The US military’s troubled social sciences programme has lost its programme manager, according to media reports.

Steve Fondacaro led the Human Terrain System programme as it saw social scientists embedded with active military units in Iraq and Afghanistan. A number of high profile incidents shook confidence in Human Terrain Teams, including three deaths and one member pleading guilty to manslaughter.

According to the Intelligence Daily website, Fondacaro was dismissed on 11 June. The site further reports that the Georgia Tech Research Institute has announced it will not seek any more work with the Human Terrain programme after it completes its current contract.

Wired’s Danger Room blog says Fondacaro’s expansion of the programme was “largely successful” although it acknowledges there was “a sense of perpetual chaos swirling around”. Their post is worth a look, and not just for their amazing picture of Fondacaro.