First woman to fly F-22 fired from Pentagon job for 'dictatorial' treatment of subordinates

The first woman to become a fighter test pilot, fly an F-22, and command a test wing has been fired from her role at the Pentagon for berating and belittling her subordinates.

A January 2020 report by the Inspector General, obtained by the Air Force Times, found that Maj. Gen. Dawn Dunlop was let go from her role overseeing the Special Access Programs and the Pentagon’s Ecosystem Of Secrecy (SAPCO) office, which is responsible for some of the military’s top secret programs, on May 31, 2019.  She had taken over the post in August 2018.

Her behaviour created a toxic work environment, according to the report, and physically affected several staff members. Many began having trouble at work, lost sleep, considered quitting their jobs and did not speak up during staff meetings. One witness said that some people physically shook from fear when they had to interact with Dunlop.

Having been removed from the role, Dunlop now serves as the air force’s director of operational capability requirements, the Air Force Times reports.

According to the report, witnesses said Dunlop began mistreating subordinates a few weeks after taking over the SAPCO office. She would often demean them for failing to live up to her expectations, regularly calling them “stupid.” Several witnesses described her leadership style as “dictatorial” or “borderline abusive,” and said she treated subordinates like “a parent scolding a child.”

“That’s the environment we were in, nothing was ever right,” one said.

The report lists several incidents in which Dunlop publicly berated people, including calling someone’s work “crap” in the middle of a meeting, and publicly demeaning people’s writing abilities. On Jan. 4, 2019, she allegedly grabbed a subordinate’s hand without consent in the middle of one reprimand ahead of a meeting.

As the subordinate looked at Dunlop’s schedule, Dunlop grabbed her hand and shook it “like a child to get my attention.” Several witnesses to the altercation also told investigators that Dunlop raised her voice and told the subordinate, “Look at me, look at me please.”

“If it were a male general, he might be done that day … if he had grabbed a 115 pound lady like that,” one witness said.

The report noted that Dunlop’s confrontation with her subordinate, over a minor issue, “compromised her standing as an officer,” and shocked her subordinate.

In May 2019, the month in which she was fired, Dunlop allegedly pushed one senior officer to tears after prodding them repeatedly during a meeting, despite being told to stop. The senior officer, according to the report, welled up in anger and told Dunlop that they were peers and that she was not to speak to her like that. However, Dunlop continued to push the matter in a “mocking” fashion, causing the senior officer to storm out.

The belittling of coworkers — which was confirmed by 85 per cent of witnesses interviewed — occurred roughly on a weekly, but sometimes daily basis and continued even after many people tried to give her feedback, the report added.

Dunlop graduated from the air force academy in 1988 and then entered the air force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB where she was the top graduate. She has logged more than 3,500 hours flying aircraft including F-15, F-16 and F-22 fighters, according to the air force.

Witnesses said they understood Dunlop as an extraordinarily talented and accomplished officer who wanted the air force to succeed. She viewed SAPCO as a broken organization, they said, and believed that she was meant to come in and fix it.

But her behaviour towards staff caused many witnesses to question how she advanced to the level of major general.

In a separate report, dated November 2019, during her tenure as the commander of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force at Geilenkirchen, in Germany, Dunlop asked subordinates to perform personal services for her, such as swapping out seasonal tires on her vehicle, getting an oil change and making personal lodging requirements.

In a statement provided to Air Force Times, Dunlop’s lawyer, Gary Myers, said that Dunlop’s efforts to reform SAPCO led to the inspector general’s complaint.

“Throughout her career, Maj. Gen. Dunlop has brought a clear sense of integrity, excellence and a strong desire to serve airmen and the nation,” Myers said. “She has always been willing to work with others to take on difficult change where needed to deliver results in support of these values.”

After she was tasked to lead SAPCO, “she endeavored to identify and undertake actions to better align the SAPCO enterprise with the Secretary of Defense priorities and SAP community needs,” Myers continued. “Her implementation of these efforts resulted in an inspector general complaint in May 2019. The IG allegations and report of investigation do not reflect who she is as a person, her values or her dedicated service of over 30 years.”

Myers added that Dunlop is grateful that the air force considered her response alongside the report when deciding to allow her to continue serving.