The Air Force fired the commander of the 28th Operations Group, just over a week after an accident report into a crash in January criticized the command for creating a “culture of noncompliance.”
Col. Derek C. Oakley, 28th Bomb Wing commander, relieved Col. Mark Kimball, head of the 28th Operations Group, of command on Friday, Aug. 2, due to “a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command,” according to Air Force Global Strike Command. That term is used by various military branches as a generic reason for why commanders are fired. In this case, the decision comes only a week after the Air Force’s own internal report on the crash of a B-1B bomber was released.
The Air Force command said that the decision was based “on the findings of an Accident Investigation Board report into the Jan. 4 crash of a B-1B bomber at Ellsworth.” That day, a B-1B Lancer was attempting to land at the base, near Rapid City, South Dakota, but ended up skidding for approximately 5,000 feet down the runway before stopping. All four crew members were able to eject in time; two were injured in the crash.
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The damage resulted in the bomber being deemed a total loss. Investigators determined that the pilot of the bomber didn’t accommodate for severe weather conditions that day, specifically sharp winds. That report found that the crash happened due to a combination of errors by the pilot and “unsatisfactory levels of basic airmanship, an inadequate focus on foundational governing directive knowledge, and an overall lack of discipline throughout the 34th Bomb Squadron.” Additionally investigators pointed issues in discipline and skills that played a role in the crash beyond the poor weather conditions and heavy winds.
No replacement for Kimball has been named as of press time.
The investigators’ report pointed to issues at both the 34th Bomb Squadron and the 28th Operations Support Squadron, which fall under the 28th Operations Group. In the report, Col. Erick Lord, accident board president, criticized both units and pointed to wider issues with the overall command. That “ineffective and unhealthy culture,” the report said, “set conditions that allowed this mishap to occur.”
Kimball assumed command of the 28th Operations Group in June 2023. He was commissioned in 2002. In his previous assignment before leading the 28th Operations Group, he served as chief of Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Policy Division with the Joint Staff J5 at the Pentagon. For several years, Kimball himself served as a B-1B instructor pilot, through various assignments.