The head of a squadron in charge of providing security for convoys and missile maintenance operations was removed from the role Friday, following several deaths related to airmen assigned to the base.
Lt. Col. Tyler Hiatt, the commander of the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, was relieved of command by Col. Terrace Homes, 90th Missile Wing commander, according to a statement released by the base on Friday.
According to the statement, Hiatt’s removal comes after a “professional disagreement” over unit actions. Hiatt made the request for removal to Holmes, per the statement.
In his removal request, Hiatt said he was unable to execute the duties of the position and that he “does not feel comfortable” serving in the 90th Security Forces Group, the release reads.
No further details on the disagreement or why Hiatt felt uncomfortable will be released beyond the base’s initial statement, a 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs spokesperson told Military Times.
F.E. Warren Air Force Base, based in Wyoming, is tasked with hosting and providing security for the base’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
In the past five months, there have been four deaths involving airmen from the F.E. Warren Air Force Base, with two taking place on base.
In July, Brayden Lovan, an airmen, was shot and killed on base by an M18 pistol that was pointed at him by another airman, 1st Class Marcus White-Allen, in a “joking manner.”
Multiple airmen within the 90th Security Forces Group made false statements about the shooting, causing the suspension of the pistol’s use at nuclear weapon sites for a month.
White-Allen was arrested in August and then released. He was later found dead in his dorm on base in October, and the details surrounding the death remain unclear.
Senior Airman Joshua Aragon, who was a part of the 90th Missile Wing, was shot and killed in August in an off-base apartment by fellow airman 1st Class Jadan Orr in mid-August.
Orr, assigned to the 90th Security Forces Group, was arrested for involuntary manslaughter.
In late September, an airman from the group died in Colorado in a murder-suicide, according to Military.com reporting.
In the wake of these events, Col. Jeremy Sheppard, commander of the 90th Security Forces Group, convened all-call meetings in October at the base to discuss the recent deaths and how they impact the base’s mission.
He told airmen that “if your intentions are pure, I will ALWAYS have your back,” according to a Sheppard statement, obtained by Military Times, following the meetings.
“None of these conversations that we have had over the last 3 months were intended to be ‘one and done’ and we pride ourselves on the fact that we are building a culture where everyone feels seen and heard while being unapologetic and uncompromising with our standards and expectations,” Sheppard said in the statement.
Hiatt’s dismissal comes after Gen. S.L. Davis, the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, visited the base in early December to meet with the airmen sustaining the intercontinental ballistic missile mission and to discuss readiness and modernization, according to a release from the air base at the time.
Hiatt previously served as the nuclear weapons security action officer for the U.S. European Command, Strategic Plans and Policy at Stuttgart, Germany, according to a June 2024 press release. He became commander of F.E. Warren Air Force Base in June 2024.
Lt. Col. David Lycan, the 90th Security Forces Group commander, will lead the squadron in the interim, according to the Friday statement.
Lycan has experience in the ICBM mission, the spokesperson said, noting that Lycan previously served as the operations officer for the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron; the commander of the 90th Security Support Squadron; and the commander of the 890th Missile Security Forces Squadron.
This will be Lycan’s fourth time in squadron command.
“The focus men and women of the 90th MSFS will be denying unauthorized access to nuclear weapons and maintaining airtight security for the world’s premier ICBM fleet,” Lycan said in a statement provided to Military Times from the spokesperson. “I intend to lead our team with accountability and professionalism — encouraging them to excel at the fundamentals so that we may succeed at the mission.”
Cristina Stassis is an editorial fellow for Defense News and Military Times, where she covers stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She is currently studying journalism and mass communication and international affairs at the George Washington University.
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