DAYTON, Ohio — New leadership is officially in full effect at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.

Colonel Dustin Richards assumed command of the 88th Air Base Wing at a ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

What You Need To Know

  • Col. Dustin Richards assumes command of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton

  • Col. Richards has served 23 years and has a background in civil engineering

  • Graduated from AFIT in 2005

  • 88th Air Base Wing is the largest in the Air Force with more than 5,000 officers and enlisted Airmen

“We’re so grateful for the reception we’ve had. We really look forward to living in this community and being a part of your family,” said Col. Richards.

For Col. Richards, his wife Ashley, and their daughters Kennedy and Emily, it’s the start of a new adventure.

“For the men and women of the 88th Air Base Wing, the message is really just to continue delivering the excellence that they’ve been delivering for so long,” he said.

 Col. Richards has served for 23 years and has a background in civil engineering.

“Growing up, I always wanted to be a part of building things. Construction and just seeing things come up because you can really tie what you do to a product. It’s great for a place like Wright-Patterson. There’s so much construction going on and so much development that expertise is going to come in handy,” he said.

 This isn’t the first time he’s called the Wright-Patterson home.

In 2005, he received his Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

“It feels amazing. I’m still finding out what has become new in that last 18 to 19 years since I left, but it’s become even more of a vibrant community than it was. The training back then definitely made me a better leader,” Col. Richards said.

The 88th Air Base Wing is the largest in the Air Force, with more than 5,000 military, Air Force civilians, and contractor employees.

More than 30,000 people work for the base and it’s the largest single-site employer in Ohio.

“It’s a huge responsibility and I want to live up to it. I really want to do what’s needed for the wing in the community, but also be there for the community to establish that relationship,” he said.

 While Col. Richards is working to enhance the local connection, he’s also looking at the big picture.

“I know how you’ve seen in the press how AFMC and Life Cycle Management Center are reorganizing and getting after the challenges the Secretary has laid out, from the 88th perspective, our mission isn’t going to change, we’ve provided support to all those mission partners on Wright-Patterson over the years. We’ll continue to provide that support as they figure out what they need to do for re-optimizing for great power competition,” he said.

Col. Richards says he’s looking forward to meeting the Airmen in the wing and community partners.

Some of his hobbies include traveling and rooting for Ohio State, and he’s also training for the Air Force Marathon coming up in September.

Richards takes over for Col. Christopher Meeker, who was relieved of his duties in December.