UPDATE: 2/02/2026; This article was comprehensively updated after publication to note that the charges brought against Lt. Col. Bren P. Byng were expunged and dismissed, according to court documents provided to Task & Purpose.
An Air Force special operations commander who oversaw training AC-130 gunship crews was relieved of command this week.
Air Force Lt. Col. Brent P. Byng was relieved as commander of the 19th Special Operations Squadron on Monday, according to Air Force Special Operations Command, or AFSOC, after being arrested on June 23 on multiple charges. Those charges were later dismissed and expunged, according to a Jan. 12, 2026, court order reviewed by Task & Purpose.
“Command is a privilege, not a right,” AFSOC said in a statement. “The Air Force has a strict zero-tolerance policy for illegal activity conducted by its members on or off base and holds commanders to the highest standards. In the interest of the unit, the member, and the Air Force, Lt Col Byng was relieved from command for cause.”
Byng had led the squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida for little more than a month, according to AFSOC. His official biography was not immediately available and an interim commander has been appointed, officials said. The 19th SOS trains flight crews of the AC-130 and MC-130, the specialized gunship and tankers versions of the C-130 cargo plane flown by AFSOC.
