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. He agreed to do so, and on Oct. 15 he issued the order, Ellis said. An audio recording of Donovan berating airmen was leaked online, All-Hispanic flight crew takes off at Tinker AFB to mark National Hispanic Heritage Month, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Task & Purpose reported: They scored poorly on the Operational Risk Management test used to gauge the crews readiness to fly, which led the aircraft commander to cancel the sorties.. He saw him give his then-wife a big hug and noted that they seemed very familiar. If confirmed by the Senate,. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Apparently, the two civilians in question had already been vaccinated, but Bergin said the wing commander, Col. Graham, needed the order to be issued anyway, Ellis recalled. The COVID-19 vaccine was made mandatory for all members of the Air Force, and of the military writ large, on Aug. 23, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine. We need committed, engaged commanders that drove me to take command, he said. Air Force Reserve Command 14th Medical Group, I am so humbled and honored to be your commander, Ellis said at the change of command ceremony. AWACS planes have distinctive rotating black radar disks with a range of 250 miles and are known as the "eyes in the sky" for U.S. and NATO forces. How does a general officer not know thats wrong? said a witness who had respected Gersten and was taken aback when learning of the relationship. News. Before he arrived at the Warfare Center, the female officer was thriving and eager to learn, witnesses said. 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.. The Space Force uniforms are steadily getting fleshed out, with progress on everything from PT gear to new service dress items, including the debut of the women's service dress skirt. 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. Afterwards, Gersten admitted the relationship, the report said. U.S. Air Force Col. Katheryn Ellis, 14th Medical Group commander, receives her first salute as commander, July 6, 2021, on Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. The hospital system at Joint Base San Antonio has a deeply ingrained toxic culture of cronyism and sycophancy that is an affront to ideals of military leadership, Col. Ken Bode, the outgoing commander of the 959th Medical Operations Squadron, wrote in a July 19 resignation letter obtained by Air Force Times. Maj. Gen. Koscheski, 15th Air Force commander, said in a statement the 552nd Operations Group needs men and women who foster a culture of dignity and respect. Bode said he filed a complaint to the 59th Medical Wing commander that he hoped would stem rampant harassment, defamation and abuse of authority. May 2019-June 2020, Commander, Task Force Medical, Afghanistan and 455th Expeditionary Medical Group, Bagram AB, Afghanistan . Colonel relieved of command for failing fitness test - USA Today He said, I think you know what this is about. Commander That Fired First Female USAF Demo Team Leader Made This Crass Col. Tim Bush is no longer in command of the 319th Air. The Air Force and the Space Force had a significant increase in reports of sexual assault last year, according to figures released April 27. Caption: Col. Jonathan Chung salutes the flag at the 5th SFAB's Assumption of Command ceremony, June 30, 2021 at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington. Commander of Air Force's Mississippi Training Wing Removed Ellis was relieved 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, told Task & Purpose. These objections were included in my religious accommodation request.. The military did not answer questions about multiple formal investigations mentioned in Bodes letter. Those unvaccinated airmen will be in violation of a lawful order and subject to discipline under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Air Force wrote in a news release. Rose L. Thayer is based in Austin, Texas, and she has been covering the western region of the continental U.S. for Stars and Stripes since 2018. Their relationship ended after Gersten was fired. Ellis took command of the 14th Medical Group on July 7. Owens biography on the Dyess website states he earned his pilot wings in 1998 and was assigned as a C-17 pilot and later a special operations evaluator pilot. Maj. So we need to move on.. It takes mutual respect to develop airmen, our most precious resource. Boring is serving now as special assistant to Ogden commander Brig. Did you also not take the Hep B? Maj. How do you go ahead and do that and not expect to be looked down upon as a leader? How stupid am I?. At the time, he called the assignment at Keesler awesome and he said he was excited to shape young minds there. Air Force Col. Katheryn Ellis was relieved of command of the 14th Medical Group at Columbus Air Force Mississippi on Thursday, according to the Columbus-based 14th Flying Training. 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. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world.. 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. Basic changes would go a long way toward fixing culture clash, the retired airman said like clearly defining who is allowed to do certain tasks, and settle on a single standard for training and performance. While military leaders and lawmakers have spent much of the past year or so fretting over low recruiting numbers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Space Force has been an anomaly, having to turn away thousands of applicants eager to join the newest military service. 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. The 959th Medical Group employs 1,540 airmen who work alongside more than 6,000 Army personnel at the 425-bed facility. The Active-Duty Air Forces troubles meeting its recruiting goals have been well documented, as leaders and recruiters struggle, The Air Force expects the final report of a sweeping, first-of-its-kind suicide analysis board in the next few months, as the department looks to refine its prevention and response efforts. Airmen are being told, No, you cant leave and go talk to a first sergeant. Tinker Air Force Base colonel relieved of AWACS command - The Oklahoman 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. Dyess Air Force Base is located in West Texas near Abilene and is home to roughly 3,100 active-duty airmen. