U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher Meeker is charged with three violations of the Articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and will face a General Court-Martial. Meeker commanded the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base until he was relieved of duty on Dec. 29, 2023.
According to a release, Meeker was charged Oct. 25 following an investigation.
"The referred charges include one charge and one specification under Article 90, Willfully Disobeying Superior Commissioned Officer; and one charge and two specifications under Article 134, Extramarital Sexual Conduct and Fraternization," the release states.
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Spokespeople for the base declined to comment further on the case.
According to a partially redacted charge sheet, Meeker is charged with engaging in a personal and sexual, extramarital relationship with an enlisted staff sergeant from about April 3, 2023 to June 28, 2023. It also alleges he "willfully disobey[ed]" an order by his superior officer, Lt. Gen. Donna Shipton, to not have any contact with the aforementioned staff sergeant.
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Commander Lt. Gen. Donna D. Shipton removed Meeker last December because of "a loss of confidence in his ability to lead," according to a statement at that time.
"I made this decision in the best interest of the men and women of the 88th Air Base Wing," Shipton said.
Meeker's trial is scheduled to begin June 9, 2025, at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. The current statement says the case was transferred there "in the interest of justice" because Shipton could be called as a material witness.
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.
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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.
