Air National Guard colonel reportedly loses job following F-16 joyride to see girlfriend
An alleged F-16 joyride ended with the former head of the Vermont Air National Guard, Col. Thomas Jackman, losing his job.
According to an article on AirForceTimes, Jackman was quickly removed from his command in early 2015 after going on a visit to see his girlfriend, who has not been identified, in Washington D.C.
A chain of alleged flirtatious emails between Jackman and the female Army colonel who worked at the Pentagon show the two had set up the trip with the notion it was for work in January of 2015.
The AirForceTimes reports Jackman used his position as a commander of the 158th Fighter Wing to take an F-16 to a base near the Pentagon that some believe could have been Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
When Guard leadership got word of Jackman’s adventure, they ordered him to immediately fly home on a commercial flight. After returning home, he was quietly removed from his position, but allowed to retire with full benefits. It’s also been reported, he was allowed to keep his security clearance.
Jackman has declined to comment on his relationship with the woman or whether or not he was forced to retire because of the incident.
The Vermont National Guard has also declined to comment on the situation. The location at Burlington International Airport is supposed to start receiving 20 F-35 fighter jets starting in September 2019, replacing the F-16s.
Local leaders have been opposed to the move and have asked the Air Force to bring a more quieter jet to Vermont.
