Magram, who was once director of the Guards air staff, is the fifth general to resign, retire or be fired in the wake of scandals exposed by Times investigations of the organization over the last four years. The report was prepared by Brig. In yet another ouster of a top commander for the troubled California National Guard, a brigadier general has been fired after internal inquiries found that he inappropriately used military personnel for personal tasks, had a subordinate complete part of his cybersecurity training and otherwise engaged in conduct that seeded distrust in the ranks. See Why Customers Flocked to Fresno Cannabis Store on Day 1. A third high-ranking officer in the California Air National Guard has been removed from his position because of complaints he made whistleblowers feel threatened at the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, By Then something changed, Most of Yosemite Valley is closed due to potentially perilous snowpack and flooding, 7 hospitalized after driver in stolen car runs red light in San Bernardino, police say, Barstow police investigating after officer caught on video hitting man with a baton, Man found guilty of murdering teens who ding-dong-ditched his house, Sacramento, San Francisco mayors take shots at each others city before NBA playoff game, Unseasonable rain, cooler temperatures in forecast for Los Angeles this week. Keegan said the department had lost faith, trust and confidence in Garrison's ability to lead. This clearly means that anyone exercising their right to speak with the IG or the press is not honorable, not a good person, and implies they are not a red-blooded American, the report quotes Swertfager as saying. The California Air National Guard is the second largest unit in the Air Guard, a force of more than 100,000 pilots, other officers and enlisted people. Careers - AF The complaints focused on the organizations Fresno air base and included an incident in which someone urinated in a female Guard members boots. In interviews with the Times, several current and former members of the guard described a culture of retaliation by high-ranking officers and mistrust in the inspector general system intended to hold them accountable. The guards function as state militias whose leaders report to their respective governors. 'Double-dipping' probe targets Air National Guard pilots in Fresno Behold F-117s On Their Historic Deployment To Fresno In These Stunning Woodside retired from the unit in 2016, so he talked freely with Action News about the investigations into someone urinating in Pineda's uniform. Valley Weather Rollercoaster: Mid-90s Now, Upper 60s Next Week, Adventure in Spices? "If there was a smoking gun, they took it and threw it right in the river," said Maj. Woodside. We share in the sorrow felt by Jethro's loved ones and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends as well as those of the Ukrainian aviator.". The commander of the 144th Fighter Wing at the Fresno base was also removed. News, Appetite for Fresno All Rights Reserved. Maj. Gen. Clay L. Garrison, the top commander of the 4,700-member air guard, was dismissed for being unable to maintain a positive command climate, said Lt. Col. Thomas Keegan, spokesman for the California Military Department. The commander of the fighter squadron at the time, Col. Sean Navin, was one of the drinkers. The retirement of Maj. Gen. David Baldwin comes weeks after a Times investigation detailed alleged misconduct among high-ranking officers. Beevers and Newsom did not respond to requests for comment made through spokespersons. Charles Vaughn). Based on this article, and in addition to other evidence collected, it would appear that there is a culture of reprisal, or at a minimum the perception of reprisal, that has a long stemmed history within the 144th, the inspector general report states. News, Latest Will Political Reality Shape a Mighty Morro Bay Wind? Gen. Gregory Jones two months after a newspaper detailed the fallout from a scandal involving someone urinating in the boots of a service member. The Guard denies it. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Keegan said Garrison will retire in the coming weeks. Gov. Public File for KMAX-TV / Good Day Sacramento. At least five guard members from the 144th wing filed formal complaints. 4/23 update:The LA Times has dug into the California Air National Guard scandal. Both were inconclusive, and the case was closed. Jennifer Pineda, a 15-year veteran of the guard, was about to change into her uniform in a women's bathroom at the 144th Fighter Wing when she discovered her boots had been soiled. Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. 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What Dyer Had to Say. Swertfager could not be reached for comment. He said the same about his decision to fire Maj. Gen. Gregory Jones, commander of the air wing of the Guard. Col. Victor Sikora was relieved of command after engaging in conduct unbecoming of an officer by addressing a gathering of Guard members in a manner some found intimidating and humiliating, according to a report released Friday. Fresno's 144th Fighter Wing hosting training exercise for pilots (559) 515-6008 Jones has served as assistant adjutant general since December 2017. Attempts to reach Magram for comment were unsuccessful. The familiarization flight was part of a joint military training exercise called Clear Sky 2018, which kicked off last week. Gen. Gregory Jones two months after a newspaper. / CBS Sacramento. Disgusting discovery, accusations of cover-up at Fresno - ABC30 Fresno (559) 454-5274 Clear Sky brings together more than 950 personnel from Ukraine and eight NATO nations. The 194th Fighter Squadron (194 FS) is a unit of the California Air National Guard 's 144th Fighter Wing (144 FW) at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California. The command change follows aLos Angeles Timesreport on allegations that whistleblowers at the guard's Fresno base suffered reprisals for questioning actions or conduct, including an incident in which a female guard member discovered urine in her boots. A 144th pilot, Lt. Col. Alene Tchekmedyian And Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times In California, he held various positions at the 146th Airlift Wing at Port Hueneme before heading the 129th Rescue Wing in the Mountain View area. Two of those were related to the urine incident, including one filed by Pineda. You must meet certain enlistment criteria to qualify for the Air National Guard. The 144th Fighter Wing (FW) of the California Air National Guard occupies two separate parcels of land (the main base area and the Munitions Storage Area) totaling 110.726 acres (0.44809 km 2) of leased land on the Fresno