Another Commander Sacked: is the Air Force in an Unrecognized Ethical Tailspin?
Lt. Col. Blair Kaiser took command of a C-130 squadron in summer of 2013. He spent most of the next five months deployed to Afghanistan, commanding a different squadron. He was then fired upon returning home from the war, and no one has satisfactorily explained why. This is the latest indication of an Air Force ethically off the rails and unable — or unwilling — to acknowledge it.
**Update: documents obtained by JQP show the referral OPR issued to Lt. Col. Kaiser and his response. They can be viewed here.**
In February of this year, the commander of the 19th Airlift Wing relieved Lt. Col. Blair Kaiser of command of the 30th Airlift Squadron, an active duty C-130 unit embedded within the Wyoming Air National Guard. The news came as an absolute shock to Kaiser and his 200+ airmen. He’d just returned from commanding a deployed squadron in Afghanistan, a job he’d done with great distinction despite having been dispatched on short notice almost immediately after being given command of the 30th.
For the select few, including JQP, who have seen the full details of Kaiser’s story, there is abundant reason to look skeptically upon his removal. Indeed, there is cause for alarm. This looks like more evidence of a toxic command climate within the Air Force — one that allows wing commanders and general officers to abusively discard and destroy subordinates without providing proper cause, and to the detriment of the airmen and squadrons involved. In this case, the 200+ airmen across 35 Air Force specialties who comprise the 30th AS were given no rationale for the firing of a commander they respected. Their temporary commander was given the full-time reins, and both morale and performance have suffered since. It’s possible the airmen of the 30th never got an explanation because no suitable rationale exists for what they’ve been ordered to endure.
Kaiser’s firing appears utterly baseless. He came to command with a spotless record of performance and an impressive list of achievements. He was humble, credible, and broadly respected, continuing to earn accolades right up to the day he was fired. A climate assessment conducted before he deployed, and ordered by Kaiser himself, was overwhelmingly positive. His selection for the deployment — ironically at the hand of the same wing commander who would later order his relief — reflects confidence in his leadership ability given the challenge and high stakes of combat airlift in Afghanistan. By all accounts, his unit respected him and was performing quite well during his brief stint at the controls before deploying. Yet, without explanation and on the heels of a deployment he tackled at a conspicuously high level of performance, he was unceremoniously cashiered immediately after returning from Afghanistan. No warning, no notice, no feedback, no opportunity to correct, and no clue why.
Backing out and viewing the situation from high altitude, the absurdity of it is manifest. An Air Force Lieutenant Colonel with an impeccable service record was chosen for command. After commanding briefly, he was then sent thousands of miles away, where he had no way of directing or even influencing the unit he was hired to command. Then, he was fired, theoretically for things that happened in a unit over which he had no control, which was being commanded by another officer, and while Kaiser was busy temporarily commanding another unit. Only after he was fired was a commander-directed investigation performed, and it provided no retroactive basis for his removal. Not a single claim against him was substantiated, yet rather than being reinstalled as commander, he and his family were isolated, neglected, and marginalized. Not a single phone call to check on him and no communication from his chain of command. He waited in personal and professional limbo for months, confined to a vacant office with no job before finally being involuntarily dispatched to man a cubicle in the air operations center supporting Air Mobility Command (AMC) headquarters. Kaiser was later issued a performance report that charged him with creating a poor command climate, something he’s apparently alleged to have done in the scant weeks between having taken command and deploying to Afghanistan, and something for which zero credible evidence exists. In fact, much evidence exists to support the exact opposite conclusion.
What explains this kind of absurdity? One possible answer is that Kaiser was doomed from the beginning. To the extent the 30th had any problems, he wasn’t given time to address them before being deployed. While deployed, he was out of sight and out of mind as far as his home station leaders were concerned, something to which most airmen ever individually deployed can relate. But more concerning is that the major chosen to stand in Kaiser’s place and command the 30th in his absence was given not just the standard leash length of a stand-in boss, but full legal authority for the squadron and its members. In conducting his first commander’s call, this “acting” commander gave the impression he was at the helm of the 30th to stay, briefing a dozen slides on his personal background and leadership philosophy. These circumstances are extremely unusual. Considering this major was known to be (and readily told everyone who would listen that he was) a personal favorite of the general who at the time directed every wing in AMC and has since become its commander, these circumstances could be perceived as more than simply unusual. Was Kaiser the victim of active or passive command influence? If not, what explains his firing? Was he simply pushed out of the way to make room for someone more consistent with a personal vision of the Air Force with which Kaiser was somehow inconsistent?
Kaiser is understandably seeking answers to these questions and asking that his good name be restored. Since February, he’s been faithfully exercising the system, most recently seeking redress via a Congressional Inquiry delivered by the Arkansas delegation to Colonel Patrick Rhatigan, commander of the 19th Airlift Wing and the person who ordered Kaiser’s removal. Kaiser eagerly awaits an answer to the inquiry, his hopefulness tempered by the reality that AMC will have carefully vetted any response.
The JQP community is also watching closely, intensely interested in an apparent spike in specious firings across the Air Force. In many cases, such as this one, these actions seem to reflect toxicity and other increasingly obvious institutional ills. General Welsh has recently professed that the service does not have an ethics problem. But cases like this one cast doubt on that assertion, begging further explanation. We encourage General Welsh and Secretary James to take a closer look at Blair Kaiser’s case. Absent sharp correction from within the system, this situation stands to become another public embarrassment for a service that needs to be credible with its own airmen and the public it serves.
If honesty and fair dealing still have a place in the US Air Force — not to mention the core value of integrity to which the service lays rhetorical claim — this situation will be remedied, and an explanation provided. Colonel Kaiser, his family, and his airmen deserve at least as much.
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Tags: Afghanistan, Air Force, air force news, civil-military relationships, command, communication, communications, Core Values, Culture, defense reform, DoD, generals, Honesty, HR, human resources, Integrity, leadership, military, national security, organization, organizational behavior, organizations, Performance Appraisals, Reform, transparency, Trust, values
Proof that only leaders should be generals. Probably didn’t have his flight suit zipper up far enough for Gen McWard!
