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Tinker Air Force Base In the News

Here are a number of recent stories that  highlight the issues plaguing Tinker Air Force Base and the 552d.
These articles have been pulled from a variety of news sources and are linked directly to the originally published article. 
Photos sources are from the original articles and are credited within the stories.

Amid Deaths, Tinker Air Force Base Remains Tight-Lipped on Number of Suicides

August 24, 2023

Some of the 17 deaths at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma this year are suspected to be caused by suicide, Military.com has learned, but service and base officials refused to disclose the exact number of suicides among personnel at the installation or the circumstances behind them.


Of the total deaths since Jan. 1, six are from unspecified causes. An Air Force official said some of those six are suspected suicides, but details on exactly how many remain unclear, as officials cite Pentagon and internal suicide prevention policies as justification for not releasing more information.

Tinker Air Force Base officials tight-lipped on 17 deaths since January

August 18, 2023 at 8:36 AM CDT

There have been at least 17 deaths on Tinker Air Force Base this year, but details of the death are unclear. The deaths were first revealed in reporting by the online news site Military.com.  A statement from Tinker officials provided after the Military.com report, provided some clarity. Air Force Installation commander Col. Abigail Ruscetta says in a statement that 11 uniform and civilian airmen died as a result of natural causes or accidents. The other six deaths remain under investigation – most of the people who died were civilians.

Tinker Air Force Base deaths: 17 people dead in 2023, military refuses to reveal causes

UPDATED: 09:16 EDT, 17 August 2023

An Air Force base in Oklahoma is tight-lipped after 17 people have died since the beginning of 2023, with an advocate for military families saying she'd made inquiries about a possible rash of suicides. 

Officials for the Air Force and the base have refused to reveal the nature of the deaths, saying only that there were 'various causes.' DailyMail.com has reached out to the base for an explanation or names of the personnel who have died - but officials did not respond in time for this report. 

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A number of the deaths are also still 'under investigation,' a spokesperson for the base said. A Military.com investigation suggested that 'they had been informed of deaths connected to base this year including potential suicides.' 

Mystery deepens as USAF reveals 11 of the 17 service members who have died at Tinker Air Force base since January passed away 'due to natural cause' - and REFUSES to disclose how the other six lost their lives

UPDATED: 19:40 EDT, 17 August 2023

The USAF has revealed 11 of 17 deaths on an Oklahoma air base this year were from natural causes - but six remained under investigation. Tinker Air Force Base has found itself in the spotlight since Military.com confirmed there had been 17 deaths on the base this year, where more than 30,000 service members, government employees, contractors and civilians work. Most of the 17 who died were civilians, said Colonel Abigail Ruscetta, the 72nd Air Base Wing Commander. One source told Military.com that some of the deaths were potential suicides, and some were Covid-19-related.

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Tinker Air Force Base confirms 17 deaths this year, investigations underway

Updated Fri, August 18th 2023 at 12:38 PM

On Thursday, Tinker officials confirmed the number of deaths and disclosed more information regarding them. Most of the deaths occurred off base. Col. Abigail Ruscetta, Tinker installation commander, said, "Eleven of the lost uniformed and civilian Airmen died as a result of natural causes of accidents. The six remaining losses are a result of other causes, some of which remain under investigation."

Tinker AFB officials confirm 17 personnel have died since January

Updated: Aug 17, 2023 / 05:22 PM CDT

OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) – Tinker Air Force Base officials say 17 personnel have died this year. After being first reported by military.com, Tinker Installation Commander, Col. Abigail Ruscetta now confirms that Tinker Air Force Base has ‘experienced 17 deaths since January.’

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According to Ruscetta, 11 uniformed and civilian Airmen died as a result of natural causes or accidents. The six remaining deaths are a result of other causes, some of which remain under investigation.

Tinker Air Force Base Col. Gary Donovan relieved of AWACS command

November 12, 2021

A colonel at Tinker Air Force Base has been relieved of his duties after an investigation found he failed to foster a culture of safety and berated crews for not flying training missions on short rest. The U.S. Air Force announced that Col. Gary Donovan, 552nd Operations Group commander, was relieved from command on Monday. 

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Maj. Gen. Koscheski, 15th Air Force commander, said in a statement the 552nd Operations Group needs men and women who foster a culture of dignity and respect.


“This means living by core values every day and empowering subordinate leaders to promote these values through teaching, coaching and mentorship,” Koscheski said. “It takes mutual respect to develop airmen, our most precious resource. To grow this culture, we need all airmen to embrace this mindset and know they are the decisive factor that makes us the world’s greatest Air Force.”

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Colonel at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City relieved of duties for allegedly not following safety protocols

Updated: Nov 10, 2021 / 11:01 AM CST

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A colonel at Tinker Air Force Base was relieved of his duties this week after he allegedly didn’t follow safety protocols. An audio recording has also leaked, allegedly capturing audio of Col. Gary Donovan berating a crew of allegedly sleep-deprived airmen. Donovan was “moved to do other responsibilities on the installation,” according to an Air Force spokesperson. Articles from the Air Force Times and Task and Purpose said he tried to send aircrews on a July training exercise they felt was unsafe.

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AWACS ops group commander at Tinker fired after investigation

November 9, 2021

Col. Gary Donovan, commander of Tinker Air Force Base’s 552nd Operations Group in Oklahoma, was removed from his post Monday following an investigation that found he skirted safety protocols and fostered an unhealthy workplace culture, a spokesman confirmed Tuesday.

Air Force says colonel who berated subordinates in leaked audio created ‘unhealthy’ climate

 UPDATED OCT 29, 2021 9:37 AM EDT

An investigation into an Air Force colonel at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma found that the colonel failed to promote a culture of safety and failed to maintain a healthy command climate, according to leaked investigation results.

Scrubbed AWACS Flights Lead to Toxic Leadership Allegations at Tinker Air Force Base

July 23, 2021

A leaked audio recording of a group commander at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, lecturing airmen after sorties were canceled due to crew fatigue has raised concerns about the wing's leadership style and safety culture.

The concerns became public July 17, when the unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page posted an account by an anonymous author alleging a "toxic culture of leadership" in the operations group for Tinker's 552nd Air Control Wing, which flies the Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS, aircraft.

AIR FORCE COLONEL REMOVED FROM POST AT TINKER AFB AFTER SAFETY INVESTIGATION

Wednesday, November 10th 2021, 7:05 pm

A colonel has been removed from his post at Tinker Air Force Base.  A newspaper covering the Air Force said he had relaxed safety protocols. Base officials said Colonel Gary Donovan was removed from his post Monday. There are allegations that he put airmen’s safety at risk. The report also said this happened four months after Donovan tried to send planes on a training exercise that airmen felt was unsafe. The article said the troops pushed back, complaining about their commanding officer on social media. The Air Force then began multiple safety probes as part of its investigation.

Image by Kane Reinholdtsen

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