Source:
APNavy relieves commander of air recon squadron By CHELSEA J. CARTER, AP Military Affairs Writer
43 minutes ago
SAN DIEGO - The commander of a Navy air reconnaissance squadron that provides the president and the defense secretary the airborne ability to command the nation's nuclear weapons has been relieved of duty, the Navy said Tuesday.
Cmdr. Shawn Bentley was relieved of duty Monday by the Navy for loss of confidence in his ability to command, only three months after taking the job.
Capt. Brian Costello, commander of the Navy's Strategic Communications Wing One, removed Bentley from command, said Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown, a spokesman for the Naval Air Forces.
Brown said Bentley, who is based with the squadron at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, was removed after an investigation by the Navy's Inspector General. The Navy did not release any details about the investigation or about any possible allegations against Bentley.
But a source close to the investigation told The Associated Press that Bentley's removal regarded an undisclosed personal matter and was not related to the squadron's missions or duties. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.
There was no telephone listing for Shawn Bentley in Oklahoma City, and the Navy did not make Bentley available for comment.
The primary duty of the squadron, nicknamed the "Ironman," is to provide communication with ballistic missile submarines, Brown said.
It is also one of three squadrons that provides airborne communications for the president and defense secretary to command and control the nation's nuclear submarines, bombers and missile silos, according to the Wing's official Web site.
Brown said Cmdr. Erik Johnson, who previously served as the commanding officer of the VQ-3, has resumed command of the squadron.
Bentley has been temporarily assigned to a staff job with the Strategic Communications wing, Brown said.
Bentley's removal, which was first reported by The Navy Times, is the latest in a series of high-profile firings by the Navy.
Last month, the Navy relieved the commander of the USS Pearl Harbor of duty after the ship ran aground in the Persian Gulf. That was followed days later by the announcement the Navy fired its commanding officer and executive officer of the USS George Washington Navy relieves commander of air recon squadron By CHELSEA J. CARTER, AP Military Affairs Writer
43 minutes ago
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080813/ap_on_re_us/navy_commander_fired
Anyone have a clue what's going on here, other than the obvious . . . ?