The commander of a US Navy air reconnaissance squadron that provides the president and the defense secretary the airborne ability to command the nation’s nuclear weapons has been relieved of the post, the Navy said on Tuesday.
Commander Shawn Bentley was relieved of duty on Monday by the Navy for loss of confidence in his ability to command, only three months after taking the job.
Captain Brian Costello, commander of the Navy’s Strategic Communications Wing One, removed Bentley from command, said Lieutenant Commander Charlie Brown, a spokesman for the Naval Air Forces.
Brown said Bentley, who is based with the squadron at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, was removed after an investigation by the Navy’s Inspector General. The Navy did not release any details about the investigation or about any possible allegations against Bentley.
But a source close to the investigation said Bentley’s removal regarded an undisclosed personal matter and was not related to the squadron’s missions or duties. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.
There was no telephone listing for Shawn Bentley in Oklahoma City, and the Navy did not make Bentley available for comment.
The primary duty of the squadron, nicknamed the “Ironman,” is to provide communication with ballistic missile submarines, Brown said.
It is also one of three squadrons that provides airborne communications for the president and defense secretary to command and control the nation’s nuclear submarines, bombers and missile silos, the wing’s official Web site says.
Brown said the previous commander of the squadron has resumed command.
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