The commander of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton has been relieved of his command. Col. Christopher B. Meeker was removed Dec. 29.
According to a base release, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Commander, Lt. Gen. Donna D. Shipton, removed Meeker because of "a loss of confidence in his ability to lead."
"I made this decision in the best interest of the men and women of the 88th Air Base Wing," Shipton says in the statement.
No further details were released and a spokesperson declined to comment to WVXU. According to Task & Purpose, which reports on military issues, " 'Loss of confidence in ability to lead' is a boilerplate phrase military officials commonly use when a senior leader is fired without the reasons for the dismissal being made public."
RELATED: Ex-Wright-Patt Maj. Gen. Cooley loses rank after abusive sexual misconduct conviction
88th Air Base Wing Deputy Commander, Col. Travis W. Pond, will serve as interim wing commander. He's been the deputy commander since June 2023.
Meeker assumed command of the 88th Air Base Wing in July 2022. According to his biography, Meeker joined the Air Force in 2000 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a career civil engineer who served at five base-level assignments, Headquarters Air Force, the Air Force Personnel Center and Air Force Civil Engineer Center. His previous commands included the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; and 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
He was promoted to colonel in February 2020.
RELATED: A historic court-martial ends with the first conviction of an Air Force general
Two months prior to Meeker assuming command, a now retired former major general was convicted during a general court-martial for abusive sexual contact. William T. Cooley, then a two-star general, was the head of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson at the time of the court-martial in April 2022. He was removed from command Jan. 15, 2020, following allegations of sexual assault. He is the first Air Force general to have his case adjudicated by a court-martial. He lost both stars and retired as a colonel.
At more than 30,000 employees, Wright-Patt is the largest single-site employer in Ohio. The 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patt is one of the Air Force's largest air base wings with more than 5,000 officers and enlisted Airmen, Air Force civilians and contractor employees.
