Witnesses also told OSI investigators that while at Kunsan, Retka once placed a much smaller pilot who became extremely intoxicated as part of a squadron initiation rite and drunkenly tackled Retka in a chokehold and refused to let go. Kennedy said she is satisfied with how the investigation proceeded. She told investigators that about 30 people had previously passed through the center aisle without any physical contact, and that there was eight to 10 feet of open space behind her. Col. Peter M. Bilodeau was removed by Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, the commander of 3rd Air Force. Kennedy told investigators she was in shock and disbelief at what had just happened and felt numb, upset and uncomfortable. Im proud to serve with them, and Im inspired by them. Bilodeau was not relieved for alleged misconduct or wrongdoing, the release said. from around the world. Exactly the way they like it. Col. Peter M. Bilodeau, the commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, was relieved of command on Tuesday after less than six months on the job because of loss of. Upon assuming command in July, Bilodeau shared his leadership style with the airmen who would serve under him. [12], In late 1983, the 480th TFS, along with the entire 52nd TFW, was tasked with the Wild Weasel mission, being equipped with eight F-4G Advanced Wild Weasels and 16 F-4E Phantom IIs. Making mistakes is a part of life. June 2015 June 2017, Senior Military Advisor for Air Warfare Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense, 15. SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany An experienced fighter pilot who flew combat sorties in Iraq and Afghanistan is the new commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing. 1 ago. Thats what teamwork is, thats what Saber Nation is, Epperson said during the ceremony. Shes a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia. According to the report, Retka, the Kennedys and other staff and family from the 52nd attended a farewell dinner for the former vice wing commander at the Schloss Neiderweiss restaurant on May 3. [32] The pilot ejected safely. But some access roads were cut off by the water and landslides, base and local officials said. Misawa's group commander was fire as well for being too family oriented. This is an official snapshot of his career: 1996 Bachelor of Arts degree, Communications, Brigham Young University, Utah. [14], On 1 April 1994, the squadron was inactivated again as part of the post-Cold War force reductions,[4] being replaced by the 22nd Fighter Squadron who had relocated to Spangdahlem from Bitburg Air Base on the same day. June 2017 June 2018, Vice Commander, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah. June 2018 present, Commander, Shaw AFB, S.C. June 2015 June 2017, Senior Military Advisor for Air Warfare Systems, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Director of Operational Test & Evaluation, Pentagon, Va. Melody W. Howley), U.S. Air Force Col. Leslie Hauck, 52nd Fighter Wing incoming commander, renders his first salute during the 52nd FW Change of Command ceremony July 15, 2021, on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. But at the same time, I wish I had [said] Tony, what is your goal? It served once more as an air defense unit in the southeastern United States. Retka returned to Kunsan in 2012 as a squadron commander. July 2001 January 2003, F-16 Flight Examiner, Flight Commander, 22d FS Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. U.S. Air Force Col. Timothy Trimmell, 52nd Maintenance Group commander, left, gives the ceremonial guidon to Lt. Col. Brian Scozzaro, incoming 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander, during the 52nd AMXS Change of Command Ceremony at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, July 26, 2019. Air Force officials said the base sustained no significant damage from the heavy rainfall. Press J to jump to the feed. Col. Steven Lamb, 52nd Mission Support Group commander, gives his first remarks during the 52nd MSG change of command ceremony, July 26, 2022, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Col. Anthony Retka, who was commander of the 52nd Operations Group at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, was disciplined with an administrative action after an investigation into allegations that. Although the base is not located in the hardest-hit area, several nearby villages were inundated and roads were closed due to rising waters. The wing also supports the Supreme Allied Commander by providing credible deterrence, delivering combat capabilities, executing joint reception, staging, onward movement, and integration, facilitating inter-theater airlift, and building partnership capacity. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes). Spangdahlem's previous wing commander, Col. Peter M. Bilodeau, was relieved of duties in late December, less than six months on the job. 2023 Stars and Stripes. The 52nd Fighter Wing includes more than 5,500 military and civilian personnel who help maintain and deploy the units F-16 fighters and other military hardware. July 2011 June 2012 Director of Operations, 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nev. 12. As the wings director of staff, Lt. Col. Kennedy had been working directly for former wing Commander Col. Jason Bailey. And thats why we achieved the things we achieved despite the pandemic and every other thing thrown our way these past years.. The base authorized a four-hour delay Wednesday night for personnel coming to work the next day, after rainfall over 12 hours equaled the average for the entire month of July. [8] From here, the Warhawks carried out operations over North Vietnam, South Vietnam and Laos. Public Affairs RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, was relieved of command Dec. 30 due to a loss of faith and confidence in his leadership. A wing spokesman confirmed the news Thursday. 