while outright discriminating, and in some instances, belittling females or anyone who spoke up about ethical issues within the OKC office. In many instances, permittees would complain about the conduct and tact of IOI Jack or IOI Matt, and Mr. Strotheide did nothing. Many permittees were threatened with jail or called names such as "smut breath" by said IOI's. Such blatant and unprofessional conduct would reflect negativiely on other IOI's specifically, and ATF generally, when they came in contact again with those permittees who had bad experiences with ATF in the past. It was all because of a few rude and unprofessional individuals (mentioned above) who had no tact in dealing with people. In such cases, Mr. Strotheide failed to uphold the duties and responsiblity of his position.

Mr. Strotheide was known to lie and deceive subordinates and permittees. Attempts to whistle-blow or address the issues with "upper management" fell upon deaf ears. This was a way for Mr. Strotheide to use leverage to pressure subordinates into conforming to his methods of operation - by threatening them with reprimands.

It is a glorious day in America today. Finally, one of those federal employees who lacks integrity has received their walking papers. I hope this isn't the last as their are many more just as bad waiting for their just desserts within ATF, and the government as a whole. Mr. Strotheide typically took jabs at people who left the ATF to work for private businesses who dealt with firearms or explosives. He said they left to work for "the other side". I doubt Mr. Strotheide will be working with the government again, so I can only assume, he too, will have to work for the "other side" now.