RETENTION: The Air Force Nosedive Will Continue Until it Deals with Toxic Commanders.

When Col. Debbie Liddick relieved Lt. Col. Craig Perry from command without proper cause, it was abuse of power. When she had him investigated to give credibility to her lie, it was abuse of power. When Brig. Gen. Mark Camerer failed to relieve Liddick of command for her actions and failed to punish her, he abused his power.

When Col. Pat Rhatigan relieved Lt. Col. Blair Kaiser from command without cause, it was abuse. When Gen. Darren McDew failed to remove or reprimand Rhatigan, McDew himself became culpable for abuse.

When Col. Brian Hastings reprimanded and grounded three of his officers without proper evidence, he abused his power. When Gen. Robin Rand failed to relieve Hastings or investigate his actions, Rand abused his power. When Gen. Mark Welsh allowed Hastings to be placed on the promotion list for Brigadier General in spite of his conduct, Welsh participated in and deepened the abuse.

When Brig. Gen. Robert LaBrutta ignored the fact that Maj. Michael Turpiano had been railroaded by a sham prosecution containing zero evidence of sexual misconduct, he abused his power.

These are just a few prominent examples of a phenomenon that has been baked into the Air Force’s institutional climate and is now pervasive, no where more obvious than in reprimand and Article 15 proceedings that often curtail liberty and remove property from airmen without sufficient evidence to meet even a modest preponderance standard. The phenomenon is that the Air Force has given commanders the power of professional assassination and turned them loose to wield it without training, education, or accountability.

“Toxic commanders” act a lot like SJWs in uniform.