Oops…I meant McDew. Typo
No, General Welsh, the AF has a HUGE ethics problem. And sadly, the problem starts with you. When you deny there is an ethics problem in the face of acts like Lt Col Perry’s removal and now the removal of Lt Col Kaiser, you’re just gilding a turd. And, no, “Mustache March” and the “Great AF BBQ Contest” don’t make up for the spreading rot. How far my beloved AF has fallen…
I had heard Blair busted the 12 hr rule, initially stood down, then later flew. Was that a total rumor???
The investigation did not substantiate this rumor. Zero factual underpinning of either breaking the rule or flying.
Yes, I was the aircraft commander on the other aircraft and I was the last member to leave the bar specifically to ensure everyone put their drinks down at the appropriate time…I stated this in my official statement
I served under this man. And he is a great leader that the 30th needed! I was shocked when he was sent packing, and the fact we were told nothing was BS. Lt Col Kaiser is what the USAF shod want, but sadly they want ass kissers and yes men and women.
I met Lt Col Kaiser in 1999 back when he was a 2 Lt and I was a SSgt in the 517 AS. I knew then that his gregarious personality was genuine and infectious and that he would grow into the kind of leader others would gladly follow. I saw first-hand that my initial assessment was spot-on during my brief visit to Cheyenne in January 2014. As we chatted over coffee outside his office, he stopped everybody who walked by and introduced us and made a point of telling me something personal about each of them. You could see the mutual respect between him and each person we talked with. He is a genuine leader and a professional of the highest caliber and I am proud to have served with him and call him a friend. This is just the latest in a worrying trend for our Air Force. Sadly, the AF appears to be replacing its leaders as well as its airplanes with drones.
I have known LtCol Kaiser for 10 years. There has never been a man more suited to lead a flying squadron. He’s that guy who has it all, extremely smart, high personal skills, and genuinely cares about people first. He exemplifies our core values and his firing is absurd. This era that we live in where Col’s and Gen’s think that firing somone fixes their problem is out of hand. I’ve worked for an OG/CC who blatantly violated afi’s and said things like, “yeah i know what the 11-202 says but we’re not going to do that”. That guy was begging to be fired but never was which makes LtCol Kaiser’s firing even more rediculous. I lost my faith in our senior leaders’ ability to do the right thing long ago. Hold you head up high BK, keep on fighting, and tell them all what’s what.
Amen Maj Erwin. He kept me going to the very end of that 8 month deployment. And I too have heard straight from a cheif’s mouth ” AFI’s and regs” can’t always be followed to get a mission done. So sad and hope that in the end Col Kaiser gets the correct recognition he is deserving of.
NO. None of this is true. First of all, Blair Kaiser did NOT have an impeccable service record. He had a DUI on his record. Second of all, yes, he had recently taken command of the 30th. However, he had been assigned to the 30th for two years prior as the DO, and had spent nearly six months as the acting commander while the previous commander was deployed. In that time as CC and DO, he built quite a reputation for himself as being a party boy and having clear favorites within the squadron who got preferential treatment. The climate assesment survery just before he took command indicated that the women in the squadron felt that sexism was a problem, especially led by him. A series of panels were held that attempted to address the problem, but Blair Kaiser ignored all of them, and the women were afraid to speak out for fear of retribution. He was unprofessional, immature and a weak leader. He is trying to build this case in which he appears to be the victim of unsubstantiated claims, but that is also not true.He has been the subject of IG, CDI and OSI investigations in the last 12 months. This is the second time in his time at the 30th he has been the topic of a CDI. TWO separate cases of sexual assault happened under his command. I have read the CDI. EVERY FEMALE INTERVIEWED who was assigned to his command stated she personally experienced discrimination by Kaiser, and could attest to other instances in which other women were mistreated. It is true that the 19th OG CC claimed there was no evidence of gender discrimination, but the evidence clearly says otherwise. Furthermore, Maj (now Lt Col) Willis is a whole other issue. I was also at that commader call, and saw nothing unusual that would indicate that Willis thought he was permanently in charge. Willis had only been in the squadron for about 2.5 months at the time, and very few of the troops had an opportunity to meet him as he was in the process of PCSing, and inprocessing. The purpose of that call was to introduce himself to the unit and explain the continuity of leadership. I will not defend Tyson Willis, but to suggest that he had any plans to relieve Blair Kaiser of command is absurd. Finally, the unit was specifically told that there was an OSI investigation ongoing, and members were not allowed to speak to Kaiser while he was under investigation. He was not ostracized by the unit.
Given the level of knowledge you’re claiming to have, it seems likely you’re a party to the investigation that was conducted on Lt. Col. Kaiser after he was relieved. If so, you’re probably also aware that he was exonerated of every allegation you just listed. To insinuate that he had built a bad reputation in the 2 years before he took command is farcical, because if that had been the case, he would not have taken command in the first place. As for the DUI to which you refer, it’s not relevant. As someone obviously suffering from sour grapes, you’re introducing it here as inflammatory and prejudicial evidence. But even if true, it has ZERO bearing on this situation, unless you’re suggesting that no one should ever be allowed to recover from youthful mistakes. Are your SURE you’d want such a standard?
None of what you say above with respect to gender bias or favoritism is true. Not a word. The CDI cleared Lt. Col. Kaiser of all of those allegations. Probably because there’s no credible evidence to support the charge.
I agree with you that no one should be punished forever for youthful mistakes, but the characterization in this article that he was unblemished with a stellar record is untrue. That is really the only point I intended to make with that.
Also, it’s easy for things to fall by the wayside when your squadron is located 1000 miles away from your group. These issues were known within the squadron prior to him taking command, but there was no access to group leadership. If your immediate boss was 1000 miles away, how easily could problems be elevated up to him?
