Nellis commander relieved of duties over unprofessional relationship

“The Air Force holds our leaders to high standards to uphold the core value of the service at all times,” Air Combat Command spokeswoman Tisha Yates said in a statement Wednesday of the removal of Maj. Gen. Peter Gersten. “There is currently an ongoing investigation and additional details are not able to be released at this time.”

Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of the Air Combat Command, fired Gersten due to “a loss of confidence in his ability to command, based on an alleged unprofessional relationship,” the news release said.

Brig. Gen. David Snoddy, the Warfare Center’s vice commander, has assumed Gersten’s position until July, when the previously announced new commander, Maj. Gen. Charles Corcoran, assumes command.

Gersten is an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot who entered the force in 1989 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

He has logged more than 2,800 flying hours, including more than 400 combat hours over Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Bosnia, according to the Air Force.

He previously served as operations group commander for the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.

He has commanded the Air Force Warfare Center since July 2017 and has also held leadership roles in the Pentagon and as deputy commander for operations and intelligence for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.

The Air Force Warfare Center was founded in 1966 and trains airmen to be ready to fight integrated combat operations while deployed. According to the Nellis website, the center is “the world’s premiere proving ground for air, space and cyberspace lethality.”

In 2017, another Nellis commander, Lt. Col. Jearl Allman, was dismissed as commander of the 99th Security Forces Squadron after his senior officer suffered a “loss of confidence” in his ability to perform his job.

Contact Briana Erickson at berickson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5244. Follow @ByBrianaE on Twitter.