Gersten was relieved of command June 2, 2019, due to allegations of an unprofessional relationship. Dyess Air Force Base is located in West Texas near Abilene and is home to roughly 3,100 active-duty airmen. Col. Jay Johnson, vice commander of the 71st, has assumed command of the wing temporarily after Danielson's removal. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby seemed to echo that sentiment in a statement on Monday. She asked him for a divorce the next day. At the time, he called the assignment at Keesler awesome and he said he was excited to shape young minds there. Gersten declined to speak with investigators. Afterwards, Gersten admitted the relationship, the report said. At the end of the day, I ensured the orders were issued in a timely manner that didnt compromise my integrity or my religious beliefs and rights, Ellis, who first joined the Air Force in 1997 and has deployed to Afghanistan, told Task & Purpose. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Gen. Gerstens acts are dishonoring and disgracing to him personally, the IG wrote about the inappropriate relationships, and concluded his conduct was unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. More:Despite GOP claims, public did not favor carving up Oklahoma County. "Commanders must uphold the highest personal and professional standards and maintain a healthy, inclusive command climate in their unit," Edmondson said. The commander of a key depot maintenance group at Hill Air Force Base in Utah has been fired, and is under investigation by the Office of Special Investigations, the base confirmed Thursday. "Every commander, at every level, has the inherent responsibility to promote and safeguard that trust. The vaccines, he said, will protect you and your family. Col. Chris Boring (center), 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group commander, Utah's U.S. Rep. Blake Moore and Hill leadership discuss F-16 aircraft maintenance during a visit to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Feb. 16, 2021. Before that she was a reporter for Killeen Daily Herald and a freelance journalist for publications including The Alcalde, Texas Highways and the Austin American-Statesman. BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --. The U.S. Air Force announced that Col. Gary Donovan, 552nd Operations Group commander, was relieved from command on Monday. Ellis further clarified that her beliefs do not compel her to prevent, delay or undermine efforts to ensure the vaccines are available and administered to others, they just prevent her from taking it herself or actively promoting or administering it to others herself. What Happens to the Air Forces Oldest F-22s if Congress OKs Their Retirement? | Before this act, the Air Force Reserve was a field operating agency of the Air Force established on April 14, 1948. ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) Employees and the owner of a local midwife practice are facing federal charges over allegedly running a fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Their sexual relationship began in a distinguished visitor suite at Nellis one evening in July 2018. Did you also not take the Hep B? They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. Ellis did not feel comfortable sharing the specifics of her beliefs other than they are sincerely held, she said, but this was the first time a vaccine violated her religious beliefs. An Army colonel at Fort Hood, Texas, was relieved of command on Friday as a result of an investigation that launched following her suspension last month, officials from III Army Corps confirmed. Contact us today to schedule your consultation. Its also a joint training unit, meaning it also develops troops from the other service branches and civilian federal employees. Previous conversations, formal complaints and other resignations havent moved the needle. He has many years of experience in journalism, digital media and broadcasting and holds a degree from the University of Utah. Dec 12, 2018 Lt. Col. Raymond Fortner was relieved of command of the 741st Missile Security Forces Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana was relieved of command. Updated Nov 2, 2021 7:52 PM EDT. Col. Jason Allen the wings vice commander succeeded Hunter as interim leader. I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude for their commitment and my opportunity to lead them.. But his marital status was uncertain and said to be a touchy subject during his tenure as commander of the Warfare Center, which began in July 2017, the report said. Did you also not take the Hep B? Felton could not answer specific questions about what led to the loss of trust and confidence. Another gripe deals with how the facilities are laid out. 14th Medical Group, I am so humbled and honored to be your commander, Ellis said at the change of command ceremony. Ellis further clarified that her beliefs do not compel her to prevent, delay or undermine efforts to ensure the vaccines are available and administered to others, they just prevent her from taking it herself or actively promoting or administering it to others herself. To clarify, my religious beliefs prevent me from taking the vaccine, actively promoting the vaccine, and from administering the vaccine to others myself (Im a nurse), Ellis said in a text message. The female officer told other staff at the Warfare Center, family members and a local friend about her relationship with Gersten, the report said, and later told the Office of Special Investigations about their relationship in detail. An audio recording of Donovan berating airmen was leaked online, and an anonymous person alleged a toxic culture of leadership" in the operations group for Tinker's 552nd Air Control Wing. (Kemberly Groue/U.S. On Oct. 21, the colonel was relieved of command due to a loss of trust and confidence in her ability to lead and maintain readiness of the men and women of the 14th Medical Group, Rita Felton, a spokesperson for Columbus Air Force Base, said on Oct. 22. (Army) An Army colonel at Fort Hood, Texas, was relieved of command on Friday as . Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. Want to write for Task & Purpose? Maj. Gen. Peter Gersten also engaged in inappropriate personal relationships with two other women over a decade, the inspector general investigation found. Service cultures clashed and egos ruled, causing friction on matters large and small, according to Bode, airmen on social media and one retired master sergeant who spoke to Air Force Times. Airmen were held to Army rules that unnecessarily complicated their jobs and slowed medical procedures, the former respiratory specialist said Thursday. Lt. Col. Jimmy Brown, in command of the 741st Missile Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, was relieved of command on Monday by Col. Michael Lutton, 91st Missile Wing commander, "because of a loss of confidence in Brown's ability to lead his squadron." If confirmed by the Senate,. Col. Chris Boring, commander of the 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group, was relieved of command on March 3 due to a loss of confidence in his ability to lead and command a group, according to Hill. UPDATE: Air Force Reserve Colonel Promotion Announcement. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. The Department of the Air Force partnered with suicide researchers to compile over 1,000 data points for each person who. The group will next be run by Lt. Col. Aaron Rivers, who will assume command on Monday, Mullican said. (SrA Joshua Kleinholz/Air Force). He practiced law for 23 years, even serving as commandant of the . Meredith is a 23-year veteran with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. On February 12, 2019, news that the first woman to lead an Air Force demonstration team was fired after just . The structure and culture of JBSA/BAMC also helped undercut leaders ability to address the issues, which remains part of the problem.. Responsibilities. An Air Force colonel has been relieved of command from the 317th Airlift Wing at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas for creating a toxic environment, according to an Air Force announcement Thursday. For fiscal 2022, the Department of the Air Force had the largest annual increase in the history of its Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) program,, They came from four continents and 10 countries, but by the end of the day on April 26, 14 men and women had two things in common: they were all Airmen, and they were all U.S. citizens. The service even kicked out nearly 40 basic military and technical trainees for refusing the vaccine. Learn more here and be sure to check out more great stories on our homepage. A May 2020 release from Hill said Rivers was the deputy director of the 309th. Owens has been temporarily reassigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess while he awaits another assignment. Every single day, I had somebody who was crying, the retired senior NCO told Air Force Times. He saw him give his then-wife a big hug and noted that they seemed very familiar. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the number of service members who have a waiver is very, very small.. If this environment continues, we will likely see another Walter Reed Army Medical Center 2007 scandal/incident.. She began acting buddy-buddy with colonels who outranked her, as if they were peers, witnesses said, and her professionalism went from lackadaisical to non-existent. She began acting aggressively to the staff and behaved as if she had more authority than she actually did. All rights reserved. The deadline for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members is Dec. 2, and while 96.2% of the active-duty and 92.8% of the total force had at least one shot as of Oct. 18, that still leaves up to 12,500 active-duty airmen who may face possible dismissal from the service as of Tuesday. As commander of the 14th Medical Group, Ellis was in charge of the medical care of the 14th Flying Training Wing, where Air Force pilots in training pick up aviation basics in T-6 Texan II training aircraft before moving on to specialized tracks for fighter, bomber, tanker or airlift pilots. A. Today I am left with this last opportunity to make a difference, he said. 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But after every session, the ex-husband said, his ex-wife would immediately call Gersten. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere, Russians seem to be baiting US jets to dogfight in Syria, general says, Biden awards football trophy to Air Force Academy, Commanders suspended at base where alleged Pentagon leaker worked, Military sex assault reports rise, even as Army numbers fall, Davis-Monthan to launch new special operations wing as A-10 retires. CNN Two US Air Force commanders and four of their subordinates at a key nuclear base in North Dakota were relieved of duty this week after their units failed an inspection designed to. Because she felt the order conflicted with her religious beliefs, Ellis consulted with the base legal office the morning of Oct. 13 to figure out what to do next. Brooke Army Medical Center is a joint Army-Air Force organization with more than 240,000 beneficiaries in the San Antonio region. The respective dismissals were the result of unrelated investigations, officials said. 2023 Tully Rinckey PLLC, Attorneys & Counselors at Law Attorney Advertising, Suspected document leaker wanted to kill a ton of people, officials say, Albany midwifery accused of destroying COVID vaccine vials, Times Union Names Tully Rinckey PLLC a Winner of the Capital District Top Workplaces 2023 Award. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. But after their relationship started, witnesses said her performance took a nosedive. Gersten was married during most of that period, the IG said. In other situations, airmen are told they have to go through soldiers to speak to physicians instead of contacting the doctors directly, the former senior noncommissioned officer said. The 552nd Air Control Wing flies Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft. WASHINGTON -- Six Air Force officers who were in charge of caring for the infrastructure, fuel and logistics support for a North Dakota nuclear missile base were relieved . Air Force Col. Jason Allen, vice commander of the 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, was given interim command of the wing after Col. William Hunter was. Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1501 Langston Boulevard, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world.. Ellis had been in command for just four months. Another witness reported seeing the two flirting, and once also saw the woman while intoxicated during an event hosted at Gerstens home make a sexually suggestive remark to Gersten. Earlier in August, Anthony Kuhn, a managing partner at the Tully Rinckey law firm, told Task & Purpose that commanders have several options for dealing with troops who refuse the vaccine, including issuing them a letter of reprimand or taking other administrative action; using nonjudicial punishment to push them to get vaccinated; referring troops to an administrative separation board for failure to obey an order; or even referring service members to courts-martial, as happened in the past when troops refused to get vaccinated for anthrax, Kuhn said. Following a visit from the commander of the Colombian air force, she texted him DV One. Air Force Reserve Takes 75th Anniversary Celebration to Talladega "This is a special day not only for the 70,000-plus Citizen Airmen of the Air Force Reserve, but also for NASCAR, as we're both celebrating our 75th anniversary this year," said Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command. Boring is a special assistant to the logistics complexs commander, Brig. Gersten was a 1989 Air Force Academy graduate who flew the F-16 Falcon, MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, and other aircraft. Appoint liaisons to help the services understand each others norms, from performance reviews to work schedules, the airman added. Earlier this month, Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, commander of the 19th Air Force, relieved Col. Timothy Danielson at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, "for a loss of trust and confidence" in his ability to oversee the 71st Flying Training Wing, Air Education and Training Command said in a statement. She told investigators that her relationship with Gersten became flirtatious in May 2018. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere, Army identifies 3 soldiers killed in Alaska helicopter crash, Army grounds helicopter fleet for force-wide safety stand down, Army fielding new tactical feedback tool with fitness program features. To clarify, my religious beliefs prevent me from taking the vaccine, actively promoting the vaccine, and from administering the vaccine to others myself (Im a nurse), Ellis said in a text message. Though they tried to keep this relationship secret, it soon became common knowledge at Nellis and then the rumors spread through the Air Force and Defense Department, the report said. The former senior NCO recalled instances when Army officials allegedly neglected to tell airmen of a rape in the locker room; at least one instance when an airman faced false allegations of sexual assault as retaliation for trying to make changes; and when airmen were denied leave for at least a year during skills upgrade training, then again if their work didnt meet Army standards rather than the Air Forces. He agreed to do so, and on Oct. 15 he issued the order, Ellis said. Show when youve been opposed to this in the past and how did this all of a sudden become a part of your closely held religious belief. More:Former Oklahoma City police officer found not guilty in domestic violence case, This means living by core values every day and empowering subordinate leaders to promote these values through teaching, coaching and mentorship, Koscheski said. That means that in certain cases, airmen have to find soldiers who are certified to administer a particular medication instead of doing it themselves. Ellis said the specific reason was because she did not issue the vaccination order herself. Related: Air Force Wing Commander Fired Due to 'Loss of Trust and Confidence'. Earlier in August, Anthony Kuhn, a managing partner at the Tully Rinckey law firm, told Task & Purpose that commanders have several options for dealing with troops who refuse the vaccine, including issuing them a letter of reprimand or taking other administrative action; using nonjudicial punishment to push them to get vaccinated; referring troops to an administrative separation board for failure to obey an order; or even referring service members to courts-martial, as