Finally, as written in my original comment and the article, I am aware that the allegations were dismissed. I stated that based on the evidence in the CDI, corroborated by individual testimony, the conclusions do not match the evidence. The CDI was shoddy, hasty, and the investigating officer had mutual friends with Kaiser.
So just to review the bidding, you decided to come on here and post denigrating information about a guy without having any factual basis to do so . . . you passed off conjecture as fact while doing your best to drag bones out of someone else’s closet . . . and now you concede you don’t really know anything and it was all your opinion. Got it.
You haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. Probably because leadership at Little Rock and Cheyenne were too inept or misguided to communicate clearly the paltry and insufficient reasons for this action, leaving people like you to speculate and monger the rumor mill.
Let me ask you a question: do you really want to be in an Air Force where you can be destroyed just because some Colonel or General doesn’t like you, or likes someone else more? That’s the Air Force you’re in. If it stays that way, the country will not be properly defended. THAT is what you should care about, rather than your own narrow interests and the gripes you feed yourself in front of the mirror after you fail.
I have no idea where you made that conclusion? Are you stating he did not have a DUI? He did have a DUI, which I agreed with you shouldn’t punish him forever, but it is also wrong to claim that he is completely unblemished.
For the purposes of this subject, his record is unblemished. Let’s say for the sake of argument that he did get a DUI 15 years ago. Do you think that’s relevant? Would it even be usable in a court of law to pursue another conviction? Do you have any evidence there was a DUI? Or are you acting on rumor again?
I know someone with a prior DUI who was recently selected BPZ for O-6, and it wasn’t nearly that far in the past. When mistakes are over, they’re over.
How long should it be held against you that you managed to get someone fired because you couldn’t have your way? In my opinion, that’s a much more egregious offense, and you’re not a young lieutenant but a mature FGO, in theory.
Someone who knows: The fact that you admit the CDI did not substantiate anything, yet you are okay with what has happened as “just desserts” to someone you obviously have issue with says more about you than him. What happens a couple years from now if something similar happens to you, will that be okay as well! Also the fact you are trying to besmirch the officer that actually did the CDI, is just sad. Sad for you that you are that kind if officer.
Tony, you do realize you are guilty of part of what you accuse “someone,” right?
In your original post you wrote denigrating info about the acting commamder based entirely hearsay (unless the CDI found the DO told everyone who would listen abour his favored status).
And the thing is, it wasnt even required to present your case so much as a chance to take a cheap swipe at someone associted with “the man.” Perhaps your assesment of sour grapes applies to “someone” but how much projection is involved?
Non licit bovi, licit Jovi?
You lost me on the third or fourth cryptic extrapolation, but here’s what I’ll say. The reason I included it is because I consider it relevant to what happened here. Not hearsay, either. I have the slides this commander used to introduce himself to the 30th, and they are unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed in my decades-long association with our beloved USAF. They gesture toward severe (not mild) unreadiness for command. I didn’t make them public in their entirety because this guy is still commanding and I don’t want to completely destroy his effectiveness. But the fact he took command the way he did, and the statements he made that indicate he felt his decisions were insulated by official 4-star sponsorship, are sufficiently probative for us to tolerate their inflammatory nature. Or so I opine.
If it means I have to endure a perhaps valid charge of hypocrisy from “someone” . . . well, I guess I’m OK with that.
Tony, I don’t know what Air Force you served in, but it happens daily on the enlisted side. Strat is given out based on the person, not the job they are performing. The Cheifs pick who they want to promote, and they are given the golden ticket. The unchosen are discarded regardless of the job they perform.
OBTW, there is huge evidence that Kaiser was in fact a champion of gender equality. Female members of the unit testified as much, the UCA stipulated as much, and he ranked a female pilot #1/16 during his tour at BAF. Zero evidence to support your baseless claims, which are shameful.
As a femal who served under Lt Col Kaiser in Afg, I can attest to his genuine, honest and fair treatment of all. We were under awful leadership on my tour and he was the only one who made everyone feel at ease and confident in his leadership abilities. This is yet another indication of the toxicity in the AF environment and even more so within AMC. I hope to god that this command is adequately examined and the curtain is raised on all the crap that is allowed to exist within the 19AW.
Im a maintainer and I agree with you. That’s how good he was.
I don’t know if that can be stated in any other words concerning the 19AW as a whole. Commanders that deserved more acknowledgement such as Col Kaiser went un-noticed as the Commander that was least deserving was lauded for the job that others accomplished. Sad times of the Air Force. But as some say that wear the ranks at 19 AW “You can’t always follow Regulations and AFI’s to get the mission done”.
As a female pilot that flew with Blair in days long past, I attest that I NEVER sensed, observed, heard reported any gender inequality or inappropriate behavior from him. Instead, I would argue the opposite; that I never felt he treated me any different than one of the guys. And if you are a female pilot in the AF, that is exactly the treatment you want. I find this story extremely sad and the claims made against BK very improbable. I am very discouraged about what I read about his treatment by leadership and wait for results of the Congressional.
Lamothe, is this you? Pathetic….
I think it is! And I have seen this person get praise for a job well done by BK. Sad so sad!
I approve this comment!
Does anyone know whose life she is ruining now?
So why not man up and reveal who you are? If you can back up your allegations, do it. That’s what’s wrong with the AF – people who accuse then cannot back up any claims.
I already provided all my evidence to the Air Force. Whether or not it chooses to do anything about it is on leadership. The bottom line is that he was relieved, and whether or not offical cause has been provided, justifcation does exist.
This may come as a surprise to you, but your personal opinions, misgivings, dissatisfactions, and professional inadequacies do not constitute justification for the firing of your boss.
As the facts have it, he was unjustly relieved. When he is exonerated, you’ll have to live with the fact that you were not only wrong, but unsuccessful in your gambit to manufacture alternative truth. I suspect you’re already uncomfortable given the investigations to date did not go your way.
I cannot agree more with anything this person has said.
I wish Lamothe would just ride off into the sunset and never come back
“The bottom line is that he was relieved, and whether or not offical cause has been provided, justifcation does exist.”
Wow.
