The moves comes after U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.
Lt. Col. Tyler Hiatt made the request for removal, stating that he was unable to execute the duties of the position.
The new AESA radar is a major part of the U.S. Air Force's plan to thoroughly revamp the venerable B-52, and extend its life into at least the 2050s.
The U.S. currently has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
