Sources: Fort Sill Commander Suspended from Duty for Allegedly Breaking Hunting Rules on Base

The commanding general of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was temporarily suspended from duty Friday as part of an investigation into allegations of repeated violations of hunting rules on base, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Kamper, an artillery officer, was suspended in the midst of an inspector general investigation into his conduct.

Fort Sill is currently hosting Ukrainian troops, who started training on the Patriot missile system last month, the first major training for the force on American soil. Sources indicated that the conduct being investigated by the inspector general was not related to the training.

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The investigation is tied to hunting on Fort Sill property, with some complaints revolving around Kamper allegedly not going through the proper approval process and skirting local rules, according to two Army officials with direct knowledge of the situation.

Brig. Gen. Shane Morgan, who was promoted last week and served as commandant of the field artillery school at the installation, will serve as interim commander.

Fort Sill is home to some 20,000 troops and is central to the Army's artillery and other long-range weapons training. This includes the Patriot missile system, the weapons platform on which roughly 100 Ukrainian troops are training.

"Neither the investigation nor the change in leadership will have any impact on the operations or mission at Fort Sill, including the current training of Ukrainian forces on the Patriot missile system, and the suspension was not related to the mission or training of Ukrainian soldiers," Cynthia Smith, a service spokesperson, told Military.com in a statement.

In many cases, generals suspended from duty are typically assigned to an assistant role for another element of the Army, though Kamper will stay at Fort Sill for now. Any planned retirements are often put on hold until the inspector general completes its investigation and senior leadership decides whether to take disciplinary action, which can include a reduction in rank.

"You all have probably heard, or soon will, that Ken has been suspended due to allegations of counterproductive leadership. As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our entire family," Kamper's wife, Krista Kamper, wrote in an email reviewed by Military.com to spouses of other senior leaders at Fort Sill. "I hope you will understand my decision to step back from community activities, board positions and social events in these upcoming months as my focus will be on our family and finding our way forward."

Kamper took over as commander of Fort Sill in February 2020. Before that, he served as deputy commanding general for the III Armored Corps at Fort Hood, Texas. He was commissioned in 1989 from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

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