2015 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science degree, Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, Pa. 1. [12], On 19 September 1985, the history of the 480th Bombardment Squadron and 480th Air Resupply Squadron was consolidated with the existing 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron which had first formed in 1957. He went on to partake in the most prestigious opportunities the USAF has to offer its pilots. [26] On 9 November 2012, the 52nd OG set up a detachment (52nd OG Det 1) at ask Air Base in Poland. I checked the new tab and didn't see anything. [4] It was inactivated on 1 May 1944 while based at Lake Charles Army Air Field. Air Forces are supposed to break shit and kill people. [5] Tactical Air Command (1957-1959) [ edit] My base had a squadron commander (Maj) that got relieved of command for the same "reason" given for this guy. 6. U.S. Air Force Tech. All Rights Reserved. Things soon became even more uncomfortable for the Kennedys, Jordana said. As Saber Lead, Hauck now commands five groups, 23 squadrons and nine geographically separated units spread across five countries, with approximately 5,000 dedicated military and civilian personnel. When it comes to innovative thinking, you are the benchmark that all the rest of my wings measure against. [23] Returning in November, the 480th FS were the last fighter unit to support Operation New Dawn. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. The commander of the 52d Fighter Wing is Colonel David J. Julazadeh. 2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 2004 Distinguished Graduate, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, Nellis AFB, Nev. 2005 Masters degree in business administration, Trident University, distance learning program, 2005 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, 2009 Distinguished Graduate, Master of Science degree, Special Operations & Low Intensity Conflicts, Naval Postgraduate School. Spangdahlem is home of the 52nd Fighter Wing, which maintains, deploys and employs Lockheed Martin Block 50 F-16CM/DM. It means nothing, and doesn't provide any answers. 480 TFS F-4Ds were originally scheduled for redeployment to Holloman AFB, however, instead were distributed to bases throughout Southeast Asia: Clark Air Base, Philippines; Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base and Udon AB, Thailand; Da Nang AB; and Inspection and Repair as Necessary facilities (IRAN) at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base Taiwan. (Senior Airman Arielle Vasquez/Air Force) An inspector general report released Thursday found Brig. She turned her head and saw it was Retka, who walked away. [7], In July 1963, the 480th TFS was reassigned to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, where it re-equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II in 1965. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Spangdahlem is home of the 52d Fighter Wing, which maintains, deploys and employs Lockheed Martin Block 50 F-16CJ and Republic A/OA-10 aircraft and TPS-75 radar systems in support of NATO and the national defense directives. Hauck is a command pilot with more than 2,400 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 285 combat hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Melody W. Howley), U.S. Air Force Col. David Epperson, 52nd Fighter Wing outgoing commander (center), passes the 52nd FW guidon to U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Randall Reed, Third Air Force commander (left), as he relinquishes command during the 52nd Fighter Wing Change of Command ceremony July 15, 2021, on Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. His most recent biography has been removed from the Spangdahlem Air Base website. Captain Sijan later died in a prison camp and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. A combat pilot, hes accumulated more than 2,500 flying hours in the F-16. In late September, Jordana Kennedy said in a memo to reviewing authorities that Retka should not be retained on active duty, and should be removed from command and leave the service. On Tuesday, Dec. 30, Bilodeau was relieved of command and Hubert, the wing vice commander, was again named interim commander. Work Philosophy: Do your best every day, and if you routinely get the small things right, the big things will take care of themselves. You haven't been stationed in grand forks or Minot have you? The closure of Mildenhall is part of a sweeping reorganization of U.S. forces in Europe recommended by the Pentagon to consolidate infrastructure and save money. . Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, will keep its fighter mission after the Pentagon's Global Posture Review permanently reversed a Trump administration decision to shift the base's F-16 s to Italy and to cancel plans to move tankers and special operations forces there. The culture within the USAF has changed to some degree since its inception, but it stands as an incredibly stark reminder that really talented and valuable people can make really dumb decisions. Immediately afterward, Kennedy told investigators and Air Force Times, she felt a man forcefully rub against her buttocks. Home/how to remove temporary spray adhesive from fabric/ spangdahlem commander fired. Wing commander briefed the squadron and said it was that he and the group commander "lost faith in his ability to lead." [22] Kotnik make mistakes, I want them to have the opportunity to learn from them without being under public scrutiny, and to continue to be a part of this great service. On February 12, 2019, news that the first woman to lead an Air Force demonstration team was fired after just two weeks in the position sent shockwaves through the aviation community and made headlines in the mainstream press. The commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, was relieved of command Tuesday over a loss of faith and confidence in his leadership. The U.S. Army said another nearly 1,300 people were missing as of Monday. We have never seen such a disaster. Mike is a photographer in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The word here at Spang is bouncing from a medical issue(But that is nonsense) to possible misconduct, but he has not yet been officially charged. Born in Peoria, Ill., he graduated from DODEAs now-defunct Frankfurt American High School. Several witnesses said Retka then regularly engaged in the steamrolling pranks, sometimes while naked, the report said. For example, the 52nd has increased rotational missions in Poland as part of EUCOMs push to bolster the military presence in the region. Since then, the video been referenced in multiple military and aviation forums around the net. Base officials said about 50 members of the 52nd Civil Engineering squadron and others from the wing filled and delivered over 1,800 sandbags to the surrounding communities. (Melody Howley/U.S. Before Stripes, she worked for daily newspapers in Wyoming and Colorado. Bilodeau assumed command in July 2014. McFall received his commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993. June 2008 October 2009, student, Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, Calif. 10.