Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson Leader of 173rd Airborne Brigade in Italy Fired

Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson fired for alleged assaultPhoto byUS Army

Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson leader of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy was relieved of his duties last month, officials confirmed. Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson was fired on July 16 “due to a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership,” Army spokesman Neil Ruggiero and confirmed by the Army Times.

Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson allegedly sexually assaulted a subordinate noncommissioned officer, according to a document summarizing the events. Army officials did not dispute the authenticity of the document. Carlson was also ordered to be evaluated for alcoholism, due to "a pattern of use", as per reporting from Military.com.

Carlson's removal comes amid the firing this month of two other senior enlisted leaders in the Washington, D.C., area and criminal charges against another. Command Sgt. Maj. Jaime Rubio, the senior enlisted soldier of 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment, at Fort Moore, Georgia, faces a court-martial on domestic violence charges, according to an Army docket.

Carlson, formerly the enlisted leader of the 173rd, was relieved of his position July 16 by the brigade's commander, Col. Joshua Gaspard, and has been suspended since April. The service often temporarily suspends individuals while an investigation takes place and then outright fires them if an investigation concludes the allegations are substantiated.

Due to privacy concerns, and consistent with the Privacy Act, we are unable to provide further comment at this time," Lt. Col. Alex Tignor, an Army spokesperson, said in a statement to Military.com, citing a federal law that stipulates how the government handles personal information.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade is one of the Army's key front-line ground combat formations, serving as the service's premier presence in Europe and set to respond to a crisis on that continent or in Africa, while also building relationships with allied nations through joint training exercises.

Carlson's firing is among a recent string of senior noncommissioned officers getting fired or facing allegations of misconduct.

Sgt. Maj. Frank Batts, the command sergeant major of the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, has been appointed the acting brigade command sergeant major.

Carlson enlisted in 1999 and deployed to Colombia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iraq and Afghanistan during his career, Ruggiero confirmed. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service.

Prior to taking his senior enlisted position in March 2023, the paratrooper served with the brigade’s 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment.