Allegations, Secrecy, and the Fight for Justice in the Wisconsin Air National Guard

A colonel in the Air National Guard (ANG), who had nearly 35 years of service, was relieved of her command in 2021, coincidentally at a time when one of her subordinates was disseminating nude, explicit photographs.

Colonel Leslie Zyzda-Martin is the former commander of Wisconsin’s Volk Field Air National Guard Base. Her story highlights a troubling intersection of military culture, accountability, and the challenges faced by those who dare to stand against misconduct. Unable to clear her record amid suspicious circumstances, Zyzda-Martin was forced into retirement in October 2024. Three years later, she is still struggling to clear her name under dubious circumstances.

It is essential to recall the context leading up to this incident: Major General Donald Dunbar resigned in 2019 at the urging of Governor Tony Evers (D-WI). His resignation followed a federal investigation that uncovered a decade’s worth of mismanagement of sexual assault complaints by Wisconsin National Guard leaders. The Guard not only failed to follow military procedures by neglecting to track cases or guarantee that both victims and accused individuals were afforded due process, but they also attempted to conceal the situation.

The National Guard Bureau’s (NGB) Office of Complex Investigations (OCI) found that the “programs and systems for handling allegations of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other workplace or service-related misconduct (emphasis mine) were non-compliant with federal law and regulation, and in various respects, deficient or failing.”

Zyzda-Martin was interviewed on at least two occasions by Inspector General personnel concerning allegations of wrongdoing committed by then-NGB Brigadier General Chad Parker. Little did she know, this would likely play a significant factor in her removal from command two years later.

In 2020, Zyzda-Martin stepped into a challenging environment, finding herself ensnared in a web of unsubstantiated allegations and a lack of transparency from superiors. At the time, the ANG colonel was serving at the Pentagon on a Title 10 tour at the National Guard Bureau in the Intelligence Directorate when she was offered the opportunity to apply for a command position with the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

“I took that job and found a base that was not within standards and ill-equipped,” Zyzda-Martin told The Gateway Pundit. She characterized the military installation as “a sleepy base,” and, on the heels of the 2019 scandal, her goal was to restore U.S. Air Force (USAF) standards to the base. However, her earnest efforts were met with resistance, culminating in four complaints against her, all of which were later found to be unsubstantiated.

Despite this, two of the complaints resulted in two Letters of Admonishment (LOA) issued by Deputy Adjutant General Brigadier General David May in 2021, one of which was downgraded from a Letter of Reprimand (LOR) after a successful rebuttal. Six months later, she received a third LOA.

Zyzda-Martin had taken command of the base during the COVID-19 era, a time when many personnel were working from home. Consequently, she didn’t even know many of the individuals who were interviewed in the complaints against her. “All the findings for the administrative discipline were based on quotes—subjective comments—from people interviewed during the investigations, and I had never been asked about any of it,” she explained. “Further, most of the comments were from the complainants themselves.”

Three out of the four complaints bore striking similarities. For the author, this raises the questions: Were the Guardsmen conspiring together against Zyzda-Martin? Was this a witch hunt?

During this same timeframe, it came to light that three female guardsmen were taking inappropriate photographs and texting them to other base personnel.  One of the guardsmen took explicit images while on duty that Zyzda-Martin deemed pornographic, prompting her to initiate an investigation. The commander opted to remove this individual from her position.

Less than a week later, Zyzda-Martin was ousted from command, and the Guardsman who had taken explicit photos of herself returned to her job.

Zyzda-Martin expressed her confusion, stating “I couldn’t understand the why behind this.” To better understand the circumstances of her removal from command, she submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Sadly, she had to take legal action against the National Guard Bureau for failing to respond to her FOIA request.

While she worked to refute the allegations against her and remove the LOAs, she discovered through her FOIA request that then-Brigadier General David May had been engaged in discussions with the National Guard Bureau Inspector General (NGB IG) around the time of her removal from command.

Additionally, there were communications with Zyzda-Martin’s former supervisor, now-retired Maj. Gen. Chad Parker, who just happens to be the husband of Laurel Hummel, the NGB Inspector General. In an email from February 23, 2022, Parker reached on his own accord to May to discuss Zyzda-Martin.

Surely, it begs the question: Were they possibly plotting something on their subsequent call with top cover from the Inspector General?

In light of these unsettling developments, Zyzda-Martin lodged complaints against the senior military officials to no avail. The USAF IG referred the case to the Secretary of the Air Force IG.

In November 2023, Zyzda-Martin filed an Article 138 request for redress to Wisconsin Governor Evers, who also serves as the state militia’s Commander-in-Chief. In a final response made in August 2024, his office stated: he would not be pursuing any further examination of her case.

Governor Evers did not reply to the author’s July 30 requests for comment. Read the questions below:

Get ready for a story that will infuriate you! Yesterday morning, I contacted Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers with some questions regarding Air National Guard Colonel Leslie Zyzda-Martin’s current predicament. I’m hoping to receive a response from his office by tomorrow. Whether he… pic.twitter.com/8PQbAqTEDb

— J.M. Phelps (@JMPhelpsLC) July 30, 2026

In a climate already stained by allegations of a culture of sexual harassment and misconduct, what, or who, led him to decide against taking further action?

The question lingers as commanders can be removed at any point, but their removal is categorized as either “for cause” or “not for cause.” Zyzda-Martin was removed “for cause,” which requires providing a reason. By choosing this option, May was able to tarnish her record, preventing her from continuing to serve.

“I still don’t know what I did to be removed from command,” Zyzda-Martin lamented.

Her quest for the truth and the desire to clear her record remains steadfast. She remains eligible to serve as a colonel for another two and a half years before reaching a maximum separation date. Conveniently, May retired in the fall of 2025, hiding on the books long enough to receive his second star.

The legal system, state and federal legislature, the Air National Guard, and the U.S. Air Force have not succeeded in uncovering the reasons behind her removal from command.

Ryan Sweazey, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, who runs the non-profit whistleblower assistance organization Walk the Talk Foundation,  has been working closely with Zyzda-Martin on her case for several years.  “I have been consistently stunned by both the state of Wisconsin’s obstinance in their refusal to intervene, as well as the military Inspector General apparatus’ ineptitude in the bungling of multiple investigations,” he said.  “The sequence of dubious events in the case would lead any competent investigator to conclude two things beyond a preponderance of the evidence: 1) Zyzda-Martin was arbitrarily and capriciously removed from command, and 2) the circumstances leading to her removal reek of impropriety, on several levels.”

Absent action from Pentagon officials like War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and/or Air Force Under Secretary Matt Lohmeier, The Gateway Pundit will delve deeper into the issue, as it appears a veil of secrecy surrounds this troubling story.

As Zyzda-Martin continues her fight for justice and clarity, her case serves as a poignant reminder of the systemic issues within the military and the policy gaps in the National Guard that allow an environment for corrupt state NG leaders to thrive. The unanswered questions surrounding her removal from command call for not only a thorough investigation but also a commitment to reform that prioritizes the dignity and rights of those who serve.

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