Ellsworth Air Force Base fires second commander in just 2 months

Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota has fired another commander from his post, following the removal of another high-ranking officer just last month.

Lt. Col. Carsten Stahr, commander of the 28th Force Support Squadron, was relieved of duty last week, according to a brief news release from the base. Col. Derek Oakley, commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth, said the decision was made “due to a loss of confidence” in Stahr’s leadership abilities with the squadron.

A biography of Stahr was not publicly available. A Defense Department caption said he assumed command during a change of command ceremony on June 6, 2023. His relief from command came after an Aug. 2 news release announced that Oakley had relieved Col. Mark Kimball, commander of the 28th Operations Group.

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Kimball’s firing was partly related to a scathing report by the Accident Investigation Board investigating the cause of the Jan. 4 crash of a B-1B Lancer bomber in Ellsworth. The report criticized “an unhealthy corporate culture that allowed deterioration in flying skills.”

Lt. Col. John Severns, a spokesman for Air Force Global Strike Command, told Military.com on Thursday that Stahr’s firing had nothing to do with the results of the B-1B bomber accident investigation. No further details about his firing were provided.

Military units do not usually give specific reasons for dismissing a commander, but often cite the Federal Data Protection Act as a justification for not explaining the reasons. Officials, as in the Stahr case, usually cite the phrase “loss of trust and confidence” as the only reason.

The goal of the 28th Force Support Squadron is to provide a variety of educational, training, recreational and support services to Soldiers and their families while stationed in Ellsworth.

Stahr did not respond to a voicemail or text message sent to a phone number associated with him.

While the leadership changes at Ellsworth are not directly related to Stahr’s case, they come at a time when the base is grappling with the fallout from the crash report.

A $450 million B-1B Lancer was on training with four crew members on board on January 4. The bomber crashed short of the runway and skidded more than 5,000 feet across the tarmac before catching fire. All four crew members were able to eject safely, but several suffered serious injuries.

Some members of the crew disputed the allegations contained in the accident investigation board’s subsequent findings, Military.com reported, and some former Ellsworth pilots said the allegations about the crew and training “really hurt morale.”

Related: Family member says damning report on bomber crash wrongly targeted crew member’s body weight

The story continues