The head of the Warrior Training Center, a Fort Benning, Georgia-based unit that offers pre-Ranger and other training primarily for Army National Guard soldiers, was relieved of command Oct. 9 and is under investigation, the base announced Friday.
A base spokeswoman would not comment on details of the investigation. However, questions had been raised prior to the announcement as to whether Lt. Col. Gerald H. Green III was eligible to wear the Ranger and Sapper tabs.
An Oct. 17 request by Army Times for publicly releasable portions of Green's records, including his official photo and information on the training that would make him eligible to wear the tabs, was denied Friday by a National Guard Bureau spokesman, who cited the "re-opening" of Benning's investigation for the denial.
Army Times obtained Green's official photo from a person familiar with the case. In it, Green is shown wearing both tabs.
Attempts to contact Green were unsuccessful. Green's LinkedIn page, which listed him as "Battalion Commander at Warrior Training Center," was removed sometime shortly after Sept. 10, according to a web search.
Fort Benning spokeswoman Elsie Jackson referred all questions about the matter to Benning public affairs director Gary Jones, who did not return calls seeking comment. Questions regarding Green's wearing of the Ranger and Sapper devices were posed to Benning public affairs staff Monday and had not been answered as of Friday afternoon.
Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence, relieved Green of his position, according to the release.
Green still works at Benning, according to National Guard Bureau spokesman Kurt Rauschenberg, who referred questions on Green's current assignment to base officials. Thomas Siter, who served as deputy commander under Green, has taken over the unit until the Guard selects a new leader, according to the release.
Green, a Guardsman on active duty at Benning, took command at the WTC on July 9. In a news release announcing his arrival, Green was identified as a Ranger- and Sapper-tabbed engineer officer with three war-zone deployments and a Bronze Star Medal, among other decorations.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
