We should probably hold off on wearing our tin hats. Commanders have been relieved since the beginning of the Republic. I’ve served under some pretty scary commanders and wish they were relieved- and one was. It could easily be a “powdered prince” that got put in a position he was incapable to handling.
I know commanders have been relieved since the founding, but Obama seems to rejoice in firing 4 star generals. He knows more they do about the military so they have to go. It’s a all game with him, mission effectiveness be damned.
A couple of months after Clinton was elected in 1993 a wing commander or it might have been a base commander was giving a commencement speech at an AF NCO Academy graduation and said he never thought he would live to see the day that a man was elected president who dodged the draft and protested against his own country overseas. He told the absolute truth but of course was fired the next day and made to put in his papers.
I had just retired from the Air Force and that was the big news for a couple of weeks. I’m glad I was retired when Clinton was elected. Without a doubt my mouth would have gotten me in a lot of trouble. I despised him then and I despise him now.
And I was Army.
I was at Hahn for two years and Spang for two years. Our battalion was tasked with short range air defense for the three air bases in the region. While at Hahn, I usually spent every hour of tac evals in the Wing CP as the Army liaison officer, and unofficial Nuclear Biological and Chemical Officer...lol. I was handed that extra duty by the Wing Commander in the first hour of my first tac eval. His Captain overreacted on an input, and I offered an alternative that was well received. NBC officer was one of my extra duties at my battery. It was heady stuff for a butterbar.
Relieved six months in his command? I suspect the Wing Commander hurt some feelings.