Wow – not hard to guess who wrote this little nugget. Many of us know who you are. Are you sure you want to start slinging sh*t here? Many of us know how much gas you landed with at Kandahar. Many of us know you lied about Kaiser during your interview. Many of us know how entrenched in this whole mess you are. You seriously want that outed here?
I’ve seen the initial CDI too. Your claim that “EVERY FEMALE INTERVIEWED” claimed discrimination is a lie. You obviously have no problem lying when it serves your purpose. You have no integrity. I wonder who you wouldn’t be willing to throw under the bus to further your career.
After seeing a picture of the bloody red instructor school board, I wonder who was blackmailed to get a certain person through instructor school….hmmm, makes you think……
Thank you for engaging in the discussion, given that this is an open forum it is important to consider opposing viewpoints. That being said, I find several aspects of your post problematic.
Foremost among these is your assertion: “I have read the CDI”. You allege that Lt Col Kaiser has been the subject of multiple “investigations” by AFOSI, the Inspector General, and at least two Commander Directed Investigations (CDIs) – one of which you allege to have been involved with. First, extremely relevant to the discussion at hand and a fundamental element of what we should all agree is justice, an allegation, accusation, or complaint in and of itself does not mean that the individual is guilty or even at fault. If every accusation ever made was founded in truth and relevance then we would have no need of investigating organizations such as AFOSI and the IG. This being said, I am curious as to what role you played in a Commander Directed Investigation since access to such a report would normally be reserved for the commander who initiated the investigation, the appointed investigating officer, or the JA assigned to legally review and advise the IO. Aside from those parties, it is unusual and possibly illegal to give another individual access to such specific information as you have alleged to have seen such as complete witness testimonies. If you are the 19 AW/CC, investigating officer, or the JA involved in the case then your opposition to the JQP provided information is understandable, because this discussion is very much a condemnation of your actions. If this is the case, and if you truly intend to refute the above text, then I believe it may be an uphill battle – especially if you do so in an anonymous blog post.
Secondly, I think that your response indicates that you are most likely not the 19 AW/CC and that you are likely someone who does not fully understand the notion of the “toxic leadership” which has been frequently raised in JQP posts. An individual selected for squadron command is normally done so based on the merits of his or her career, the propensity for future promotion, and the suitability of that individual for that command assignment. Lt Col Kaiser was selected for command of the 30 AS with full knowledge of his performance as the 30 AS/DO both at home station and while deployed. If you or anyone else felt that his actions were discriminatory or hostile to women and failed to bring this forward to either the Chain of Command or some other resolution channel, such as the base EO representative, then quite frankly you failed to do your duty as a service member. If there were allegations brought against him which were found unsubstantiated or frivolous, then please refer to the above paragraph and move on. Lt Col Kaiser assumed command of the 30 AS, we can only assume, with the full faith of the 19 OG/CC and the 19 AW/CC. Perhaps as you allege he was immature, unprofessional, and weak – but what as commander did he do to deserve being relieved or command? Was he found in violation of the UCMJ or did he commit some other infraction severe enough to merit a firing? Did he demonstrate an inability to accept mentoring or command guidance from his Chain of Command? Given the timing of his dismissal and the nature of the tenure of his command (a majority of it conducted at a deployed location, with an acting commander in his stead at home station), I think this is a clear illustration of senior AF leadership unwilling to practice leadership, unwilling to accept responsibility for the conditions at the line-level, and looking for a scape-goat to divert attention from their own failings. Let’s hope that it’s not something even more sinister, such as manipulations by a senior officer with an agenda.
Lastly, lets keep in mind that your statements above are not contesting Lt Col Kaiser but a JQP post. If you had a problem with Lt Col Kaiser as commander or in his conduct as private person then I hope you had the courage to bring it directly to his attention rather than by throwing anonymous spears. The post suggests that Lt Col Kaiser has made a congressional request for support, which is his right and which is a completely suitable means of making formal complaints against the actions of his chain of command. I agree with JQP in hoping that the congressional delegation from Arkansas or some other senior official directs a review of these circumstances.
Thanks for this comment. Best of the thread to this point.
I agree. Thank you for a rational, well thought out counter argument that was developed without speculating on my identity or attempting the denigrate the identity of someone who is not even mentioned in this article. For the record, for everyone reading, I am not even an officer, much less a FGO. I came to the information through completely legal means, which is also available to anyone else here through a simple FOIA request.
I agree that toxic leadership is a problem. I completely agree that a bitter o-6 or o-7 should not have the kind of power to arbitrarily destory someones career for petty reasons, and should definitely not destroy someones career in favor of someone they like more. I also agree that the justice system is designed so that people have a chance to defend themselves. Reading some of the other articles, I think there have been several instances in which commanders were destroyed as scapegoats, which is certainly an endemic situation that should be remedied.
However, when you have multiple investigations initiated by multiple complainants, I think something deeper needs to be examined. I do not think being a scapegoat was the issue here. I do not think BK is a victim of bigger Air Force. He was a victim of his own actions. Perhaps the official reasoning for firing is weak, which is unfair to him, his family and his unit, but his actions and the evidence I have seen do not indicate that it was unwarranted.
So, you’re just an anonymous NCO out there making FOIA requests about investigations into an Air Force officer? Seems plausible. Note: Kaiser’s own FOIA requests about these investigations have not been fulfilled. Makes your story more than a bit of a stretch.
1-2 combo. I’m on BK’s team, but also on Tony Carr’s team as well. Wow. Great post.
Mrs Tucker… I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt since you and Lamothe were two pees in a pod and the fact you inappropriately have a record of engaging in such things. Is it because Lt Col kaiser saw you for the trouble you are and didn’t put you on a pedestal as Stinger did? Or are you truly the malevolent nasty person most people in the SQ see you as? I know many females in that SQ and others that hold Lt Col Kaiser in high regard. (BTW it is Lt Col Kaiser vs the “Blair Kaiser” as you refer to him as while still referring to Lt Col Willis properly) it is clear from your tone that you have a biased personal agenda filled with poison. Quite fitting of your personality as I know you.
