Top Enlisted Leader of Army Airborne Brigade in Europe Fired After Investigation

The top enlisted soldier leading the Army's Europe-based airborne brigade was quietly fired last month following an investigation, the service said Sunday.

Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson was removed from his post as the senior enlisted leader of the 173rd Airborne Brigade on July 16 "due to a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership," Army spokesperson Neil Ruggiero told Military.com in an email. The phrase is the military’s catch-all term for the myriad reasons why a leader may have been fired.

Ruggiero did not answer by press time whether the unit has named Carlson's replacement. The command sergeant major's photo and biography were removed from the brigade's website.

It's unclear why Carlson was under investigation or what job he was placed into after removal.

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Carlson was fired about 16 months after he arrived at the 173rd, based in Vicenza, Italy, in March 2023. The 173rd Airborne Brigade's "Sky Soldiers" serve as the Army's contingency response force in Europe, available in the event of crises across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Paratroopers with the 173rd routinely train with NATO forces to bolster European security and were among the last U.S. troops to train in Ukraine in the fall of 2021 before Russian forces invaded the country in early 2022.

That training was part of Rapid Trident, an annual tactical exercise that had been meant to bolster Ukrainian forces following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The command sergeant major had previously served with the brigade's 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, and 2-503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, the 173rd said in a Facebook post following his assumption-of-command ceremony.

Carlson enlisted in 1999. Among numerous honors and decorations, he is a Bronze Star recipient who has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Lithuania, Latvia and Colombia, according to his official biography. He is a member of the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, which recognizes excellence in the Army's noncommissioned officer corps, among other infantry honors.

In a December 2023 video message, Carlson told soldiers he hoped to "continue making this brigade the best in our Army" after a busy year.

He did not respond to a request for comment from Military.com on Monday.

Carlson's firing comes three months after another notable ouster among Army leaders in Europe. Lt. Col. Eric Ackles, commander of 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, was relieved of command in April just six months after the new air defense unit opened in Germany in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Like Carlson, Ackles also faced a monthslong investigation, though it's unclear what led to his removal.

"We take all allegations and investigations seriously, ensuring accountability and maintaining a culture of respect and professionalism," Army spokesman Capt. Alec Watkins told Military.com at the time.

-- Steve Beynon contributed to this story.

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