Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Col. Victor Sikora was relieved of command after engaging in conduct unbecoming of an officer by addressing a gathering of Guard members in a manner some found intimidating and humiliating, according to a report released Friday. A general forced out as head of the California Air National Guard two weeks ago says the state Guard commander has lost touch with reality.. Based on this article, and in addition to other evidence collected, it would appear that there is a culture of reprisal, or at a minimum the perception of reprisal, that has a long stemmed history within the 144th, the inspector general report states. But at least five of its Air National Guard members have filed internal complaints about a nasty incident and other concerns. DSN 839-5246, Crash Survivors Meet Indiana Airmen Who Rescued Them, Joint, International Southern Strike 2023 Exercise Wraps Up, Alaska Guardsman Helps Keep Pave Hawks Flying, New AF surgeon general program enhances support for EFMP families, Airmen, Guardians, Air Force modernizes nuclear security with advanced JLTV vehicle, Effective June 1, First Term Airmen can retrain into AFSCs under 90% manning in lieu of separation, An official website of the United States government. Must be between the age of 17 and 40. The two-seat Su-27UB went down on Tuesday in western Ukraine. The 144th Fighter Wing (FW) of the California Air National Guard occupies two separate parcels of land (the main base area and the Munitions Storage Area) totaling 110.726 acres (0.44809 km 2) of leased land on the Fresno Yosemite International Airport . Many of the pilots are part-time reservists, signing up after careers in the U.S. Air Force, and some fly in their civilian lives for commercial airlines. He said he believed the allegations were lodged by someone who overheard and misconstrued a conversation he had with a chaplain. The Air National Guard is a reserve component of the United State Air Force. RELATED: U.S. airman killed in training exercise in Ukraine confirmed from 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, In a statement, U.S. Air Force Col. Daniel Kelly, commander of the 144th Fighter Wing said, "We are a close-knit family and when a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the 144th Fighter Wing feels it. The California air guard is the second largest, after New York's, in the Air National Guard, which is a force of more than 100,000 pilots, other officers and enlisted people. That inquiry is part of a broader investigation into whether whistleblowers at the 144th suffered reprisals for questioning the actions of their superiors on a range of matters. 144th FW signs Heritage jet > 144th Fighter Wing > Article Display It's all part of. Dave Bakos, a retired general who served in the Guard for 32 years and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, was among those who said Garrison should have demanded a more thorough investigation from the start. At least five Guard members from the 144th wing, including a pilot who was killed in October in a crash during a training mission in Ukraine, filed formal complaints. "They're scared to speak up so I'm speaking for them," said Maj. Dan Woodside.