# Former Squadron Commander at 4 Wing Cold Lake is Facing a Court Martial



## Bruce Monkhouse (25 Apr 2005)

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/News/2005/04/23/pf-1009456.html
   
Sat, April 23, 2005 
Mile-high jinks

By PAUL COWAN AND KATE DUBINSKI, EDMONTON SUN

A former squadron commander at 4 Wing Cold Lake is facing a court martial following a sex probe involving another officer who was a poster girl for Canadian Forces. Lt.-Col. Shawn Byrne faces three charges under the National Defence Act relating to failing to properly document a passenger he took on flights in air force planes he was piloting. 
"The charges relate to a passenger who was not properly authorized or documentation which was not properly completed," said military police spokesman Capt. Mark Giles. 

"The first charge relates to a flight in the Czech Republic in September 2003 and the second and third to a December 2003 flight in New Mexico." 
Giles would not discuss the passenger. 

But several Sun sources have identified her as a public affairs officer who was based at Cold Lake at the same time as Byrne and his wife. 
"It's pretty sad that both of them were supposed to be setting an example to the other people in the squadron," said Cheryl, Byrne's ex-wife, who is now living in Florida. 
"This ruined his career in the military, and at the time he had a really good career." 

The couple had been married for 10 years, Cheryl said. She added the public affairs officer should also have been charged. 
Byrne was ordered to clear his desk in June 2004 after the base commanding officer decided he had lost confidence in him and had him removed from command of 416 Squadron. 
Col. Duff Sullivan asked air force brass to remove Byrne from command of the squadron because he believed he had lied about his relationship with the female officer, say Sun insiders. 

Byrne responded that Sullivan had not discussed many of his concerns with him directly, but the brass still relieved him of command. 
And in his rebuttal of Sullivan's charges, he did admit having an affair, but said it had not affected his ability to command the squadron, Sun sources say. 
Pilots have to log a number of flying hours every year to retain their "active" status. 

The rules were tightened up in 1996 when the Sun revealed a 30-year-old pilot from 416 Squadron was making regular flights from Cold Lake to Oklahoma to visit his girlfriend. 
Pilots were told after that training should determine flight paths and not courtship considerations. 
A Sun source said Byrne and the officer, who was also married at the time, started their relationship when they were sent on an exercise to Denmark with other personnel from Cold Lake. 

Byrne, a 21-year forces veteran, had been tipped as a possible base commander at 4 Wing. 
The female officer was featured in an advertising campaign to promote the Canadian Forces. 
It took almost a year from the investigation being started until the charges against Byrne were laid.


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