The former commander of the U.S. Army Garrison at the West Point service academy, Col. Anthony Bianchi, was fired from his post, the service confirmed to Military.com on Thursday.
Bianchi was suspended from his West Point post in July and then removed on Aug. 30, but his firing had not been previously reported. He was relieved from his position as garrison commander by Lt. Gen. Omar Jones, commanding general of U.S. Army Installation Management Command, "due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command," Christina Bhatti, a service spokesperson, said in a statement to Military.com.
A high-profile firing of a colonel is relatively rare and is usually reserved for major lapses in judgment, systemic abuse of subordinates or criminal action. When reached by Military.com, Bianchi's lawyer declined to comment on what Bianchi was accused of before he was fired.
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It's unclear whether Bianchi intends to stay in the Army, but losing command as a field-grade officer in a high-profile position can be a military career killer. Bianchi himself did not return multiple requests for comment.
Bianchi, an artillery officer, was commissioned out of West Point in 1997, and he took command of the garrison in 2022. His awards include two Army Commendation Medals and four Army Achievement Medals.
The Army has seen a handful of colonels losing their jobs recently.
In May, Military.com published an investigation on the command climate of the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade. Its commander, Col. Jonathan Chung, was relieved of command following accusations of counterproductive leadership.
Col. Meghann Sullivan, a top officer within that brigade, was suspended and is still under investigation over allegations she sexually assaulted at least two subordinate men, and harassed others within her formation.
Col. Jon Meredith, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Cavazos, Texas, was fired in October 2022 and was charged with abusive sexual contact for allegedly kissing and groping a subordinate officer's wife. Those charges were dropped, and he now just faces allegations of conduct unbecoming an officer.
His wife, Col. Ann Meredith, was also fired from her role as commander of the 89th Military Police Brigade for allegedly interfering in her husband's investigation.
-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on X @StevenBeynon.
