The commander of the 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base in South Dakota was fired from his position after drawings of male genitalia from a recent deployment were discovered on cockpit screens, according to a new report.
Lt. Col. Paul Goossen was relieved from duty “due to a loss of trust and confidence from his failure to maintain a professional workplace environment,” according to a statement from the base that did not disclose additional details surrounding his departure.
But a source familiar with the incident told Military.com that findings from an investigation conducted by the command will be released in the near future and reveal Goossen was pushed out because penis drawings were found on map software in B-52’s Combat Network Communication Technology.
The drawings were drawn up in the cockpit of the aircraft during the 69th Bomb Squadron’s deployment in Qatar at Al Udeid Air Force Base from September 2017 to April 2018 and made an appearance in a CD montage that was shared at the end of the deployment.
It was this CD montage that prompted Col. Bradley Cochran, commander of the 5th Bomb Wing, to begin the investigation after it was shared with officials.
“Any actions or behavior that do not embody our values and principles are not tolerated within the Air Force,” Air Force Global Strike spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland told Military.com.
Orland did not provide additional details, but noted the zero tolerance policy “includes creating or contributing to an unhealthy, inappropriate work environment.”
Minot Air Force Base announced that Lt. Col. Dennis Zabka replaced Goossen and assumed command of the B-52 Squadron on Tuesday.
