The commander and superintendent of the 647th Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam were removed from their positions Wednesday after an investigation, the base said in a Wednesday email.
The investigation found that the squadron’s superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. Justin Crockett, had created a toxic work environment through his actions and the inappropriate comments he made to airmen, both subordinates and superiors, said 2nd Lt. Amber Kelly-Herard, a spokeswoman for the 15th Wing at Hickam. The investigation also found Lt. Col. Christopher Robinson, the squadron commander, failed to appropriately address those lapses in professionalism, she said.
Col. Tammie Harris, the commander of the 647th Air Base Group who ordered the investigation, “determined the command team did not take appropriate actions to enable and grow the appropriate organizational culture across all levels within the squadron,” Herard said.
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Kelly-Herard said the 15th Wing will not release the investigation at this time to protect the superintendent and commander’s privacy and due process rights. Robinson and Crockett are not facing further disciplinary actions, she said, and will be reassigned into non-command billets.
Lt. Col. Melissa Hull, who was the security forces division deputy at Pacific Air Forces headquarters, is now acting commander of the squadron, Kelly-Herard said. The squadron superintendent position will remain vacant until it is filled through the standard Air Force assignment system.
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.
