Colonel Jay Bertsch, commander of the 8th Maintenance Group at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, was fired on Oct. 11 over a “loss of confidence” in his leadership, the Air Force Times has learned.
Bertsch was reassigned out of the unit after four months on the job, said 8th Fighter Wing spokesman Capt. K. Paige Hankerson Tuesday. His deputy, Lieutenant Colonel David Breuer, acts as the group’s new boss.
The Air Force declined to say why the unit has lost confidence in Bertsch or what disciplinary action he might face.
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“As a reflection of the importance of our mission and responsibility that leaders bear to guide pilots, the Wolf Pack keeps its leaders at a high level,” Hankerson said. “Out of respect for the member and due to legal process, no further information will be provided at this time.”
Bertsch took command on June 10, taking charge of 1,100 people and an annual budget of $2.4 million. The 8th Fighter Wing flies F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets in the Pacific Ocean, the Pentagon’s top priority region.
“He is responsible for daily flight and maintenance operations, intermediate level maintenance, parts repair and maintenance training for a fighter wing with 43 permanently assigned … aircraft,” according to a cached version of his now-deleted official biography.
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Bertsch joined as a mechanic in 1990 and was appointed an officer in 2001.
He began his career as an officer at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in 2002 before moving to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in 2005, according to his biography. There he earned the title of Company Grade Officer of the Year as a captain in the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.
Bertsch subsequently held multiple positions on the Joint Staff and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as well as Air Force Headquarters and Air Combat Command. He was deployed in leadership roles to Iraq and Qatar and served as a squadron commander at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
