WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Col. Charles Barkhurst assumed the role of 88th Air Base Wing vice commander July 1. Barkhurst replaces Col. Michael Phillips, who transitions to his next assignment at Air Force Materiel Command.
Phillips was selected as vice commander in June 2019, and concluded his two-year term as an element of continuity in base leadership as the installation moved through the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was the new guy for pretty much that entire year, and then, bam, it hits, and it’s time for you to stand up and be that continuity,” Phillips recalled in an interview published by the 88th Air Base Wing. “It wasn’t just the commander changing out; it was also the command chief and the civilian vice director, and suddenly I was the last man standing.
Phillips will remain at Wright-Patterson for his next assignment as the new deputy director for air, space and cyberspace operations and chief information officer at Air Force Materiel Command headquarters.
Barkhurst joins the 88th Air Base Wing from the Pentagon in Washington D.C., where he served as senior military assistant to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Comptroller. He brings experience to his new leadership role including financial management positions at wing, center, major command, combatant command and Air Force levels, according to his bio.
He has deployed to support NATO operations in Bosnia and humanitarian missions in Sri Lanka. Barkhurst also served as commander of comptroller squadrons at both RAF Mildenhall, England, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
“I’m looking forward to working with Wright-Patt personnel to execute the air base wing mission and support Airmen and families,” he said.