Air Force fires commander who oversaw nuclear missile maintenance at Montana base

The commander who oversaw all nuclear missile maintenance in Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana was dismissed from his position after an investigation conducted at the direction of the command.

Col. Jeremy Russell, commander of Malmstrom’s 341st Maintenance Group, was removed from his position “due to a loss of trust and confidence in Russell’s ability to command,” according to a statement from the base Wednesday.

Capt. Rachel Brinegar, a spokeswoman for the 341st Missile Wing, told Military.com in an emailed statement that Russell was facing a command-ordered investigation, but did not provide additional details. It is unclear what the reason for the investigation is or whether he faces other disciplinary action.

Military officials rarely disclose details about a commander’s dismissal. Explanations often rely on some version of “loss of trust” and often cite federal privacy laws as a reason for not providing more information.

A command-directed investigation is an administrative investigation and is seen as “an extension of the commander’s authority to investigate and resolve problems within the command,” according to the Police Department. Air Force management.

Experts on the Uniform Code of Military Justice told Military.com that a command-ordered investigation could seriously harm careers and, depending on the allegations, could also lead to criminal investigations.

Russell’s bio has been removed but a copy of it is archived on the Internet spoke in detail about his biography. He was responsible for over 500 airmen and was responsible for the maintenance and modernization of all 150 airmen. Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles at Malmström, according to the biography.

He started as an enlisted pilot, graduating from high school in 1995. While a staff sergeant, he was accepted into Officer Training School, where upon commissioning he worked on the Minuteman and Peacekeeper ICBMs, B61 nuclear weapons, and the Air Force. According to the biography, the largest stockpile of conventional weapons.

Before assuming his duties in July 2023 as commander of the 341st Malmstrom Maintenance Group, Russell served as commander of Detachment 3 of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and chief of nuclear security and policy at U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.

Russell’s dismissal comes amid several recent changes in leadership at U.S. nuclear missile and bomber bases.

In August, Col. Mark Kimball, commander of the 28th Operations Group in Ellsworth Air Force Basewas removed from a leadership position following the damning Accident Investigation Commission report which, in part, blamed “an unhealthy organizational culture that allowed airmanship to deteriorate” as the cause of the January 4 plane crash. B-1B Lancer bomber at a base in South Dakota.

The base said Kimball’s termination was based on the findings of the crash report.

A month later, in September, Lt. Col. Carsten Star, commander of the 28th Force Support Squadron at Ellsworth, was relieved of his position “due to loss of trust and confidence.” Air Force Global Strike Command officials did not provide additional details but said the shooting was not related to the crash report.

Last year, two commanders and four subordinates Minot Air Force BaseNorth Dakota, were fired from their jobs.

Col. Gregory Mayer, commander of the 5th Mission Support Group, and Maj. Jonathan Welch, commander of the 5th Logistics Squadron, were removed from duty, which was “necessary to maintain the very high standards that we require of those units that charged with supporting our nation’s nuclear mission,” officials told Military.com at the time.

Connected: Ellsworth Air Force Base commander fired after harsh report of B-1B Lancer crash

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