One of the Army's top logistics officers was fired and demoted after an inspector general investigation found he conducted "counterproductive leadership behaviors," the service announced.
Maj. Gen. Duane Gamble, formerly a three-star general, was investigated over allegations of racist behavior during his time as deputy chief of staff for logistics, a position commonly referred to as the G-4.
That investigation found that Gamble did not discriminate on the basis of race, but he still received a general officer memorandum of reprimand, or GOMOR, over leadership issues, according to Cynthia Smith, an Army spokesperson. GOMORs are largely seen as automatic career killers for officers and are rarely handed out to top leadership. It's unclear whether Gamble will be able to retire at his previous three-star rank, which he earned in September 2019.
Smith noted that Gamble's subordinates were "satisfied with his leadership," despite it being "counterproductive."
The investigation found that "Gamble did not discriminate based on race, and that most of his actions had a positive impact on the organization," Smith said in a statement Wednesday. "Additionally, command climate surveys identified a majority of Lt. Gen. Gamble's subordinates were satisfied with his leadership. The investigation did, however, substantiate that he displayed counterproductive leadership behaviors at times, for which he received a general officer memorandum of reprimand."
Smith declined to detail what led to Gamble losing his position and a star. Because positions for generals directly correlate with a specific rank, Gamble's reassignment as special assistant to the director of the Army staff reverts him back to a two-star general.
Gamble was reported to the Army's inspector general in September 2020 over allegations he made racist remarks about Black subordinates, along with other inappropriate comments, according to an article published by Task & Purpose, which was first to report on the investigation.
Maj. Gen. Charles Hamilton was promoted to lieutenant general Wednesday and assumed the duties of the G-4. He previously served as the G-4's director of operations.
-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.
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