Lewis, a former attack helicopter pilot, served in Iraq and Afghanistan
Lewis, a former attack helicopter pilot, served in Iraq and Afghanistan
Washington
: US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Thursday fired his top military advisor over allegations of unspecified -"misconduct-" and ordered that an investigation be launched, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Lieutenant General Ron Lewis left his post as senior military assistant after meeting Carter, a US defense official said on condition of anonymity, just weeks after Carter described Lewis as someone -"to count on.-"
-"The secretary was very surprised to learn about the allegations-" late Tuesday, the official said, without specifying the nature of the allegations.
In a statement, Carter said he had referred the matter to the Defense Department's Inspector General, which confirmed that an inquiry had been opened.
-"Today, I made the decision to remove my Senior Military Assistant Lieutenant General Ron Lewis from his position after learning about allegations of misconduct,-" Carter said.
-"I have confidence in the Inspector General's ability to determine the facts. The Department of the Army will then take action as appropriate.-"
Lewis, a former attack helicopter pilot, served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Carter publicly praised him just a month ago at an Army event in Washington, saying: -"Time after time, whenever I've needed Ron's counsel and vision, I've been able to count on him.-"
