Cites 'Failure To Maintain A Professional Workplace Environment'

The commander of the 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot AFB in North Dakota has been relieved of his duties, according to a media release from the U.S. Air Force.

Lt. Col. Paul Gossen (pictured in 2017 photo) was fired "due to a loss of trust and confidence from his failure to maintain a professional workplace environment. The Air Force values and encourages a positive work atmosphere where all airmen are treated with dignity and respect, and leadership actions that do not reflect these ideals are not condoned," the release said.

Goosen had been placed in command of the unit in the summer of 2017. Military.com reports that Maj. Natasha Cherne, a spokesperson for the 5th Bomb Wing, said Lt. Col. Gossen was removed following a command-directed investigation initiated by the 5th Bomb Wing.

The investigation began after penis drawings were found on moving-map software displayed on the B-52's Combat Network Communication Technology (CONECT) following a recent deployment to Qatar. Sources said the system captures data for post-sortie debriefs, and multiple screengrabs of the images were displayed at an end-of-deployment party.

Lt. Col. Gossen was relieved of command November 27th.

(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Patrick Evenson)

FMI: Source report