happened in the past when troops refused to get vaccinated for anthrax, Kuhn said. However, Felton said the colonel will be reassigned to a staff position, though she did not say where in the Air Force that position would be. He explained that any request for a religious exemption would go through rigorous scrutiny to determine if the religion in question is legitimate and why a service members faith is opposed to this particular vaccine. "Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Space Operations Command commander, relieved Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier of command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron, Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, May 14, due to . He joined the Air Force in 1999 and was promoted to the rank of colonel two years ago. (Kemberly Groue/U.S. While the branch has a religious and medical exemption process like the one Ellis applied for, observers argue that the process is set up to drive waiver recipients out. U.S. Air Force photo by Todd Cromar. She previously held command and staff positions at the company, battalion, and brigade levels, Army officials said. 17. My religious beliefs prevent me from taking the vaccine, actively promoting the vaccine, and from administering the vaccine to others myself. An. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jessica Haynie). The group also deploys teams around the world to repair aircraft in the field that were damaged in battle or crashes, and conducts field-level depot maintenance. The service even kicked out nearly 40 basic military and technical trainees for refusing the vaccine. He can be found on Twitter @zamoneperez. Bode declined to be interviewed. Army Col. Ann Meredith has been fired from her position as 89th Military Police Brigade commander. It could be a challenge for some service members to acquire religious exemptions, Butch Bracknell, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who served as a legal advisor for the 1st Marine Division, told Task & Purpose in August. Though the 14th Flying Training Wing public affairs office said Ellis was relieved due to loss of trust and confidence in her ability to lead, the Air Force in general has buckled down on its insistence that airmen get vaccinated. ), the Washington Post, and others. Some people will be court-martialed., WORCESTER, Mass. The report said that Gersten also engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a second civilian woman between 2010 and 2015. Hunters dismissal is the latest in a series of Air Force firings in recent months. And, bring Air Force leadership under the same roof as their subordinates. The deadline for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members is Dec. 2, and while 96.2% of the active-duty and 92.8% of the total force had at least one shot as of Oct. 18, that still leaves up to 12,500 active-duty airmen who may face possible dismissal from the service as of Tuesday. Its two main units are the 7th Bomb Wing, which flies B-1 Lancers, and the 317th, which operates C-130s. I know he made this clear to them that he knows as a former commander himself, that leaders have a range of tools available to them to help troops make the right decisions for themselves, for the units, for the families, short of using the Uniform Code of Military Justice, therefore, short of punitive measures.. I would hope that those leaders are stronger leaders and instead of trying to make an example out of somebody that they would actually have some empathy and push the administrative response, but we know that is not always going to be the case, he continued. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the number of service members who have a waiver is very, very small.. ", By Their relationship ended after Gersten was fired. Before he arrived at the Warfare Center, the female officer was thriving and eager to learn, witnesses said. | It is the militarys only Level 1 trauma center that offers surgery around the clock as well as a wide range of specialty care, and is a key medical training site for soldiers, airmen and foreign troops. Courtesy photo Lt. Col. Craig Perry and his wife, Caroline, at the Military Training Instructor . any request for a religious exemption would go through rigorous scrutiny, have several options for dealing with troops. 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Gersten also engaged in inappropriate relationships with two other civilian women who worked for the Defense Department while he was still married, the report said. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations. It could be a challenge for some service members to acquire religious exemptions, Butch Bracknell, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who served as a legal advisor for the 1st Marine Division, told Task & Purpose in August. -- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Ellis did not feel comfortable sharing the specifics of her beliefs other than they are sincerely held, she said, but this was the first time a vaccine violated her religious beliefs. Zoe Kotnik was commander of the F-16 Viper De Want to write for Task & Purpose? Col. Keven Coyle, to whom Donovan reported, told Military.com in a written statement that the wing's guidelines call for allowing aircrews 12 hours of rest, including eight hours uninterrupted, before flying a sortie. The detailed breakdown of O-6 Board results in myPers, originally announced Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, have been removed due to inconsistencies and are being corrected.
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