Image: Wikimedia Commons (MQ-9 is loaded onto a C-17 at Cannon AFB for Balikatan in 2023, U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Vernon R. Walter III)A troubling pattern of systemic failures emerges at Cannon Air Force Base, as a recent account from a service member reveals neglect and harassment within the ranks, raising serious questions about the treatment of service members during critical times.Could Cannon Air Force Base find itself at the center of another controversy as a result? Remember this incident with Senior Airman Lance Castle? The Saga of USAF Senior Airman Lance Castle, after refusing the CV-19 bio-weapon.Here’s a video of him being extracted from his cell.This man was dubbed an “insider threat,” given 60 days pre-trial confinement (missed the birth of 1st born), and sent to a court martial to… pic.twitter.com/pq53DJT1mm— Mark Charles Bashaw (@MCBashaw) April 7, 2024This time, the story involves an expectant mother. Brittany Puckett was also assigned to Cannon Air Force Base from June 2021 until January 2026. Throughout her time there, the Staff Sergeant said she faced significant disorganization, harassment, and neglect.Prior to her transfer to Cannon AFB, Puckett had sought religious accommodation (RA) for the COVID-19 shot due to her struggles with infertility. While her RA request was being processed, she was taken out of the deployment cycle, denied authorization for Temporary Duty (TDY), barred from attending training exercises, and prohibited from participating in activities like dining indoors at base facilities because she was not “vaccinated.”In 2022, a federal judge in Ohio (Doster v. Kendall) granted a class-action temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction that temporarily prevented the Air Force and Space Force from discharging airmen who were requesting religious exemptions.Yet, Puckett still received a Letter of Reprimand (LOR) for challenging her commander after he issued her a Letter of Counseling (LOC) for not getting the shot. Following his change of command, she viewed her new leadership as “supportive.”Interestingly, for five years, Puckett’s religious accommodation was never adjudicated. Consequently, she managed to avoid the shot and continues to serve on active duty to this day. With the Department of War’s declaration in January 2025 that the COVID-19 shot was “unlawful as implemented,” this particular concern was now something she could put to rest.Disturbing Pregnancy IncidentPuckett told The Gateway Pundit she had consistently performed at her highest level over the years, but “everything was ripped away” following a mental breakdown caused by “the inhumane treatment from a Flight Chief after experiencing civilian trauma.”In January 2025, in her third trimester of pregnancy, she filed a report against a Master Sergeant for sexual harassment due to “crude messages” she had received, as well as instances of stalking behavior. Shockingly, her commander appointed this very Master Sergeant as her Flight Chief.She stated that her team frequently experienced being “cursed at, belittled, and faced extreme emotional responses” from him. Fearing the same ostracism she faced during the battle against COVID, she kept her head down and complied with every order that was issued. Above all, her priority was the healthy delivery of her baby.After considering the advice of others, she decided to hire a doula who was also a midwife. The doula suggested having a home birth with her serving as the midwife, and Puckett was “ecstatic.”She said that her Primary Care Manager (PCM) placed in her record that a home birth was her plan and deemed it safe based on her health history. In the months to follow, the doula performed various services, including providing medical guidance, treating prenatal hemorrhoids with an injectable combination of lidocaine and epinephrine, and conducting full physical examinations every two weeks to ensure both her and the baby’s health.Tragic Outcome and Aftermath“On June 19, 2025,” Puckett said, “things took a terrible turn.” She claimed that the doula used unsanitary gloves “from her garage” and committed “other malicious acts” throughout her labor. “Although she promised me that she was a doctor able to perform obstetrics, she failed to identify a medical emergency,” according to Puckett.“During my excruciatingly painful labor, I was able to voice that I needed medical attention but it was too late,” she recounted. “By the time I made it to the hospital, she did not let the team know there were heaps of meconium leakage, nor how long I had been in labor.”Sadly, Puckett’s baby was delivered stillborn. She said the medical team managed to revive a heartbeat just long enough to put her baby on mechanical life support, but he ultimately passed away due to complications on the third day in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).“My husband and I were later informed that [the doula] was a fraud, and she was reported to the state where she settled on a cease and desist and now awaits criminal prosecution,” Puckett shared.Following the incident, her chain of command granted her both bereavement and maternity leave. “However, returning to work,” she said, “I was again treated harshly.” Allegedly, her Flight Chief, with whom she had a history of conflict, became furious upon discovering that she had signed up for a professional development course and volunteered at the elementary school. She said he was simply uninformed because he was “only an interim flight chief, to work all issues and availability with my OIC, who had approved my attendance.”Even though it was agreed upon with Puckett’s OIC that she would participate in these events, she still received negative paperwork because the Captain was reluctant to challenge the Flight Chief’s authority.Continuing Challenges and Mental Health CrisisPuckett eventually filed an Inspector General (IG) complaint, which was substantiated, but this led to further mistreatment from her chain of command. She felt unsupported in her grief, stating, “I received no support for losing my child, and was merely treated like I was a bad airman for doing nothing wrong.” Six months postpartum and still recovering, she said her OIC had also instructed her to lead a combative class, and according to her, the self-defense training “caused [her] post-partum diastasis recti to worsen.”In the midst of her struggles, she reached a breaking point, expressing thoughts of self-harm. “I got to my breaking point and cried out at my OIC, telling him that I cannot be treated like this anymore, and went home,” she disclosed. “I told them I wanted to take my own life.”Puckett said her plea for help was ignored. “At no point in time was I ever asked in person if I was okay,” she shared. Instead, she was informed that she needed to report the next morning in a full-service uniform the next day. She would be facing an Article 15, a disciplinary action for her mental breakdown. “When I went home, I attempted to take my own life,” she admitted. The incident landed her in the Emergency Room for treatment. The following day, there was “no guidance, no remorse, not even a meeting was had with my leadership for them to check in and see if I was fit for duty.”Following the suicide attempt, she finally asked to seek mental help and was transported to a facility in Texas for ten days to receive treatment.Finding Solace, For NowAfter this series of tragic events, a part of Puckett still feels isolated and estranged from the Air Force. She is burdened by a poor service record that will affect the next five years of her career, as no one really intervened to assist her except for her incredibly supportive family. “My new leadership has been very supportive, but there is nothing they can do to change my record,” she explained. “My worry is that it will be the same as my old leadership, where it starts off dandy and takes a turn when they feel I am a burden because I am still being blocked from deployment due to my pending RA for all vaccines.”“I have a complaint placed with IG at headquarters Air Force, but it will not be able to erase everything I have been through nor correct those records,” she lamented.“The suicide rates within the Department of Defense are extremely high, and I no longer question why,” she admitted. Thankfully, she has found some solace in the fact that she is now at a base that has shown some empathy for her situation.But one thing remains certain: Her past experiences at Cannon Air Force Base highlight apparent systemic failures. The failure to provide adequate support and the lack of accountability for leadership further exacerbate these issues, risking the safety and mental health of service members and casting a shadow over CAFB’s commitment to its personnel.Puckett’s ultimate desire is for “airman’s mental distress to be recognized and taken seriously.” She emphasized that her views do not reflect those of the Department of War or the Department of the Air Force.The post Systemic Failures Resurface at Cannon Air Force Base, Leading One Service Member to Contemplate Suicide appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.