EDWARDS AFB `MAYOR' RELIEVED OF COMMAND.

Byline: JIM SKEEN Staff Writer

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE -- The base ``mayor'' has been relieved of his command and an unspecified investigation opened, Edwards officials said Monday.

Col. Drew Jeter was relieved of duty Friday as the 95th Air Base Wing commander on Friday, two weeks before he was due to be rotated out of the post. The decision was made by Maj. Gen. Curtis Bedke, the commander of Edwards.

``Colonel Jeter, former 95th Air Base Wing commander, was relieved of command Friday due to lack of confidence in his ability to properly execute the responsibilities of that command,'' said a statement released Monday. ``Due to an ongoing investigation, there is no further comment on the case.''

The 95th Air Base Wing commander is responsible for the operations of the 301,000-acre base, including its housing, personnel, construction and communications. Because those duties are similar to those of a top city administrator, the officer holding the post is sometimes referred to as the ``mayor'' of Edwards.

Col. H. Brent Baker Sr., the former wing vice commander, was appointed by Bedke to replace Jeter.

Jeter, the wing commander since June 2004, was originally scheduled to be officially replaced by Baker in a ceremony on June 23. That ceremony has been canceled.

Baker, 45, came to Edwards last summer after serving two years as the 18th Mission Support Group commander at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa.

Prior to coming to Edwards, Jeter had been commander of the 1st Mission Support Group at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Jeter has been in the Air Force since 1984 when he received his commission through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

james.skeen(at)dailynews

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