According to reports, Lt. Col. Paul Goossen has been relieved from duty as the commander of the 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Goosen was removed from his post on November 27th following an investigation into “phallic drawings” he reportedly made on mapping software inside the cockpit of his bomber during a recent deployment.
According to a statement released to the press:
Paul Goossen was removed from command of the 69th Bomb Squadron due to a loss of trust and confidence from his failure to maintain a professional workplace environment. The Air Force values and encourages a positive work atmosphere where all Airmen are treated with dignity and respect and leadership actions that do not reflect these ideals are not condoned.
Lt. Col. Dennis Zabka, former 5th OSS director of operations, assumed command of the 69th BS the same day.
The command directed investigation into what has been characterized as “unprofessional behavior” revealed that Goosen had drawn a number of penises on the mapping software used to relay pertinent information among pilots like planned routes and target coordinates. Data is then captured from the B-52’s Combat Network Communication Technology (CONECT) system for use in debriefs following combat operations. Screen captures were taken of the penises Goossen drew on these maps and distributed among the pilots as a joke following their deployment to Qatar earlier this year.
A B-52 Stratofortress and a B-1 Lancer taxi to the runway. USAF Photo
“Any actions or behavior that do not embody our values and principles are not tolerated within the Air Force,” Air Force Global Strike spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland told the press.
According to unconfirmed reports, the images were saved in a montage that was stored on a CD that was left behind by one of the pilots that had it in his or her possession. The CD was later discovered and turned into Air Force officials who, in turn, ordered the investigation.
“The Air Force values and encourages a positive work atmosphere where all Airmen are treated with dignity and respect and leadership actions that do not reflect these ideals are not condoned,” Air Force officials said in a pre-prepared statement.
This punishment is far more harsh than punishments previously doled out to Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots in recent months that have drawn penises of different sorts in the sky all over the world. Last month, Marines were grounded after drawing a penis in the sky over Southern California using flight tracking software, but that is far from the most egregious phallus related incident in military aviation to occur in recent memory.
Previous penises drawn by the Air Force, Marines, and Navy from left to right.
In April, U.S. Air Force pilots drew a penis in the skies above Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany using contrails from an aircraft that has not been disclosed, and just five months prior in November, Navy pilots aboard an EA-18G Growler drew another penis over Washington state. One of those Navy pilots went on to be transferred to a flight instructor role soon thereafter.
Earlier this month, test pilots out of Seville, Spain also drew a massive penis in the sky, only visible via flight tracking software as well.
Feature image courtesy of the U.S. Air Force