The commanding officer, executive officer, and senior enlisted leader of a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey squadron based in Hawaii have all been fired, a Marine Corps spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
Stars and Stripes first reported Maj. Gen. Marcus Annibale, commander of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, had fired the entire leadership team of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 stationed at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
Lt. Col. Shaina M. Hennessey, the squadron’s former commander, was relieved “due to loss of trust and confidence in her ability to uphold the safety and readiness standards expected in Marine Corps Aviation,” the Marine Corps spokesperson told Task & Purpose on Friday.
The squadron’s former senior enlisted leader Sgt. Maj. Jamie Lampley and the unit’s executive officer were also relieved, the spokesperson said in a statement that did not include the executive officer’s name. No further information was available about why the unit’s executive officer and sergeant major were relieved.
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The spokesperson deferred questions about the executive officer’s identity to III Marine Expeditionary Force, which is based in Okinawa.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of performance, addressing challenges head-on to uphold operational excellence,” the spokesperson said. “We are committed to implementing best practices and policies that ensure a strong coupling of well-prepared pilots and crews with safe, mission-ready aircraft.”
The military branches rarely provide the specific reasons why officers and senior enlisted leaders have been relieved. Instead, they routinely use the euphemism “loss of confidence” when announcing firings. The phrase typically refers to a variety of misdeeds ranging from leadership failings to off-duty misconduct, such as being arrested for drunken driving.
Hennessey assumed command of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268 in December, according to an archived copy of her official biography, which is no longer available on the unit’s website. She was commissioned through the Platoon Leader’s Course in 2007 and became a naval aviator in February 2011.
Her military awards include the Air Medal Strike/Flight numeral 1, Meritorious Service Medal (gold star in lieu of a second award) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (gold star in lieu of a second award).
Lampley joined the Marines in 2000 and went on to deploy to Iraq, Djibouti, and Pakistan, according to his archived biography. He has also served as a Marine Security Guard at embassies in Algeria, Turkey, Indonesia, Albania, and Israel.
His military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with one gold star in lieu of a second award, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with three gold stars in lieu of a fourth award.
Lt. Col. John J. Campbell and Sgt. Maj. Joshua J. Henderson are now serving as the squadron’s commanding officer and senior enlisted leader, respectively, the Marine Corps spokesperson said.
Both Campbell and Henderson are listed as the unit’s leaders on Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 268’s website. As of Friday morning, the website did not include a biography or picture for the squadron’s executive officer.
