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 December 1999 followed by completion of The Basic School and the Infantry Officer Course.
Colonel Meador has served in operational and Fleet Marine Force units including 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion; 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment; 2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment; 3d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment; Commanding Officer 1st Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment; and Commanding Officer Headquarters Battalion, 3d Marine Division.
Colonel Meador has deployed to multiple theaters as a commander and staff officer. He deployed to Okinawa on the Unit Deployment program and to Guam as part of Operation Noble Eagle; Operation Iraqi Freedom in An Nasiriya and other areas of Southern Iraq; two separate deployments to Ramadi and other parts of western Al Anbar, Iraq; Helmand Province, Afghanistan participating in Operation Khanjari; 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Gulf, Djibouti and other areas of the Middle-East and Africa; and 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; Company Commander and Warfighting Deputy at The Basic School; the G3 Training Officer at 2d Marine Division; Deputy Director, Expeditionary Operations Training Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force; and as the Current Operations Officer at Marine Forces Pacific. He completed a Joint assignment at US Special Operations Command as the J3 for Joint Task Force Special Reconnaissance and Enabling Command.
Colonel Meador received a Bachelor of Science Degree from William Carey College; he graduated from the Expeditionary Warfare School; and earned Masters Degrees from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Naval War College. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device, the Meritorious Service Medal 3rd award, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal 2nd award, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal 4th award, and the Combat Action Ribbon 2nd award.