For the fifth time in four years, a general has had to resign, retire, or be fired from the California National Guard, One America News reports.
Brigadier General Jeffrey Magram will be “involuntarily transferred” to the United States Air Force retired reserve after a disciplinary board found credence with multiple allegations levied against him by subordinates.
Magram was reportedly accused of using his troops for personal errands – including a grocery spree with his mother – and readying an F-15C fighter jet, which raised concerns.
A National Guard spokesperson said that Magram’s involuntary transfer is “parallel” to a firing, according to a Military.com report.
Magram enlisted in the California Air National Guard in 1985 and had been promoted to Brigadier General by 2019.
FOX 13 Seattle tweeted about the incident, saying that Magram once had a subordinate drive him nearly 120 miles to and from a dentist appointment.
The general had been under investigation for using subordinates to carry out other personal tasks, such as driving him nearly 60 miles to a dentist appointment. #FOX13 https://t.co/pCpXuMw9BS
— FOX 13 Seattle (@fox13seattle) January 10, 2023
Magram raised red flags again in 2020 when he readied an F-15C fighter jet for a “possible domestic mission.” Some reportedly worried that Magram intended to disperse protesting crowds during the early days of the COVID pandemic.
Another subordinate alleged that Magram made him take his mother on a lengthy grocery-shopping trip.
“She was particular. When I say particular, it had to be at Whole Foods,” the Guard member said.
“It just took her a long time to decide what she wanted, a lot of comparison shopping amongst products.”
The general also skipped cyber security trainings, having subordinates complete them for him.
In a statement to the press, Magram did not deny the allegations, saying that he believed the errands imposed on his subordinates did not violate the Air Force’s “wingman concept.”
“I want to reiterate that had I ever heard of any ethics issues like this from subordinates, peers or commanders, or perceptions of such, I would have corrected or addressed it on the spot,” Magram said.
In a frank memorandum to Magram, Major General Matthew Beevers wrote, “Your conduct has caused me to lose faith, trust, and confidence in your ability to continue serving.”