So is Kris Lamothe married?
Be careful Don that type of rational objective thinking seems to get a lot of O’s fired these days. I would hate to see another good one go leaving the Force with only (insert derogatory term here.)
Don, well said. BLUF: If BK wants the reason made public, he should have that right…and the leaders involved should ALSO be allowed to be critiqued the same way that he was…
Lamothe…Pathetic. “all the females?” How about only two of the females. You as a pilot that did a touch and go on an non-approved runway at KCYS and attempted to avoid responsibility as a member of the crew (I was just in training). I also remember you landing WELL below mins in Afghanistan after failing to head the advice of your crew to get more fuel. You were also commonly referred to as a bully in the SQ. The other one being a young Lt that had a thing for young Loadmasters and being AWOL. Both of you created situation that required Lt Col Kaiser to take action. You discredit not only yourself but the other good women of the AF by insisting that you receive kid glove treatment or “special treatment” Anything less is sexist behavior by you. (kind of ironic) Accusing a good man of things he is innocent of and all to further yourself and make up for your many inadequacies.
Kaiser was no saint, but his firing was a sham. Allegations, largely brought by a well-known (and despised) narcissistic, careerist major (upset after finally being called out for consistently displaying incredibly weak performance in the airplane) played a large role in this debacle. These allegations were completely dismissed, but only after the axe had fallen.
Firing a Commander is a big deal, and the lack of feedback from on high was embarrassing. The 19AW has a well-deserved reputation as an impersonal machine that will happily chew you up, especially with regard to TFI units.
To someone who knows! You r SOOOO far off base! I think I know who you r as well. And you r someone that is mad because you didn’t live up to the standard. Except it and move on. FASLE accusations r what you r posting.
Time to man up and let the world know who you are…serious accusations and hiding in the shadows…pathetic are you!
Is Welsh channeling Skeletor??
I LOVE LAMP
With all of the “he said, she said,” I think we lose sight of some important issues.
What does this man have that makes his people confidently follow him into combat day after day?
Do you sleep better at night knowing that this man isn’t out there leading the charge that keeps you and your families safe?
The job a Commander is asked to do is not an easy one and not one in any way taken lightly by the person charged with the responsibility. It is often bigger than worrying about which entitled new age pilot is going to get their feelings hurt because you didn’t pick their idea for the Christmas party theme or didn’t let them go on leave because they are behind in their training.
This man’s job was to train and motivate his troops. His job was to keep people safe and alive at the end of the long, hot, dusty days and nights of war. Let us not forget to keep our eye on the ball.
SHACK
Embarrassed to say, I don’t know what SHACK means…
You should be embarrassed…
Shack = direct hit, on target
Wow. Just wow.
That’s my initial response. I know someone very close to this investigation, and I’m privy to some of the backstory here.
I am a retired C130 pilot, and I flew with Blair several times as well as served alongside him in theater a few times. My husband and I consider him a friend. I’ve never known him to have gender bias as he has always treated me with kindness and respect. It seems so incredibly obvious that injustice has been served here. He got the shaft. I am mad when this kind of stuff goes down, but I’m sick about this particular situation. Unfortunately, the current climate of the Air Force is one that is great when TALKING about integrity, but horrible at the practice. It seems to be commonplace for this generation of entitled trophy collectors (men and women alike) to refuse to take any responsibility for their own misguided actions. That mentality comes from the very top of the chain. Unfortunately for Blair, he doesn’t play that way. The military environment is changing so rapidly toward a political circus. I’m just so sorry that the poltergeist has laid claim to his tenure as 30 AS/CC. I’m hoping he gets some satisfaction from the inquiry. I’ll be staying tuned to John Q. Public for more info.
Nothing brings down a house like an airman with an axe to grind.
The ironic thing is while a good man’s career was ruined, the party partly responsible for it gets to continue on and possibly get a sq command some day. (though I shudder at the thought of it) Lamothe, enjoy your time at ACSC this summer. The rest of us know the truth.
Sadly this troubling news, and more like it that is becoming commonplace, reminds me of an episode of Game of Thrones…
tony, congrats on retirement. i enjoy reading your work here. i’ll caution though, trying to paint a picture of “St Blair” is not accurate and you know it. i love BK. we were in a squadron together, we’ve deployed together. i have no beef w/ him and no axe to grind. but when you say he’s had a spotless career then dance around the issue of a DUI, it waters down your argument. i don’t care that he a had a DUI years ago. i don’t care about some of his nights at the CAOC bar or who he went home with. but MANY people know about those things, so trying to make him out to be this paragon of virtue is just silly. your argument would be stronger if you admitted up front that BK has his faults. however, that was years ago & he was absolutely not relieved because of anything in any CDI. period. there were probably some females in his squadron who didn’t like him. there were probably some males who didn’t like him. the vast majority, however, did. i’ll ask you this, did he drink in his window and log IP time on the way home from his most recent deployment? if so, he was rightly relieved. am i a fan of the wing leadership that made the decision? absolutely not. but if he drank in his window (which many ALLEGE) and logged time as a primary crew member, he made himself a huge target. you, tony, served honorably and well as a sq/cc. you would have never done that. we both know it. like i said, i love BK and i hate this happened. i hope he gets treated fairly in the review/complaint process. Queso Romero is a great example of someone who fought the law & won. hopefully BK will have similar success.
This is completely off point but I perked right up at the name “Queso Romero!” Best SQ/CC I ever had… that is all.
Funny how certain individuals are putting BK’s previous business out there when it’s completely irrelevant to this situation. I bet one of these commenters is the lady Lt who got discharged for fraternization and then blamed it on BK. Please tell me again how your poor choices with the enlisted are his fault. GTFO.
it becomes relevant when the author claims he’s had a spotless career. you all want the truth, get the whole truth out there. why whitewash it? it looks disingenuous and makes the defense look like they’re hiding something.