Yosemite International Airport . These criteria ensure that those who join have the right mental, physical and moral aptitudes to perform the tasks required for military service. Alene Tchekmedyian And Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times Garrison's only guidance, Johnston wrote, was that he first confer with the 144th's judge advocate general at the time. This went on for about two weeks, until he had the training completed by a subordinate. Garrison was the top commander of the air guard, and Kelly headed the 144th wing. But at least five of its Air National Guard members have filed internal complaints about a nasty incident and other concerns. Air National Guard - ABC30 Fresno Baldwin said the fact that he resided in El Dorado Hills, where the protests were small and peaceful, had no bearing on the deployment of the RC-26B reconnaissance plane. A six-barrel cannon can shoot enemy fighters out of the sky. Brig. The following year, officers at the 144th destroyed the evidence collected from the crime scene, saying it was old and no longer needed. Forensic analysts say urine can be tested for DNA, but it degrades faster than other tissue and bodily fluids. Both were inconclusive, and the case was closed. One of the jets was a single-engine F-16C Fighting . Kelly's future in the Guard has yet to be determined, Keegan said. Members of the 144th Medical Detachment 1 recently completed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region IX California Homeland Response Force (HRF) external evaluation March 30, 2023, at Camp Roberts, California. Both of them, along with others, felt targeted by Sikora's remarks, the report said. Jones has served as assistant adjutant general since December 2017. A spokesman for Gov. Alene Tchekmedyian And Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, Times investigation two months ago that detailed the whistleblower allegations, Who urinated in her boots? In a statement Friday, Keegan said, The Guard is committed to providing a transparent, respectful and positive command climate. I am confident that Brig. "This is a problem with their leadership.". Latest They didn't identify any suspects and eventually got rid of the urine without ever testing it for DNA. The guards function as state militias whose leaders report to their respective governors. To ensure they are prepared for the task at hand, the 144th Fighter Wing, Security Forces Squadron, trains for Agile Combat Employment at Camp Roberts, California, Feb. 2, 2023. A member of the Judge Advocate General Corps, Maj . "Back when this happened in 2015, if the Air Force Office of Special Investigation got involved, maybe it would've been handled differently," said the former judge advocate general, or JAG. The U.S. and Ukrainian governments are investigating to determine the cause of the accident. Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, who oversees both the air and army branches of the California Guard as adjutant general of the Military Department, was unavailable for comment, Keegan said. (559) 454-5100 Jones has served as assistant adjutant general since December 2017. Scandals taint highest ranks of National Guard - PressReader The head of the California Air National Guard and one of its five wing commanders have been removed from their positions amid complaints of reprisals against whistleblowers and allegations of. Voting Is Fast and Easy on Recall Day. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno's 144th Fighter Wing is under scrutiny from the U.S. Air Force Inspector General's Office because of a disgusting discovery four years ago. Pineda filed a whistleblower complaint, in which she wrote that she feared she'd be forced out of the military because some had speculated that she urinated in her own boots for attention.. Most of the allegations against Magram were first disclosed in a Times report in June. The 194th is equipped with the F-15 Eagle and like its parent wing, the 144th Griffins, is operationally-gained within the active U.S. Air Force by the Air Combat Command (ACC). FRESNO, Calif. The head of the California Air National Guard, Maj. Gen. Clay Garrison, was relieved of command and replaced by Brig. In interviews with the Times, several current and former members of the guard described a culture of retaliation by high-ranking officers and mistrust in the inspector general system intended to hold them accountable. Videos Show F-117 Stealth Jets in California Decade After Retirement An F-15C air-to-air combat jet was placed on alert in case of unrest over the pandemic or election, sources and records say. Allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers in the California National Guard are more widespread than the complaints made at a Fresno air base that led to a dramatic leadership shakeup of the organization earlier this month, The Times has found. The urine incident and its aftermath fueled suspicions within the guard that high-ranking officers, including Garrison, mishandled two investigations to find the perpetrator and tried to bury the episode to protect someone who may have been involved, according to interviews and guard records obtained by the Times. In a memorandum to Magram that The Times obtained this week, Beevers wrote, Your conduct has caused me to lose faith, trust, and confidence in your ability to continue serving.. Dave Bakos, a retired general who served in the Guard for 32 years and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, was among those who said Garrison should have demanded a more thorough investigation from the start. Responding to a subsequent Times query, the Guard confirmed in June that Hawkins had resigned. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, urinated in a female Guard members boots, use of a spy plane to monitor civilian protesters, deploy a fighter jet to frighten demonstrators, The commander of the scandal-plagued California National Guard steps down, Californias top military brass rocked by homophobia, antisemitism, indecent exposure scandals, Turmoil shakes California National Guard with firing, suspension of top generals, California Guard members feared fighter jet would be ordered to frighten protesters, Spy plane was sent to monitor protest in affluent suburb, home to head of California National Guard, In California National Guard, whistleblower claims of retaliation go beyond Fresno, Head of California Air National Guard removed amid allegations of cover-up and retaliation, California Air National Guard removes commander over threats against whistleblowers, Must Reads: Someone urinated in a female sergeants boots. The Fresno Air National Guard Base in California is home to the 144th Fighter Wing.
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