Courtesy photo | Ashley Richards
Lt. Gen. Donna Shipton, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander, passes the 88th Air Base Wing guidon to Col. Dustin Richards during an assumption-of-command ceremony April 9 inside the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Richards takes command of the installation and 88 ABW, which is comprised of more than 5,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel. The wing reports to AFLCMC, a major development and acquisition product center under Air Force Materiel Command.
Courtesy photo | Daniel Peterson
Col. Dustin Richards exchanges salutes with Lt. Gen. Donna Shipton, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander, as he assumes command of the 88th Air Base Wing and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base during a ceremony April 9. The 88th ABW is one of the Air Force’s largest air base wings with more than 5,000 personnel supporting 115 mission partners.
Courtesy photo | R.J. Oriez
Col. Dustin Richards, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, receives his first salute as he assumes command April 9.
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Col. Dustin Richards assumed the role of 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander during a ceremony April 9 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
Lt. Gen. Donna Shipton, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander, presided over the ceremony, symbolically passing the command’s flag to Richards.
“So, I charge you today to continue to be that warrior scholar that you are,” Shipton said in her remarks. “Build strong relationships both on and off base, and lead our Airmen with compassion, accountability and integrity.”
Richards, a career civil engineer, comes to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base from Washington, where he was the senior military assistant in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment.
Assuming wing command was a long-time goal and he appreciates the importance of the wing’s airmen, Richards told the audience.
“The success of our mission is deeply rooted in the strength of our people,” he said. “I am committed to ensuring the well-being, professional development, and morale of each and every airman under my command. Together, we will create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their fullest potential.”
Richards went on to pledge his dedication to strengthening his command’s connections with its 128 mission partners and the local community.
He now commands one of the Air Force’s largest air base wings with more than 5,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel. The wing provides support and services to a broad, diverse and organizationally complex base, which includes a major acquisition center, research and development laboratories, major command headquarters, airlift wing and the world’s largest military air museum.
Home to more than 35,000 employees, WPAFB is the largest single-site employer in Ohio.
Richards replaces Col. Christopher B. Meeker, who was removed from command by Shipton late last year.
