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Biography
3rd Marine Division Leadership
Commanding Officer
Colonel Eric A. Meador
Headquarters Battalion

Colonel E. A. Meador entered the Marine Corps in January 1991 completing training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. He was accepted into Officer Candidate School and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Dec 1999 followed by completion of The Basic School
and the Infantry Officer Course.

Colonel Meador served in 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion as a crewman through platoon sergeant 1991 to 1999. Following commissioning, he served as a Platoon Commander and Company Executive Officer at 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment from 2000 to 2003. As a Captain, he served in 2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment as the Assistant Operations officer and Commander, Company E from 2007 to 2010. As a Major, he served as Executive Officer 3d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment from 2014 to 2015. Highlighting his time in the Fleet Marine Force, Colonel Meador commanded 1st Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment from 2017 to 2019. 

Colonel Meador has deployed to multiple theaters as a commander and staff officer. As a Lieutenant, he deployed to Okinawa on the Unit Deployment program and to Guam as part of Operation Noble Eagle following September 11th as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom in An Nasiriya and other areas of Southern Iraq in 2003. As a Captain he served on deployment to Ramadi and other parts of western Al Anbar, Iraq in 2004 and again to Ramadi in 2007/08. As a Company Commander he served in Helmand Province, Afghanistan participating in Operation
Khanjari in 2009. As a Major he deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Gulf, Djibouti and other areas in support of ongoing operations. As a Battalion Commander, he deployed throughout the INDOPACOM Area of Responsibility with
small detachments and as part the Unit Deployment Program to Okinawa and the Republic of Korea.

Colonel Meador’s supporting establishment tours include service as the Fire Support Team Representative (FiST Coyote) trainer at the Tactical Training Exercise Control Group in 29 Palms, California from 2003 to 2006, Company Commander and Warfighting Deputy at The Basic School 2010 to 2013 and as the G3 Training Officer at 2d Marine Division from 2015 to 2016. As a Lieutenant Colonel he served as the Deputy Director of the Expeditionary Operations Training Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force from 2016 to 2017 and as the Current Operations Officer at Marine Forces Pacific from 2019 through 2020. He completed a Joint assignment at US Special Operations Command as the J3 for Joint Task Force Special Reconnaissance and Enabling Command 2021 to 2023. 

Colonel Meador received a Bachelor of Science Degree from William Carey College in 1996. He completed the Expeditionary Warfare School in 2007 and holds a Master of Military Studies Degree from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 2014 and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in 2021. His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, the Meritorious Service Medal with 2 gold stars, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with 1 gold star, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with 3 gold stars and the Combat Action Ribbon with 1 gold star.