Sure, but if someone said something about you that wasn’t true, what would u do?
are you talking about the female Lt who got booted for frat? who cares what she has to say? let her talk. it means nothing.
Reread my comment and then decide.
You misapprehend. The reason I’m not going to entertain or validate questions about a 15-year-old DUI is because it has no relevance to this situation. I don’t consider it a “spot” on Kaiser’s record if it happened that long ago, and neither did the USAF when it put him in command. This is what’s wrong with us . . . we dig up stuff that has no relevance and treat it like it matters, and it skews the discussion.
The reason I “dodge” that question is because if I treat it as legitimate, it becomes acceptable to ask it. What’s next? Allegations he was a bully in high school? That he stole Archie’s lunch money? No, it’s not OK to bring Lieutenant dirt to a Lieutenant Colonel’s wrongful termination.
tony the problem is people know about it so don’t pretend it didn’t happen. i agree 100% it doesn’t/shouldn’t matter. so get it out there immediately and point out that past transgressions have nothing to do with this. like i said, when you pretend like he’s been a perfect angel when most know better it hurts your credibility. also, you didn’t address drinking w/in his window. if he did it, and i was careful to point out it is alleged, does he deserve to be relieved?
I don’t think I did that. No one is pretending anyone is perfect, and in fact I wouldn’t want a “perfect” person on my staff. I want people who have made mistakes and learned. The AF used to want that too.
Like I said, the problem with legitimizing the question is that it makes it alright to litigate the career of an O-5 with facts/evidence from when he was an O-1. The fact that people “know” about it is curious, given that it’s not a matter of public record for the very same privacy reasons that constrain me from outing Kaiser’s character assassins. If it happened, it has ZERO relevance to this issue and is not welcome in this discussion.
people know about it because BK admits to it. how else would people know? he doesn’t usually whitewash his own mistakes, which is one of the things i respect about him. so you shouldn’t do it for him. i’ll ask my unanswered question another way, when you were a Sq/CC, if one of your people drank alcohol w/in their window, what would you have done to them?
You seem to know my leadership style, so I think we’re answering for the audience. People *did* drink within the window. Those who did so were disciplined.
BK didn’t.
i hope you are correct. if those are the facts, then he should be cleared upon further investigation.
That’s just it. This was investigated already and there was evidence he did not do it. It was a baseless charge and proven to be so. That’s one of the many reasons I’ve chosen to reinforce his position.
I was deployed with BK in Afghanistan and seeing him after a 16 hour work day, he was still enthusiastic to talk to me. He knew why wife’s name, my dog’s name, asked me about them, and even gave me a countdown to “go-home day” every time he saw me. I DIDNT EVEN WORK WITH HIM.
He has been done a serious injustice by his command and in my 10-year AF career, I can say he is one of two CC’s in my day who TRULY cared. What a shame.
Difficulties always arise from attempts to improve to the point of achieving what is not possible, thereby failing to gain what is well within reach.—J. M. Cameron Photographer -
Here’s another unfortunate example of what’s wrong with the senior leadership in today’s Air Force:
Step 1: Make baseless accusations of malfeasants
Step 2: Fire Squadron Commander (guilty until proven innocent)
Step 3: Investigate accusations of malfeasants
Step 4: Find that said accusations of malfeasants are completely without merit
Step 5: Clear the fired Squadron Commander of any and all wrong doing
Step 6: Do nothing to remedy the error made in step 2
The result is a ruined career for a good man and a great American. I’ve know Blair for a longtime. I’ve flown with him, deployed with him and I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him.
The actions of the 19th OG and Wing CC are borderline criminal, as are the actions of the accusers. I do take some solis in the fact that Blair will, with out a doubt, go on to have a great career after the Air Force. He has the personality and leadership ability to succeed where ever he ends up.
All these slings back and forth about Kaiser’s fitness for command, what about Col. Patrick Rhatigan’s fitness for command? Why has no one questioned that piece of the puzzle?
What about the 19 AW OG/CC fitness for command?
I thought shit rolled down hill and picked up speed. Is no one looking at the top of the hill where the proverbial shit originated?
Great question. You’ll see plenty of that going forward if the AF and AMC don’t act to correct this situation.
Wow amazing question that no one seems to address concerning the command of the 19AW, or why the DUI’s are taking place under the current wing king, why some are swept under the rug and people moved among squadrons, or nothing done at all. But yet everyone wants to bring up a LT and a mistake made young in a career.
I have nothing to gain or lose by posting here as I am no longer enlisted and am currently a Teacher…Until I read this today I have not spoken to Blair Kaiser in years. As a former Crew Chief we know who the good and the bad people are that we work with..I flew with Blair Kaiser on a few of my first TDY’S in the 61′st and have known him for years while enlisted… Not all officers treat you with respect when your enlisted and especially as a Crew Chief…Blair went out of his way to learn my name not just call me crew chief. He is one of the first officers that I came in contact with that made you feel the Air Force was a family and not only separated by enlisted and officer like we were a disease to stay away from. He took the time to talk to you and not down to you, and looked you in the eye when he shook your hand. This saddens me, that he is being treated like this by a branch that I served and loved… I know first hand how this man works, how he acts, and how he treats people…This is a GOOD MAN… He is one of the good one’s, and will be the Air Forces loss to let him get away… I have nothing but the upmost respect for him…I would gladly fly/serve under his leadership anytime! I will be sending prayers!!
This thread is nuts!
I just came here to read the Michael Jackson picture that just came here to read the comments
Tony, thank you for the impressive counter to “Someone who knows’” lies. So angry as I read his/her initial post…
Never met BK before he showed up at Cheyenne. Worked as his ADO, filled in for him as DO when he was “trying out” the CC’s chair. So I’ve seen him at work at the 30th. I’ve seen how he leads, respects, and cares for his people. Not his favored, not the men only, not only officers or Ops only; everyone – even some real pieces of work that didn’t deserve it. He was not a perfect DO, nor a perfect CC. What he was though was a leader I have and would again stand up and say yes sir when asked to do just about any damn thing he needed. Check the comments – bet we could build a squadron with the number of people who’d do the same.
