Lt. Col. Scott Foley, commander of the 802nd Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, was removed from command May 10.
Col. Michael Gimbrone, commander of the 502nd Security Forces and Logistics Support Group, removed Foley "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command and lead his unit," Oscar Balladares, spokesman for the 502nd Air Base Wing, said in a May 21 email.
"Command is a privilege," Balladares said. "When commanders fail to meet the Air Force's expectations and standards, senior leaders have the responsibility to address the performance and hold them accountable."
When asked if Foley is facing an Article 15 or a court martial, Balladares said, "Lt. Col. Foley has been temporarily reassigned pending the outcome of an internal investigation and subsequent action, if any. Once the inquiry is complete, his commander will decide what action, if any, to take."
Balladares said that, before the inquiry started, Foley planned to retire Sept. 1, with a projected last duty day of July 20. He said the outcome of the inquiry will determine if those dates will stand.
Balladares would not comment on what the investigation is looking into.
Attempts to reach Foley were unsuccessful.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
