Air Force task force commander relieved of duties after allegations of inappropriate comments

Royal Canadian Air Force Lt.-Col. Philip Marcus has been relieved of his duties in Kuwait as commanding officer of the air task force for Operation Impact following allegations of inappropriate comments.

In a statement to CTVNews.ca, the Department of National Defence said the comments “demonstrated a concerning misalignment with our institution’s efforts to evolve our culture.”

The issue was raised to leadership before Marcus was removed from his post and sent back to Canada on Dec. 7.

“These allegations resulted in a loss in confidence in the member’s ability to effectively lead and conduct the duties associated with his appointment as a commanding officer, and he was immediately relieved,” reads the statement.

The allegations are now the subject of an ongoing investigation. Marcus has been reassigned to a staff officer position with the Royal Canadian Air Force Aerospace Warfare Centre.