Two Wyoming Air National Guard commanders relieved of duty

Two senior Wyoming Air National Guard commanders were relieved of command late last week due to a loss of confidence.

153rd Airlift Wing Commander Col. Brian Diehl and 153rd Operations Group Commander Col. Lawrence Sullivan were relieved from their posts on July 17, according to a Wyoming Military Department release shared with Military Times.

Brig. Gen. Barry Deibert, commander of the Air Component at Joint Force Headquarters, Wyoming Military Department, relieved the two due to a loss of confidence and trust in their ability to effectively lead and command, per the release.

Officials did not elaborate on the reasoning behind the loss of confidence, but Deibert noted in the release that Air National Guard leaders are held to the highest standards of professional conduct, responsibility and reliability.

“When those standards are not met and that trust is broken, we must take appropriate action to uphold our core values, ensure command integrity, and restore the high standards of professionalism and accountability that our airmen, our state and our nation expect of us,” Deibert said.

Col. Bret Trippel assumed interim command of the 153rd Airlift Wing, and Lt. Col. Tony Silva assumed interim command of the 153rd Operations Group, the announcement says.

At a later date, a permanent Operations Group commander will be selected by the incoming Wing commander.

“The leadership transition does not affect the 153d Airlift Wing’s mission readiness or its ongoing preparations for upcoming deployments,” the release reads.

The 153d Airlift Wing is based in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Wing provides tactical airlift and aerial support and primarily operates C-130 Hercules aircraft.