Air Force Brigade General Fired After Internal Investigation

Another high-ranking military official has been swiftly removed from his post, this time Air Force Brig. Gen. Erik Quigley, who was fired from his position at Air Force Materiel Command after an internal investigation found he had engaged in “inappropriate personal relationships.”

Now, as of Wednesday morning, the Air Force has offered zero additional details on what exactly these “relationships” entailed. Were they consensual? Did they violate Air Force policies on fraternization? Was there misconduct beyond just inappropriate relationships? We don’t know—because they’re not saying.

What we do know is that no charges have been filed against Quigley, and according to an Air Force spokesperson, he still has the option to request retirement. And if recent history tells us anything, that means this entire situation could very well be swept under the rug, with Quigley quietly disappearing from the ranks, pension intact.

Well, for starters, Quigley wasn’t just another officer. He was in charge of some of the most critical aspects of America’s air power. As program executive officer of bombers and director of the Bombers Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, he oversaw sustaining and modernizing the B-1, B-2, and B-52 bombers—the backbone of America’s long-range strike capability.

And let’s not forget the B-21 Raider—the next-generation stealth bomber designed to be the future of U.S. strategic deterrence. Quigley was directly involved in organizing, training, and equipping the B-21 System Program Office.

So, whatever happened here, it wasn’t just some desk officer getting reassigned. This was a major shake-up in one of the most sensitive corners of the Air Force.

Gen. Duke Z. Richardson, head of Air Force Materiel Command, made a statement about the firing, emphasizing that “Airmen of all ranks must be held accountable for their actions.” That sounds nice—but we’ve heard this before.

The real question is whether this is part of a broader effort to actually clean house in the military, or if it’s just another case of selective enforcement. Over the past few years, we’ve seen military leadership embroiled in everything from political grandstanding to disastrous mismanagement of recruitment and readiness. Meanwhile, standards have been crumbling, and the Pentagon seems more focused on social engineering than preparing for actual combat.

If Quigley was removed for legitimate misconduct, fine—military officers should be held to a high standard. But if this is yet another example of inconsistent enforcement, where some officials get the boot while others (who check the right political boxes) get protected, then it’s just more of the same.

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