Thank you one and all for your service to our great nation. May God bless each of you.
Gotta say, I was less than pleased with BK as a DO or for the short time he was a CC while Stinger was deployed. Overall if a guy is a good dude it doesn’t mean he is a good officer or commander. Obviously it makes it easier to like them, but still doesn’t mean they are good as the leader of a squadron. I am not going to make accusations or even say I know personally the outcomes of the multiple CDI’s, or speculate on why he lost command other than to say I was not surprised when I heard the news.
I base whether or not I like a commander based on this simple principle. If the person asked me to go to battle knowing I could be killed would I run to the sounds of the guns or question the decisions. I would question his decisions.
The 30th used to be a great squadron and a patch I would vouch for but now it will stay hidden in my drawer.
This makes me sick to my stomach. In my AF career, there were only a handful of Officers that I would categorize as true leaders. Lt Col Kaiser was definitely on that list. As a Flying Crew Chief in the 61st Airlift Squadron, I flew with him more times than I can count. He not only took care of his crews, but also us “lowly Crew Chiefs”. As a civilian contractor here at Bagram, I got see Blair lead the Weasels as the DO and a year later as the Sq CC. Even as a retiree, this man still impressed me. I was so proud to learn of him receiving command of the 30th. Air Force, you messed up this time. Good ones like this don’t come along all that often.
Lots of good comments, drama, mudslinging.
I was in the 30th. I worked for BK when he was DO.
Regardless of if he was a “good dude”, pissed off people, didn’t fit the bill in some eyes as a “good” CC does not matter. All just personal opinion.
What does matter is what Tony said. If he was not fit for Command, he would not have been put in command.
Now, what has transpired (without knowing all the facts, like “someone who knows” does?). And if this is who people are “calling” out, I know that person too. Anyways, the facts are that through multiple investigations, BK was exonerated!! That is the FACT!
So, if you are butt hurt about it, that is what was determined. Get over it. Some of you lost in your attempt to screw A CC over. You did win in dragging his name through the mud, ending his CC reign, and causing untold strife to him, his wife, and his kids. Is that not enough for you??!!! HE WAS EXONERATED!!! Stop your witch hunt and petty personal vindictiveness.
As Chip’ah said, this is all backwards (guilty until proven innocent) which sadly is the AF way. The damage has been done to his career (haters, just take your happiness in that). The man was found innocent of all accusations!!
I knew Queso Romero, and he was a great leader. He made O-6 which I am happy for, but he had to battle the “stigma” that a wrongfull firing brings.
No one is perfect! You guys digging up irrelevant dirt are not perfect, I’m not perfect.
You have a beef with him? If you didn’t handle it as a professional when it happened, don’t cowar now and air dirty laundry. You could have manned/womaned up at the time.
We talk about toxic leadership. I too would like Rhatigan to have to answer to this and his boss if need be.
With toxic leadership, I believe their is also toxic followers. We are in such a wimpy, PC correct, entitlement society, it’s affected the military! This is the military, if ya can’t hack it, go elsewhere. Don’t take down good leaders with BS claims.
Disappointed to be an Officer in the AF with cases like this.
Oh, I’d follow him into battle !
“Toxic Followers” is the other half of the “Toxic leadership” coin and probably merits some exploration. We’ve also reduced what it means to “follow” to the shallow point of obedience and conformity.
There are a lot of dimensions to scenarios like this and any attempt to draw it down into “good man” / “bad man” will likely run roughshod over important details. The point that has been made by several that there was a process that found insufficient wrongdoing to merit relief is key. Now we’re talking about a structural problem in the organization.
Being a fmr member of a TFI unit I was privy to witness what kind of bull” ” TFI commanders have to go through to run the unit effectively. 3 different bosses, 3 different chains of command to follow, etc. The 19th OG and AW were and are totally clueless when it comes down to what actually happens and what it takes to run these units. They come out, visit, dog and pony show, leave, cover thier own @sses through telephone conversations and pretend to know everything. Same stuff, different day, different TFI Unit. Similar events happened to two TFI units now, everyone knows it. I say he is getting screwed over. Saw former bosses (of these units) do much worse things than any of these alegations. Not only did they get away with it, they got promoted. Feel sorry for the guys giving it thier all now days trying to figure out how not to be involved in the next witch hunt. That goes for officer and enlisted.
Has anyone with the right or authority to do so officially requested that Rhatigan be mandated to extensive mental health testing? The guy sounds bipolar or schizophrenic to me. Feel sorry for anyone who has served under his command and “leadership”. As if Sq command wasn’t stressful enough, having to worry about which personality you’ll be dealing with from day to day from your boss is unfortunate to say the least and seriously counterproductive.
Also, why the BLEEP, did the Sq CC deploy????? And right after he took command?!?! Dumb! Seems like the magnifying glass needs to be pointed at Rhatigan. Give Kaiser his job, that will make a statement and a half.
It is a pathological narccisistic sociopathy.
What other justification is there for firing 3 OPS Commanders in the 19AW in the span of two weeks with little more than, “because I said so, that’s why!”? As far as I know, one of the guys was a DO due to take command within a couple months.
Accurate.
^^This. If there is a problem with AMC it has been the guy in that seat and above. From the top down, most senior leadership within AMC has been toxic for years. Irrational, inconsistent, egocentric, and quick to severely punish without any type of investigation or even considering the members rebuttal and subsequent proof of innocence. If they perceive you could make them look bad in any way and keep them from making more rank, watch out.
This is the same Wing/CC that wanted to Article 15 a loadmaster for putting a C130 on its ramp from a crew mistake while loading. The airplane had zero damage, lost zero lines and had no mission impact but because it “looked bad” he wanted to prove a point. Fortunately sanity prevailed and the Wing/CC issues an LOR instead.
