11-10-2024 4:48am

Air Force Col. Jeremy Russell Commander of Nuclear Missile Maintenance at Malmstrom Fired

Chris Edwards Editor

The US Air Force issued a release announcing the termination of another Air Force Commander. Colonel Jeremy Russell, commander of the 341st Nuclear Maintenance Group, was relieved of command today by Col. Daniel Voorhies, 341st Nuclear Missile Wing commander, due to a loss of trust and confidence in Russell’s ability to command.

Colonel Jeremy Russell was the commander who oversaw all of the nuclear missile maintenance at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. He has been fired from his role following a command-directed investigation.

Col. Jeremy Russell, the commander of Malmstrom's 341st Maintenance Group, was removed from his role "due to a loss of trust and confidence in Russell's ability to command," according to an Air Force news release from the base.

Military.com reports that Capt. Rachel Brinegar, a 341st Missile Wing spokesperson, stated in an email that Russell faced a command-directed investigation but did not provide additional details. It's not clear what the cause of the probe was related to or whether he's facing other disciplinary measures. It's uncommon for service officials to give details behind a commander's firing.

A command-directed investigation is an administrative probe and is viewed as "an extension of the commander's authority to investigate and to correct problems within the command," according to the Department of the Air Force manual.

It is understood in military circles that a command-directed investigation can severely harm careers and, depending on the allegations, can lead to criminal investigations as well.

Russell's biography was removed, but a copy of it archived on the internet detailed his background. He was responsible for more than 500 airmen and in charge of overseeing sustainment and modernization of all 150 Minuteman IIIintercontinental ballistic missiles at Malmstrom, according to the bio.

He started as an enlisted airman coming out of high school in 1995. When he was a staff sergeant, he was accepted to attend Officer Training School where, after commissioning, he worked on Minuteman and Peacekeeper ICBMs, B61 nuclear weapons, and the Air Force's largest conventional stockpile, according to the biography.

Prior to starting his role in July 2023 as commander of Malmstrom's 341st Maintenance Group, Russell served as the commander of Detachment 3 for the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and the branch chief for U.S. European Command's Nuclear Surety and Policy stationed in Stuttgart, Germany.

His MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS include:
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Good Conduct Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with bronze star
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with N device and two oak leaf clusters

Russell's firing comes amid several recent leadership shake-ups at America's nuclear missile and bomber bases.

In August, Col. Mark Kimball, the 28th Operations Group commander at Ellsworth Air Force Base, was removed his leadership role following a damning Accident Investigation Board report that, in part, blamed "an unhealthy organizational culture that permitted degradation of airmanship skills" as a reason behind a Jan. 4 crash of a B-1B Lancer bomber at the South Dakota installation.

The base said Kimball's firing was based on the findings in the crash report.

A month later, in September, Lt. Col. Carsten Stahr, commander of the 28th Force Support Squadron at Ellsworth, was relieved from duty "due to loss of trust and confidence." Air Force Global Strike Command officials did not provide additional details but clarified the firing wasn't connected to the crash report.

Last year, two commanders and four subordinates at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, were fired from their jobs.

Col. Gregory Mayer, the commander of the 5th Mission Support Group, and Maj. Jonathan Welch, commander of the 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron, were removed, an action that was "necessary to maintain the very high standards we demand of those units entrusted with supporting our nation's nuclear mission," officials told Military.com at the time.

Personnel of all ranks who work in the Air Force’s secretive nuclear weapons community undergo in-depth and ongoing background and security reviews under the service’s Personal Reliability Program, which lays out conditions under which they are authorized for contact with the weapons. The PRP applies to all nuclear troops, from missile launch officers and bomber pilots to mechanics and munition technicians, and base officials confirmed that Russell’s position fell under the PRP.