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. According to the report, AWACS crews were ordered to conduct the sorties after getting half the sleep they needed for the exercises. A missile wing commander at North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base was relieved of command for a loss of confidence in his command abilities following a series of recent incidents that included the rollover of a semi-trailer carrying missile parts, an accident caused when the driver tried to swat away a large insect that had landed on his back. Donovan was moved to other responsibilities at Tinker, according to the report. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. Air Force colonel relieved of command at Dyess Air Force Base 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. One day, he said, he showed his then-wife a picture of Gersten and asked if she was seeing him. Because if its limited to this vaccine, thats a bad argument, right.. Owens has been temporarily reassigned to the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess while he awaits another assignment. | Some people will be court-martialed., WORCESTER, Mass. She is the spouse of an Army veteran and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. Want to write for Task & Purpose? A colonel at Tinker Air Force Base has been relieved of his duties after aninvestigation found he failed to foster a culture of safety and berated crews for not flying training missions on short rest. 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. PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- The commander of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., was relieved of command Oct. 14 due to loss of confidence in his ability to command. 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. 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 relieved as the units commander this week. Its also a joint training unit, meaning it also develops troops from the other service branches and civilian federal employees. But after every session, the ex-husband said, his ex-wife would immediately call Gersten. 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. ), the Washington Post, and others. Minot missile wing commander relieved > Air Force > Article Display Learn more here and be sure to check out more great stories on our homepage. On the advice of the legal office, Ellis said she worked with the vice wing commander, Col. Jeremy Bergin, to have Bergin issue the vaccination order on her behalf. Gen. C. McCauley von Hoffman, pending an Air Force investigation. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the number of service members who have a waiver is very, very small.. Still, he cautioned others not to take leadership positions at the beleaguered center. 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. Another gripe deals with how the facilities are laid out. The commanders and senior enlisted leaders of the Air Force component within BAMC are excluded from fundamental decision-making processes and not co-located, even after a 10-year presence in this organization, Bode wrote. Russia Continues Dangerous Flights in Syria, Risking International Incident, Wisconsin Guard Wing Accepts First 3 F-35s, 18 KC-135s Line Up at MacDill, as USAFs Surge in Elephant Walks Continues, USAF Analysis: China Hopes The US Cant Afford Enough B-21s to Make A Difference, Department of the Air Force Saw Dramatic Rise in Sexual Assault Reports in 2022, 14 Airmen Become US Citizens in New Basic Training Naturalization Process, So Long, myPers: Airmen and Guardians Have Until April 30 to Retrieve Records, New PACAF Commander Tapped, Among Several Key Air Force Moves, New Space Force PT Gear Coming Soon; Service Dress Skirt Hits Space Symposium, Humorous Drawing of 1980s Air Force Life Still Rings True for Many Airmen, Space Force Recruiting Is Strong, but Army, Navy, USAF Woes Dont Help, The Air Force Is Offering Enlisted Airmen a $10,000 Bonus to Join the Reserve, A New Air Force-Wide Study Is Analyzing Suicides to Improve Prevention Efforts. One witness reported losing respect for Gersten after discovering he was visiting the female officers apartment, and believed he took advantage of her. The vaccines, he said, will protect you and your family. Lt. Col. Aaron Rivers, the units deputy commander, assumed command of the group. "Commanders must uphold the highest personal and professional standards and maintain a healthy, inclusive command climate in their unit," Edmondson said. To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in an Aug. 9 memo to the force. July 2018-May 2019, Command Surgeon, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Md. However, Ellis believed Grahams order conflicted with her own religious beliefs, as well as a request for a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate which she filed on Sept. 17. 475 students are trained at the school every year on average, as of 2016. And, bring Air Force leadership under the same roof as their subordinates. Capt. While Gersten and his then-wife were living apart and in the process of separating, they were still married during several months of Gerstens relationship with his girlfriend, which violated the Uniform Code of Military Justices prohibition against adultery. U.S. Air Force Col. Katheryn Ellis, 14th Medical Group commander, receives her first salute as commander, July 6, 2021, on Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. All Rights Reserved. Spurred by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process, the Army and Air Force took on shared responsibilities at the freshly renovated Brooke Army Medical Center a decade ago. I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude for their commitment and my opportunity to lead them.. The U.S. Air Force announced that Col. Gary Donovan, 552nd Operations Group commander, was relieved from command on Monday. Today I am left with this last opportunity to make a difference, he said. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. Before he became vice commander at Keesler in June, Allen was a special operations deputy at the Pentagon. Refreshed US-Philippine relations revive fighter jet training paused 3 decades ago, Victims of Army helicopter collision in Alaska include 2 chief warrant officers, Sexual Facebook post spurs UN Command to review its social media policies, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Refreshed US-Philippine relations revive fighter jet training paused 3 decades ago, Victims of Army helicopter collision in Alaska include 2 chief warrant officers, Sexual Facebook post spurs UN Command to review its social media policies, Reports of sexual assaults increased in Navy, Air Force and Marines in 2022; Army saw decline, New bill aims to expand mental health care for military families, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. 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. Air Force: Fired commander tried to hide relationship with enlisted airman