The first female pilot to fly solo for the United States Air Force in its team airshows has been relieved of duty just two weeks into the role.
The Air Force said that Captain Zoe 'SiS' Kotnik was removed from her position as commander on Tuesday by Colonel Derek O'Malley due to a 'loss of confidence in her ability to lead' the F-16 Viper Demonstration team.
Officials did not provide details on what led to her removal, but Colonel O'Malley claimed she had made 'mistakes.'
Captain. Zoe 'SiS' Kotnik (pictured) was removed from her role as pilot and commander of the Air Combat Command’s F-16 Viper Demonstration Team
Kotnik previously said she hoped her new title would help influence younger generations who came after her at the academy
In a statement on Facebook, Colonel O'Malley, the 20th Fighter Wing Commander, said: 'We have thousands of Airmen across our Air Force serving our country, and not one of them is perfect.
'As good people, like Capt. Kotnik make mistakes, I want them to have the opportunity to learn from them without being under public scrutiny, and to continue to be a part of this great service.
'This will be a difficult time for Capt Kotnik, but she's surrounded by wingmen [who] will help her every step of the way.'
He claimed that he hoped Kotnik will continue to serve the Air Force despite the incident.
Captain Kotnik's predecessor Major John Waters has now resumed command of the team at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
Kotnik has eight years of military experience and flown more than 1,000 hours with the U.S. Air Force
The Viper team is one of four air performance teams under US Air Combat Command (ACC).
The demonstrations conducted by the team help with recruitment efforts, as well as
