{"id":33700,"date":"2018-11-21T00:49:14","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T00:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/21\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:02:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:02:44","slug":"thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2018\/11\/21\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\/","title":{"rendered":"Thunderbirds commander was fired after grabbing neck of another pilot in bar argument"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Months of tension over former Thunderbirds commander Lt. Col. Jason Heard\u2019s perceived risk-taking leadership style boiled over in a \u201cphysical altercation\u201d in a Maryland bar last September, in which Heard put his hands on another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/breaking-news\/2016\/06\/02\/thunderbirds-f-16-crashes-following-air-force-academy-graduation-pilot-reported-safe\/\" target=\"_blank\">Thunderbird pilot\u2019s<\/a> neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heard was relieved of command last November after a commander-directed investigation found he \u201cdid exhibit aggressive physical contact towards his subordinate,&#8221; an unnamed member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/06\/23\/two-injured-after-thunderbirds-f-16-mishap-while-practicing-for-ohio-air-show\/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron<\/a>, on Sept. 11, 2017, at an Irish pub in National Harbor, Maryland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report, obtained by Air Force Times via the Freedom of Information Act, said that on that evening, the unnamed pilot was \u201cagitated\u201d by how Heard was leading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/2017\/12\/13\/air-force-thunderbirds-pick-new-commander\/\" target=_blank>Thunderbirds flights<\/a>, and felt he was not following the \u201crules,&#8221; or flying regulations. Multiple witnesses told investigators that they were concerned about the relationship between Heard and that pilot, and that the pilot told several teammates he thought Heard \u201cwas going to kill him\u201d while flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201ctense relationship\u201d erupted in the bar last September, the day after the Thunderbirds conducted a flyover for the Washington Redskins home opener at FedEx Field in Landover Maryland.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2017\/11\/29\/air-force-thunderbirds-commander-relieved\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Thunderbird121117.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Air Force Thunderbirds commander relieved<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Lt. Col. Jason Heard, commander of the Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, was relieved of command Nov. 20.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seven witnesses observed the altercation, the report said, and \u201cwitness testimony was consistent that Lt. Col. Heard placed his hands around [the unnamed pilot\u2019s] neck.\u201d Witnesses told investigators that both Heard and the other pilot had consumed alcohol that evening. One of the witnesses, who was closest to the two, intervened and broke it up, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1499\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AIR-Lt-Col-Heard-Jason-web.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-50642\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AIR-Lt-Col-Heard-Jason-web.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AIR-Lt-Col-Heard-Jason-web.jpg.jpg?resize=240,300 240w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AIR-Lt-Col-Heard-Jason-web.jpg.jpg?resize=768,959 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AIR-Lt-Col-Heard-Jason-web.jpg.jpg?resize=820,1024 820w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lt. Col. Jason Heard was relieved of command of the Thunderbirds on Nov. 20. (Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That pilot wasn\u2019t the only one who felt Heard was breaking the rules. Multiple witnesses testified that Heard \u201ccompromised safety and violated Air Force flying regulations and FAA regulations,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Witnesses testified that when Heard led the Thunderbirds delta formation flyover above the Redskins game Sept. 10, 2017, they were flying at an altitude well below the minimum for a populated area, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heard also intentionally took a diamond formation of Thunderbirds supersonic while en route to the Royal International Air Tattoo, the world\u2019s largest military air show, in July 2017, witnesses told investigators. And in a third incident of perceived unsafe behavior, witnesses told investigators Heard attempted a loop on takeoff at an airshow in Boise, Idaho, even though the weather conditions were too overcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multiple witnesses also told investigators that they perceived Heard\u2019s leadership style to be \u201chostile,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report concluded that as commander and leader of the Thunderbirds, Heard was \u201ccharged to maintain good order and discipline in the squadron he commands. By exhibiting aggressive physical contact toward his subordinate, [redacted], he demonstrated a lack of judgement [sic] and ability to effectively command his unit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heard took command of the squadron Jan. 6, 2017, and was relieved at the conclusion of the season Nov. 20, 2017, by Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, former commander of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one that is ultimately in the best interests of the Thunderbird team,\u201d Leavitt said at the time. \u201cI am personally grateful for Jason\u2019s dedication to the 2017 season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force said in a release last November that \u201cLeavitt lost confidence in his leadership and risk management style [and] determined that new leadership was necessary to ensure the highest levels of pride, precision and professionalism within the team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thunderbirds spokesman Maj. Ray Geoffroy went on to say last November that \u201cconcerns arose that his approach to leading the team was resulting in increased risk within the demonstration, which eroded the team dynamic. &#8230; We are on the road together more than 200 days per year, executing flying operations with absolutely no margin for error. As a result, absolute trust and teamwork in both our professional and personal dynamics are foundational to our mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked for comment Tuesday, Geoffroy referred to last year\u2019s statements. It is unclear what Heard\u2019s current assignment is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh, who was the Thunderbirds&#8217; operations officer, assumed command of the team after Heard was relieved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Thunderbirds commander Lt. Col. Jason Heard was fired last November after an investigation found he placed his hands on another pilot\u2019s neck during a \u201cphysical altercation\u201d in a Maryland bar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":65383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":12,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,23,89,12,26],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3230],"class_list":["post-33700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"NC4CIIUXAZCYNGEDCIFHKLGC7A","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/11\/21\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Thunderbirds commander was fired after grabbing neck of another pilot in bar argument - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Former Thunderbirds commander Lt. 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Jason Heard was fired last November after an investigation found he placed his hands on another pilot\u2019s neck during a \u201cphysical altercation\u201d in a Maryland bar.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/2018\/11\/21\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-11-21T00:49:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:02:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21\\\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21\\\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Thunderbirds commander was fired after grabbing neck of another pilot in bar argument\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-11-21T00:49:14+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T21:02:44+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21\\\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 693,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21\\\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/Thunderbirds-Redskins.JPG.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21\\\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21\\\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/2018\\\/11\\\/21\\\/thunderbirds-commander-was-fired-after-grabbing-neck-of-another-pilot-in-bar-argument\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Thunderbirds commander was fired after grabbing neck of another pilot in bar argument - 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