Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter jet assigned to the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing has made some passes and garnered attention on the internet recently, after . The 144th is the biggest wing in the state, home to roughly 115 officers, including about two dozen fighter pilots, and more than 1,000 enlistees in support units. Members of the 144th's security forces, who police the base, conducted two investigations into the Pineda incident, according to internal investigative records obtained by The Times. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? After queries by The Times, however, the Guard said a second inquiry had substantiated similar allegations against him, and another round of discipline was pending. A 144th pilot, Lt. Col. Jennifer Pineda, a 15-year veteran of the guard, was about to change into her uniform in a womens bathroom at the 144th Fighter Wing when she discovered her boots had been soiled. DSN 839-5246, Crash Survivors Meet Indiana Airmen Who Rescued Them, Joint, International Southern Strike 2023 Exercise Wraps Up, Alaska Guardsman Helps Keep Pave Hawks Flying, New AF surgeon general program enhances support for EFMP families, Airmen, Guardians, Air Force modernizes nuclear security with advanced JLTV vehicle, Effective June 1, First Term Airmen can retrain into AFSCs under 90% manning in lieu of separation, An official website of the United States government. At least one person recorded the briefing, where Sikora said anyone filing complaints was causing problems for the wing, according to the report. (559) 454-5383 Commander Out At California Air National Guard After Scandal What Dyer Had to Say. When I say particular, it had to be at Whole Foods. A recent spate of alleged misconduct by high-ranking officers underscores the need for reform in Californias National Guard, current and former Guard members say. This went on for about two weeks, until he had the training completed by a subordinate. 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. 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. Must be between the age of 17 and 40. FRESNO, Calif. The head of the California Air National Guard, Maj. Gen. Clay Garrison, was relieved of command and replaced by Brig. Magram said in his statement that he was late in completing the training because of a tremendously busy operational tempo.. A guard spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma, on Friday confirmed the shake-up, but he did not have additional details. Local Police investigating early morning homicide in Porterville, Child among 5 killed by drunk gunman still on loose: TX police, 1 missing, 2 rescued after getting swept away in Kaweah River. In early 2019, a Times report disclosed internal complaints of reprisals against whistleblowers and allegations of a cover-up of misconduct among the Guard leadership. Gen. Gregory Jones two months after a newspaper detailed the fallout from a scandal involving someone urinating in the boots of a service member. Last week, Maj. Gen. Clay L. Garrison and Col. Dan Kelly were removed in the wake of a Times investigation that detailed the whistleblower complaints and allegations that officers covered up an incident in which someone urinated in a female Guard member's boots. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. The complaints disclosed by The Times focused on the leadership of the Fresno base and included an alleged cover-up of an incident in which someone urinated in a female Guard member's boots. Zakaria: These Revolutions May Help India Really Take off at Last, Future of California at Risk if CEQA Environmental Law Remains Unchanged, California Tax on Booze Would Double if These Activists Get Their Way. Garrison ran the base at the time of the incident. In a report released after the ousters of Garrison and Col. Dan Kelly, the commander of the 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, the Military Department inspector general cited findings of a Times investigation two months ago that detailed the whistleblower allegations. Woodside says it should've been handled differently from the start, especially since people in command positions might've been involved. After The Times began asking questions about the Pineda episode, the military department asked the U.S. Air Force Inspector General's Office to conduct an investigation the third into the Pineda incident. That inquiry is part of a broader investigation into whether whistleblowers at the 144th suffered reprisals for questioning the actions of their superiors on a range of matters. 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. Latest, Latest 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 . Many of the pilots are part-time reservists, signing up after careers in the U.S. Air Force, and some fly in their civilian lives for commercial airlines. One of the jets was a single-engine F-16C Fighting . Police investigating early morning homicide in Porterville, Child among 5 killed by drunk gunman still on loose: TX police, 1 missing, 2 rescued after getting swept away in Kaweah River. 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. The Air Force says that Nehring was handpicked to take part in Clear Sky due to his more than 20-year career as a pilot flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15 Eagle aircraft. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Northern California town on edge after second fatal stabbing in a week, Sheriffs Department investigates memo alleging captain wouldnt promote angry Black sergeant, CEO of Cookies pot brand accused of kickbacks, strong-arm tactics, Californias top military brass rocked by homophobia, antisemitism, indecent exposure scandals, What you need to know about the scandals at the California National Guard. The document also cites the cybersecurity episode as grounds for dismissing him, stating that he let a subordinate click through the training questions and obtain a certificate of completion for you., The memo further recounts that a 2021 survey of Guard members found that they experienced significant issues with unit cohesion, good order, and military discipline because of [Magrams] conduct.. First published on April 5, 2019 / 7:29 PM. 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. Lt. Col. Seth "Jethro" Nehring, 44, was killed while taking part in a familiarization flight in a Russian-built Su-27UB fighter jet with a Ukrainian counterpart. FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The skies above Super Bowl LVI were safe Sunday thanks to tactical fighter aircraft based in Fresno. 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. RELATED: U.S. airman killed in training exercise in Ukraine confirmed from 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, In a statement, U.S. Air Force Col. Daniel Kelly, commander of the 144th Fighter Wing said, "We are a close-knit family and when a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the 144th Fighter Wing feels it. Magram, who was once director of the Guard's 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. Gen. Tim Rieger, who was tasked by Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, head of the California Military Department, with investigating Sikora's actions. A Guard member who took Magrams mother shopping was quoted in the report as saying that she was particular. (559) 454-5274 Published Apr 7, 2019 3:26 PM EDT. (559) 515-6008 The inquiry also determined that Magram failed to complete his annual cybersecurity training and thus had lower-ranking Guard members each day request that headquarters temporarily restore his computer access. Will Political Reality Shape a Mighty Morro Bay Wind? The command change follows a Los Angeles Times report on allegations that whistleblowers at the guards Fresno base suffered reprisals for questioning actions or conduct, including an incident in which a female guard member discovered urine in her boots. The vast majority means all of you, except for a couple of you, and they know who they are so we don't need to call them out. The exercise is a joint and multinational exercise that will involve approximately 950 personnel from nine nations. F-15 Eagle, 'right aircraft for the mission - The National Guard 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. "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. Captain Nehring is an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with California Air National Guard's 194th Fighter Squadron in Fresno. The Fresno Air National Guard base is home to the 144th . Gavin Newsoms office and Baldwins successor, Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, the Guards acting adjutant general. It's all part of. Col. Dave Johnston, a commander who signed off on the evidence destruction, said in statements provided to The Times that he had consulted with Garrison before doing so. 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. Pineda declined to comment.
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