--- title: "Air National Guard colonel suspended following investigation" description: "The commander of the Illinois Air National Guard’s 127th Air Refueling Wing colonel was suspended after an Inspector General investigation." date: "2022-12-08" modified: "2022-12-08" authors: - name: "David Roza" job_title: "YouTube Writer/Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/david-roza/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-national-guard-suspended-tom-jackson/" categories: - "Air Force" - "Military Branches" - "National Guard" - "News" --- # Air National Guard colonel suspended following investigation ![air national guard]() *Air Force Col. Thomas Jackson (U.S. Air Force)* An Illinois Air National Guard colonel has been suspended from command after receiving the results of an Inspector General investigation, according to a statement from the Illinois National Guard. Col. Thomas P. Jackson had been in command of the 126th Air Refueling Wing (ARW) since March, 2020. He was suspended on Tuesday by Brig. Gen. Dan McDonough, the commander of the Illinois Air National Guard. The 126th ARW’s vice commander, Col. Steve Olson, has been named the wing’s acting commander, though no further details could be released at this time, Lt. Col. Brad Leighton, public affairs director for the Illinois National Guard, said in a statement. The statement’s use of the term “suspended” rather than “relieved” indicates that Jackson’s case has not yet been fully resolved. The Air Force defines suspension as a temporary measure in the context of command authority. “Temporary suspension is appropriate when the superior competent authority is concerned about an officer’s ability to command but has not yet determined whether relief of command is warranted and/or whether relief of command should be with or without cause,”[ according]() to Air Force regulations. ![]() *Air Force Col. Thomas Jackson rendered his first salute to the 126th Air Refueling Wing upon assuming command of the wing at Scott AFB, Ill., Mar. 7, 2020. (Senior Master Sgt. Ken Stephens/U.S. Air National Guard)* In the Air Force alone, relieved commanders this year have included a[ maintenance group colonel]() in Korea, a medical squadron[ lieutenant colonel](), and a[ colonel]() in charge of a fighter wing. The military services are usually tight-lipped when it comes to disclosing why commanders are relieved. Often the services use the phrase “[loss of trust and confidence]()” in a leader’s ability to command rather than providing the exact reasons why they were fired, though it remains to be seen whether the Illinois National Guard will use that phrase for Jackson, if he is to be relieved. [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose Today**]()**. Get the latest military news, entertainment, and gear in your inbox daily.** A career KC-135 refueling tanker pilot, Jackson has been in the Air Force since 1994 and has been with the 126th ARW since 1995. Jackson steadily rose through the ranks over the years, including a two-year stint as the wing’s Inspector General. Along the way he picked up awards and decorations such as the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters and an Air Medal. As commander of the 126th ARW, Jackson was responsible for eight KC-135R aircraft, 900 employees and a $32 million annual budget, according to his command biography. The 126th ARW appears to be a high-performing outfit. In 2021, the wing[ received]() the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the third time in a row and the 10th time total. The award is designated for units “that have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement that clearly sets the unit above and apart from similar units,”[ according]() to the Air Force. ![]() *U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Cierra “CC” Carlan, 906th Air Refueling Squadron, gets ready to refuel a B-52 Stratofortress November 17, 2021. (Master Sgt. Brian Ellison/U.S. Air National Guard)* The 126th ARW received its most recent outstanding award for its performance from January 2019 through December 2020, when the wing “held the highest mission capable rate of any KC-135 unit in the command,” and “consistently demonstrated mission accomplishment, and operational readiness in support of multiple worldwide contingency operations despite the worldwide pandemic,”[ according]() to a press release at the time. “The 126th Air Refueling Wing has led the way in sustained performance and operational capability,” Jackson wrote in an email to his command at the time. “Our culture of excellence, our commitment to performance, and your continuous support of worldwide missions have put the 126th ARW at the top.” ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **The king is dead: Why would America want to** **retire the F-22?** - **We salute the Marine Corps vet who** [**chugged a beer from her prosthetic leg**]() **at a Lakers game** - **Combat medic** [**‘voluntold’ to attend Army Best Squad competition**]() **ends up dominating the range** - **Air Force F-35 maintainer shares what it’s like keeping ‘**[**a flying computer**]()**’ ready to fight** - [**Why modern technology hasn’t rendered**]() **trench warfare useless in Ukraine** **Want to write for Task & Purpose?**[ **Click here**]()**.** ## Author David Roza writes scripts about military news for the Task & Purpose YouTube channel, and he also writes articles about military pay, benefits, health care, child care, culture, and other personnel topics on a freelance basis. Roza previously covered the Air Force and Space Force for Task & Purpose from 2019 to 2023 and for Air & Space Forces Magazine from 2023 to 2025. In the course of that reporting, he has set off a ‘Hollywood explosion’ with Air Force bomb techs, turned the (unarmed) keys of a nuclear missile bunker, hovered over the Nevada desert on an Air Force rescue helicopter, and got the best sleep of his life on the floor of a C-17 over the central Pacific. Share tips and story ideas with David at [david.roza@teamrecurrent.io]()