The Army fired the commander of its West Point garrison on Aug. 30, service officials confirmed this week after more than a month of silence following the removal.
Col. Anthony Bianchi’s firing, reported by Military.com on Thursday, follows the colonel’s suspension in late July amid an investigation into unspecified “alleged conduct.” Bianchi’s July dismissal was first reported by The Messenger.
Army officials did not provide details about the circumstances surrounding Bianchi’s firing.
The commanding general of U.S. Army Installation Management Command, Lt. Gen. Omar Jones, relieved Bianchi from his post “due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command,” branch spokesperson Christina Bhatti wrote in a statement to Army Times. Bhatti added that the colonel “is currently performing duties as assigned,” though what those duties entail remains unclear.
Bianchi graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as a field artillery officer in 1997. He assumed command of the Army’s oldest garrison in July 2022, one year before his suspension.
The Tampa Bay native deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, receiving a Bronze Star Medal, five Meritorious Service Medals, and several other awards over the course of his career.
Bianchi is one of several Army colonels to draw scrutiny for misbehavior this year.
Col. Jonathan Chung was relieved from his post as commander of the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade in June following allegations of toxic leadership. Col. Meghann Sullivan, a commander of the 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion, is under investigation for allegedly sexually harassing subordinates.
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 6:28 p.m. EST on Oct. 6 to note Col. Bianchi’s dismissal was first reported by The Messenger.
Jaime Moore-Carrillo is an editorial fellow for Military Times and Defense News. A Boston native, Jaime graduated with degrees in international affairs, history, and Arabic from Georgetown University, where he served as a senior editor for the school's student-run paper, The Hoya.
