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First female F-16 demo commander out after two weeks

Higgins86

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Zoe Kotnik: First female F-16 demo commander out after two weeks - BBC News


Capt Zoe Kotnik, who became the first female pilot to lead the US F-16 Viper demonstration team just last month, has been relieved of duty.

The Air Force said she had been removed on Tuesday by Col Derek O'Malley due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead and command".

Officials have not offered details into what prompted the decision, but Col O'Malley noted she had made "mistakes".

Capt Kotnik's predecessor Maj John Waters has resumed command of the team.

US Air Force (USAF) Capt Alannah Staver, chief of public affairs at Shaw Air Force Base, confirmed to the BBC that Capt Kotnik was relieved from command on 11 February but could not provide any further details.




Not a good for any female pilots who hoped to make that transition in the near future and this was only a demonstration team... Do you think the US air force will have to reconsider this going forward or is it just a bump in the road?
 
Zoe Kotnik: First female F-16 demo commander out after two weeks - BBC News


Capt Zoe Kotnik, who became the first female pilot to lead the US F-16 Viper demonstration team just last month, has been relieved of duty.

The Air Force said she had been removed on Tuesday by Col Derek O'Malley due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead and command".

Officials have not offered details into what prompted the decision, but Col O'Malley noted she had made "mistakes".

Capt Kotnik's predecessor Maj John Waters has resumed command of the team.

US Air Force (USAF) Capt Alannah Staver, chief of public affairs at Shaw Air Force Base, confirmed to the BBC that Capt Kotnik was relieved from command on 11 February but could not provide any further details.




Not a good for any female pilots who hoped to make that transition in the near future and this was only a demonstration team... Do you think the US air force will have to reconsider this going forward or is it just a bump in the road?

You cannot draw broad conclusions based on any one individual.
 
Zoe Kotnik: First female F-16 demo commander out after two weeks - BBC News


Capt Zoe Kotnik, who became the first female pilot to lead the US F-16 Viper demonstration team just last month, has been relieved of duty.

The Air Force said she had been removed on Tuesday by Col Derek O'Malley due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead and command".

Officials have not offered details into what prompted the decision, but Col O'Malley noted she had made "mistakes".

Capt Kotnik's predecessor Maj John Waters has resumed command of the team.

US Air Force (USAF) Capt Alannah Staver, chief of public affairs at Shaw Air Force Base, confirmed to the BBC that Capt Kotnik was relieved from command on 11 February but could not provide any further details.




Not a good for any female pilots who hoped to make that transition in the near future and this was only a demonstration team... Do you think the US air force will have to reconsider this going forward or is it just a bump in the road?

This would be a non-story for a man.
 
Zoe Kotnik: First female F-16 demo commander out after two weeks - BBC News


Capt Zoe Kotnik, who became the first female pilot to lead the US F-16 Viper demonstration team just last month, has been relieved of duty.

The Air Force said she had been removed on Tuesday by Col Derek O'Malley due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead and command".

Officials have not offered details into what prompted the decision, but Col O'Malley noted she had made "mistakes".

Capt Kotnik's predecessor Maj John Waters has resumed command of the team.

US Air Force (USAF) Capt Alannah Staver, chief of public affairs at Shaw Air Force Base, confirmed to the BBC that Capt Kotnik was relieved from command on 11 February but could not provide any further details.




Not a good for any female pilots who hoped to make that transition in the near future and this was only a demonstration team... Do you think the US air force will have to reconsider this going forward or is it just a bump in the road?

Doesn't that depend?
 
Zoe Kotnik: First female F-16 demo commander out after two weeks - BBC News


Capt Zoe Kotnik, who became the first female pilot to lead the US F-16 Viper demonstration team just last month, has been relieved of duty.

The Air Force said she had been removed on Tuesday by Col Derek O'Malley due to a "loss of confidence in her ability to lead and command".

Officials have not offered details into what prompted the decision, but Col O'Malley noted she had made "mistakes".

Capt Kotnik's predecessor Maj John Waters has resumed command of the team.

US Air Force (USAF) Capt Alannah Staver, chief of public affairs at Shaw Air Force Base, confirmed to the BBC that Capt Kotnik was relieved from command on 11 February but could not provide any further details.




Not a good for any female pilots who hoped to make that transition in the near future and this was only a demonstration team... Do you think the US air force will have to reconsider this going forward or is it just a bump in the road?

I think it's just a bump in the road. She obviously did something wrong. Sounds like they handled it correctly by relieving her of duty without making her mistake public knowledge and compounding her punishment unnecessarily.
 
Since the story gives no reason whatsoever, there is nothing to debate. There could be endless speculations, but that is all they would be.

That said, in the AF there are commanders who have never had a female is some role and make it clear - overtly or in actions - he intends never to have a female either. For this they can try to play Catch-22 damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don't games. But, again, we really do not know so everything is just speculative. "Mistakes" does not necessarily mean incapability or incompetence - or it could mean exactly that.
 
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