The head of the Air Force's center in charge of monitoring whether nations are following nuclear weapons treaties has been suspended.
Col. Jennifer Sovada, commander of the Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, was temporarily suspended from command May 3, said Marcia Klein, a spokeswoman for the 25th Air Force. But w While there is no time period attached to Sovada's suspension, Klein said, she has not been relieved or removed from command.
Col. Jeffrey Dyball, who was vice commander there, is now serving as commander of AFTAC, Klein said. His official page on the Air Force's website has been updated to list him as AFTAC's commander.
Attempts to reach Sovada for comment were unsuccessful.
Klein said the 25th would not comment on why Sovada was suspended, and did not say what the next step in the process would be or if her suspension could lead to her removal.
Sovada is an Air Force Academy graduate who took over the center in June 2015. It operates and maintains the United States Atomic Energy Detection System, which monitors foreign compliance with treaties limiting nuclear testing, according to the Air Force's website. The more than 1,000 personnel at AFTAC try to detect special events occurring in the atmosphere, underwater, underground and in space to see if they are nuclear, and then report their findings to top U.S. leaders.
Stephen Losey covers personnel, promotions, and the Air Force Academy for Air Force Times. He can be reached at slosey@airforcetimes.com.
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.
