Air Force Training Commander Fired

One of the Air Force’s top commanders has been fired amid unspecified misconduct allegations. Maj. Gen. Phillip A. Stewart, commander of the 19th Air Force, was relieved “for loss of…

One of the Air Force's top commanders has been fired amid unspecified misconduct allegations. Maj. Gen. Phillip A. Stewart, commander of the 19th Air Force, was relieved "for loss of confidence in his ability to command" the unit according to Air and Space Forces. “The Air Force takes any misconduct allegation seriously and is committed to conducting a thorough investigation,” Air Force spokesman Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson said in a statement.  

Brig. Gen. Christopher R. Amrhein, Stewart's vice commander, has been named the interim commander. The 19th Air Force is responsible for all the flight training in the Air Force and has about 32,000 personnel. It's the latest in a series of high-profile firings this year. Brig. Gen. Paul Birch, commander of the 36th Wing at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, was relieved as were six officers at Minot Air Force Base, according to the publication.

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.