The Air Force relieved a one-star general of command of the 36th Wing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on Monday, according to a press release from the Pacific Air Forces.
Eleventh Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. David Nahom relieved Brig. Gen. Paul R. Birch because of “shortfalls in his personal conduct prior to taking command,” according to a statement, without providing any additional details.
“I did not make this decision lightly,” Nahom said. “Commanders must always be held to the highest standards.”
Birch assumed command of the 36th Wing in June 2022, according to his official biography. Prior to serving as the 36th Wing Commander, he was chief of the Air Force strategic planning integration division at the Pentagon. Birch graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1996 and has more than 2,100 flying hours, including 750 combat hours. He has a Ph.D. from Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
The 36th Wing has 8,000 joint military and civilian personnel on Andersen Air Force Base. Its squadrons execute bomber task forces, tanker task forces, contingency response operations and theater security packages in the Indo-Pacific.
Col. Larry Fenner Jr., 36th Wing Vice Commander, is serving as the interim wing commander.