Man, looking in from the outside I have to say that I am glad I never served in the Air Force if these threads are what is typical of today’s environment. Is all this drama due to red-lined op tempo, gender integration, the ability to snipe anonymously on social media, or something more insidious? I don’t remember in any of the combat arms units in which I served such acrimony and gossip. Maybe we just settled things more directly. It sure seems to be more difficult to command than ever before…even in commands that wouldn’t have desirable in my day (training units for example).
As someone who has been a member of the squadron for quite some time, and who was at the Commander’s call in question, I feel inclined to speak up and say I don’t follow the line of thought that the current CC was put in place specifically to usurp Kaiser’s authority, or to flat out replace him. I feel like the current boss is doing the best he can with a bad situation, and from my soda-straw point of view, I can’t see how he is involved whatsoever. I wish both men the best of luck.
Kaiser’s firing seems wrong and baseless on many levels, and the silence from the 19th AW has naturally led to much speculation. As we can see here, people’s names are being outed that perhaps should not be. That is 100% the fault of the 19th for not letting us know the why & how of this fiasco. It’s long overdue now that we know the CDI turned up no wrongdoing. Where is the accountability? Specifically, why are those who made unsubstantiated claims against Kaiser, and those who ordered his removal without cause, not being held accountable? A lack of integrity and accountability is toxic indeed.
As a longtime Gunslinger as well, I have to say that the current CC has stated publicly that his personal mentor is the AMC CC, and more than once, to include the most recent commander’s call, he has commented about having a personal audience with the AMC/CC. So, while it isn’t his fault what was done to Kaiser, these baseless and integrity-lacking actions by the chain of command seem to point all the way to the person at the top of the food chain. The end result was the AMC/CC’s “protege” being swiftly put into a command for which he was unprepared and a man removed from that seat without cause when he most certainly earned that position but wasn’t there nearly long enough to be removed for ANYTHING. Now he’s been found innocent of all charges and nothing has been done to remedy the hardship to his family or repair his military image in the eyes of his subordinates. That is a failure of leadership. The initial actions fall on the 19AW’s shoulders, but as large as this has gotten, resolution falls on the AMC/CCs shoulders. Where is he? He is strangely silent while his protege continues to command and Kaiser is tossed off to TACC. He didn’t even have a chance to command. At the very least, this seems awfully suspicious and worth further examination. Leaders should serve those they lead, and the concept of servant leadership seems to be entirely lacking in this scenario and now in the 30AS for that matter.
While I am on my soapbox, even though this has alreay been addressed, as one of his subordinates, I can say that we are all aware the he’s “no saint”, but that doesn’t even need to enter the discussion. It doesn’t need to be brought up, and not doing so doesn’t weaken the argument! Quite the opposite, it keeps the discussion focused . Bringing up his bar habits and who he went home drags this discussion into the dirt. I am not sure who I speak for other than myself, but as an officer I don’t carr if my commander is unblemished or flawless. I want him to take care of his people and inspire confidence. I served with Kaiser in combat and at home and he did those things. He fought hard day and night to take care of those under his command.
Making Lt Col pay to sit in an office with no job? Where do I sign up?
He;s running a shop[ at TACC, I agree, making Lt Col pay ain’t bad. But if you’ve worked your entire career to earn command and it is taken away from unjustly, those that took it away ought to take steps to remedy that hardship once they know they made a mistake.
I’d drop my retirement papers immediately if eligible. Of course, I’m nowhere near as awesome as everybody here makes him out to be. I’ve never worked for the Lt Col or AMC, But I have 11 years in and know there are some messed up people in the AF. People who take advantage of their position, and people who just like to cause trouble. Both are a problem in my opinion. People are people, and just like sexual assault and drug use in the AF, it’s never going to stop. Just gotta protect the innocent and punish the baddies.
If there was an Inspector General investigation, it should be easy for any IG to run down, If there was an improper/command influenced report, that should be pretty easy for the Air Force or DOD IG to figure out.
My perspective is dated and with the HQ Army, but I can tell you IGs work for their local General Officer commander but ultimately answer to the IG system. The Army IG vetted, trained and assigned and relieved every person in the IG offices. The IG maintain the close yet separated relationship with the chain of command to ensure impartiality.
The IG system is directed by the Department of Defense through the Service Secretaries not Service Chiefs. As such, it is part of the civilian oversight responsibility of the uniformed services.
If the Air Force IG system can’t/won’t thoroughly investigate this, then the DoD IG should be able to.
If not, there is always your local representatives to turn to. Congressional inquiries used to require 24 hour turn around.
I was a Captain back in 2006, and was booted with an honorable discharge in 2006 because I occasionally bought gas and or food on my GTC. I paid the bill off at the end of the month, but apparently that was enough to be forced out of the Air Force. I later worked with the late Colonel Bud Day who told me the M.O. of the leadership at AFSOC and many other commands was to railroad out officers who weren’t politically correct among the ranks. The truth be known, I pissed off some commander at some point in my career. I brought up safety concerns and complained about the fact we only flew our aircraft about six hours a month, but were still expected to deploy and be at the tip of the sword with a minimal amount of flight time. Following the statements that put me in a bad light, three Special Operations C-130′s crashed. One in Panama hit a mountain, a second crashed in a bomb crater in Iraq and a third hit a mountain in Albania. The Air Force’s answer was not to increase flight time. Rather, all us pilots received more “no notice” checkrides under the same amount of flight hours.
The Air Force leadership, especially at the level of the lower ranking field grade is the worst I have ever experienced. Most of the leadership seems to be more concerned about being politically correct and getting promoted rather then in the welfare of their people. I felt bad about what I got in trouble for doing, even if I think it was a trumped up charge, but the actions following my discharge by the leadership at the time, in my opinion were even more un-ethical then anything I ever did. Case in point, the day I left the Air Force I went to pick up my flight records on base. I was told by the NCOIC that even though he was legally required to provide me with those records, the leadership at Hurlburt field decided to “Freeze” my flight records. I am assuming it was some vain attempt to make it more difficult to obtain work as a pilot as a civilian. Luckily I have a log book with my flight times, but their are plenty of Air Force leaders that are way more unethical then any of those individuals they have punished.