Meeker was removed from command at Wright-Patterson nearly a year ago by Lt. Gen. Donna D. Shipton, commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, also at Wright-Patterson. At the time, the reason given for the change was boilerplate military language expressing a loss of confidence in Meeker’s ability to lead.
Meeker had been the first 88th Air Base Wing commander who had been so removed. The wing was formed in October 1994, responsible for security and infrastructure on the 8.100-acre base that is home to some 38,000 military and civilian employees.
On Wednesday, the Air Force Materiel Command (also based at Wright-Patterson) said that since there is potential for Shipton to be a material witness in the case, she transferred the case to another convening authority, Maj. Gen. Charles D. Bolton, 18th Air Force commander, at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
Following an investigation, Meeker was charged on Oct. 25, 2024 with three violations of Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, AFMC said.
The referred charges include one charge and one specification under Article 90, willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer; and one charge and two specifications under Article 134, extramarital sexual conduct and fraternization.
Meeker waived his Article 32 preliminary hearing and charges were referred to a general court-martial by Bolton, AFMC said.
Col. Dustin Richards assumed command of the 88th in April 2024.
Wright-Patterson is home to global units responsible for equipping and sustaining the Air Force and its personnel, the Air Force Materiel Command, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the Air Force Research Laboratory, among others. The installation is the largest single-site concentration of employment in Ohio. In a fact sheet, the wing put the base’s annual payroll at $3.3 billion, with a total economic impact of $6.5 billion.
About the Author
