Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Wayne Troxell, the top enlisted adviser to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford, has been suspended from his position following allegations of misconduct, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
Troxell is the subject of a complaint now under investigation by the Army inspector general, the Joint Staff confirmed in a statement. Troxell has been removed from his duties and did not accompany Dunford to a trip to Europe, a U.S. official said on the condition of not being named.
Troxell is well known for a speech that he made last year firing up the troops to kill ISIS with an entrenching tool. The viral speech has led to people giving Troxell, or asking him to sign, more than 280 e-Tools.
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While he is under investigation Troxell “will perform duties as a special assistant to the vice director of the Joint Staff while the Army conducts its investigation,” the Joint Staff said. Air Force Maj. Gen. Glen VanHerck is currently the vice director of the Joint Staff.
Col. Pat Ryder, Dunford’s spokesman, said the Joint Staff could not comment further on the investigation.
“We will wait for a full accounting of the facts and will not presuppose any findings or outcomes," Ryder said.
Tara Copp is a Pentagon correspondent for the Associated Press. She was previously Pentagon bureau chief for Sightline Media Group.
