The Army has relieved the commanding general of the service’s fires school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, officials confirmed Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Kamper was under investigation by the service’s inspector general for violating hunting regulations at the Oklahoma post, according to reporting from Military.com. The Lawton Constitution first reported Kamper’s firing.
Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith told Army Times that Kamper was removed due to a “loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command.” She added that the allegations — which her emailed statement did not detail — “remain under investigation.”
Kamper’s former command, the Army Fires Center of Excellence, is Army Training and Doctrine Command’s site for training both field artillery and air defense artillery troops.
He isn’t the only general from the command to face inspector general scrutiny in recent years. Now-retired Maj. Gen. Pat Donahoe led the maneuver school at Fort Moore, Georgia, until a lengthy investigation prevented him from leaving the service on time.
Donahoe’s case raised concerns over the weaponization of administrative complaints systems like the IG. He detailed his critiques in a January interview with Army Times following his retirement.
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It’s not yet clear how the allegations against Kamper were reported, nor is it clear how long the investigation has been underway.
Kamper, who did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, took command of the Oklahoma post in March 2020, according to his official duty history. He previously served as deputy commander of III Corps and as deputy commander of the 4th Infantry Division.
Smith, the Army spokesperson, said Kamper awaits reassignment as Brig. Gen. Shane Morgan continues as the post’s interim commander.
Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.
