Colonel Leslie Zyzda‑Martin, who had served almost 35 years in the Air National Guard, was relieved of command of Wisconsin’s Volk Field Air National Guard Base in 2021. Her removal came amid a broader investigation into sexual assault and misconduct within the state Guard, and was later followed by forced retirement in October 2024.
The controversy began after a federal probe uncovered a decade of mismanagement of sexual assault complaints by Wisconsin National Guard leaders. The investigation revealed that procedures for tracking cases and ensuring due process were non‑compliant with federal law, and that the organization had attempted to conceal the failures.
In 2020, Zyzda‑Martin accepted a command position at Volk Field after serving in a Title 10 tour at the National Guard Bureau’s Intelligence Directorate. She described the base as “sleepy” and aimed to restore U.S. Air Force standards, but faced resistance that resulted in four complaints filed against her.
Two of those complaints led to Letters of Admonishment issued by Deputy Adjutant General David May in 2021, one of which was later downgraded after a rebuttal. A third admonishment followed six months later, despite the fact that the base’s personnel were largely unknown to the colonel due to remote work during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
The allegations were based on subjective statements from interviews, many of which were made by the complainants themselves. Similarities among three of the four complaints raised questions about possible coordinated opposition against Zyzda‑Martin.
Around the same time, a female Guardsman was found to have taken inappropriate photographs while on duty. Zyzda‑Martin initiated an investigation and removed the individual from duty, only to be dismissed from command a week later while the photographer was reinstated.
Seeking clarity, the colonel filed a Freedom of Information Act request, which uncovered emails between Deputy Adjutant General May and former supervisor Chad Parker—who is married to the National Guard Bureau Inspector General—discussing her case shortly before her removal.
Subsequent attempts to secure redress through the Secretary of the Air Force Inspector General and the Wisconsin governor’s office met with limited response. An August 2024 statement from the governor’s office announced no further examination of the case would be pursued.
Legal and investigative bodies have yet to determine the precise reasons for Zyzda‑Martin’s dismissal. She remains eligible to serve as a colonel for another two and a half years, though she has been forced into retirement.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Sweazey, who leads a whistleblower assistance organization, has supported Zyzda‑Martin’s efforts to clear her record. He has criticized the state’s reluctance to intervene and the Inspector General apparatus for mishandling multiple investigations.
The unresolved questions surrounding Zyzda‑Martin’s removal highlight systemic issues within the National Guard and underscore the need for transparent investigations and reforms that protect the rights and dignity of service members.
