Air Force Reserve Command Surgeon Fired for Job Performance

The top command surgeon in Air Force Reserve Command has been removed from his post.

Col. Markus Gmehlin, director of the Reserve Surgeon General’s office, was removed from his position earlier this month by Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller, chief of Air Force Reserve, after top leaders cited dissatisfaction with his job performance, spokesman Lt. Col. Chad Gibson confirmed to Military.com on Friday. The news was first reported by Air Force Times.

“The Air Force Reserve must improve our readiness posture to remain an effective operational force,” Gibson said in a statement. “Medical readiness is a key component to our success for the warfighter.”

He continued, “As leaders advance throughout their careers it becomes more critical to match the strongest leadership skills to our biggest challenges to readiness. To ensure success in our mission, we may need to move senior leaders to positions better aligned to their skill sets.”

Gmehlin, who is an active-duty officer serving in the Reserve, was in his post for roughly two years prior to his firing.

According to his official biography, Gmehlin oversaw “command level policy development for administration, training and readiness of medical and aeromedical evacuation programs.”

He was previously the commander of the 59th Medical Support Group at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Overall dissatisfaction with job performance, rather than any specific event, led to his removal, Gibson said.

Col. Deborah Grove will assume the position as acting director of surgeon general’s office, the spokesman said. Grove became the command nurse at Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in 2016.

Gmehlin will be moving to a new position, Gibson said. It was not immediately clear what or where the new job will be.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.