Officer associated with Guard liquor store opts to retire

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
March 9, 2003
An officer of the Meridian-based 186th Air Refueling Wing who managed an on-base liquor store has opted to retire, a spokesman for state Adjutant General James H. Lipscomb III confirmed Saturday.
Lt. Col. Tim Powell said Lt. Col. Thomas Temple, who was cited in an Air Force Inspector General's investigation for running an unregulated on-base liquor store, has applied for retirement.
Powell said Temple was not forced to go on leave as previous media reports implied, but that he has accrued enough leave to take time off until he will be able to retire at the end of May.
Temple is the second top officer to leave the unit after an Air Force Inspector General's report substantiated claims that the base's liquor store was run without proper accounting for its profits. Allegations were made that on-duty members of the 186th worked at the liquor store and that favored civilians outside the base could fax in orders for whiskey and wine, which would be delivered to them.
Other substantiated allegations in the report found bigotry, fraud and special treatment for favored members of the unit. The unit's former commander, Lt. Col. David Weaver, was discharged by Lipscomb last week, and apparently will also qualify for retirement.
Powell said Saturday that Lipscomb is continuing to examine all allegations substantiated by the Inspector General's report, including research as to what legal options he has once a person has retired from the Guard.
In the meantime, Powell said the liquor store on the Key Field base is still in operation, although he believes its management has been taken over by the U.S. Army and Air Force Exchange Service instead of officers of the 186th Air Refueling Wing.