Michigan Wing Commanders

Lt Col Sheldon B. Steers - 1 Dec 1941 to 10 Jul 1942 Col Ray H. Baker - 10 Jul 1942 to 25 Sep 1946 Col Fay M. Thomas - 25 Sep 1946 to 15 Dec 1948 Col William M. Joy - 15 Dec 1948 to 2 Jul 1951 Col Louis Edwards - 2 Jul 1951 to 16 Sep 1955 Col Walter C. Gernt - 16 Sep 1955 to 28 Sep 1958 Col Melvin E. Beebe - 28 Sep 1958 to 29 Sep 1961 Col Robert J. Anderson - 29 Sep 1961 to 29 Aug 1963 Col John E. Issitt - 29 Aug 1963 to Feb 1967 Col Charles W. Klann - 1 Sep 1967 to 1 Nov 1971 Col Edward L. Palka - 1 Nov 1971 to 31 Dec 1974 Col Russell A. Sheibels - 1 Jan 1975 to 1 Jul 1978 Col Robert J. Schaetzl - 1 Jun 1978 to 7 Dec 1980 Col Robert W. Paulson - 7 Dec 1980 to 8 Dec 1983 Col Stephen T. Rudowski - 8 Dec 1983 to 18 Oct 1986 Col Kenneth C. Redington - 18 Oct 1986 to 15 Apr 1989 Col Robert V. Payton - 15 Apr 1989 to 15 Mar 1992 Col John A. Alexander - 15 Mar 1992 to 4 Mar 1995 Col William S. Charles - 4 Mar 1995 to 6 Mar 1999 Col Amy S. Courter - 6 Mar 1999 to 11 May 2002 Col William W. Webb - 11 May 2002 to 1 Mar 2003 Col Gary J. Mayo - 1 Mar 2003 to Apr 2006 Col Michael A. Saile - Apr 2006 to Aug 2010 Col Leo Burke - Aug 2010 to Present

Archival Confirmation:
17 Dec 41 S. B. Steers was Comdr. (AAF Hist. Studies, No. 19) 6 Mar 42 CAP Bulletin No. 6. Sheldon B. Steers was Comdr. 24 Jul 42 CAP Bulletin No. 26. Sheldon B. Steers assigned. to Nat. HQ. 1 Aug 42 PO 5. Ray H. Baker, Acting Commander, to Capt. eff 10 Jul 42 2 Jul 43 CAP Bulletin Vol. II, No. 27. Maj. Ray H. Baker was Comdr. Dec 43 Skyways Magazine. Maj. Ray H. Baker was Comdr. 5 Jan 44 Roster. Lt. Col. Ray H. Baker was Comdr. 29 Dec 45 Nat. Hq. list gives Sheldon B. Steers as Comdr. from 12/1/41 to 7/10/42, and Lt. Col. Ray H. Baker as Comdr. from 7/10/42 to date 14 May 46 Wing Commanders' Conf. Minutes. Lt. Col. Ray H. Baker was Comdr. 3 Sep 46 Roster. Col. Ray H. Baker was Comdr. 17 Aug 48 CAP Board Minutes. Col. Fay M. Thomas requested to be relieved as Comdr. 10 May 49 NB Minutes. Col. William M. Joy was Comdr.

28 Sep 51 NEB Minutes. Approved Lt. Col. Louis A. Edwards to Col. & Comdr. vice Col. William M. Joy resigned (to NEB) 27 May 55 NB Minutes. Col. Louis A. Edwards was Comdr. 21 May 56 NEC Minutes. Walter C. Gernt aptd. Col. & Comdr. (was aptd. Act. Comdr. 16 Sep 55) 4 Mar 58 NB Minutes. Col. Walter C. Gernt was Comdr. 8 Nov 58 NEB Minutes. Melvin E. Beebe to Temp. Col. & Act. Comdr. eff 28 Sep 58 26 Apr 59 NEB Minutes. Melvin E. Beebe to Col. & Comdr. eff 28 Sep 58 5 May 61 NB Minutes. Col. Melvin E. Beebe was Comdr. 30 Mar 62 NEC Minutes. Temp. Col. Robert J. Anderson to Col. & Comdr. 5 Apr 62 PANHQ 17. Robert J. Anderson, 29 Sep 61, Col. eff 30 Mar 62. 11 Dec 62 PANHQ 61. Col. Robert J. Anderson was Comdr. 6 Sep 63 NEC Minutes. Col. John E. Issitt elected Comdr. 28 Oct 66 NB Minutes. Col. John E. Issitt was Comdr. 1 Sep 67 PANHQ 20. Lt. Col. Charles W. Klann aptd. Int. Comdr. eff 1 Sep 67 15 Mar 68 PANHQ 10. Charles W. Klann to Col. & Comdr. eff 15 Mar 68 1 Nov 71 PANHQ 51. Lt. Col. Edward L. Palka aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Charles W. Klann reassigned eff 1 Nov 71 5 Jun 72 PANHQ 22. Edward L. Palka to Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 3 Jun 72 2 Jan 75 PANHQ 1. Lt. Col. Russell A. Sheibels aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Edward L. Palka reassigned eff 1 Jan 75 16 Jun 75 PANHQ 12. Russell A. Sheibels to Temp. Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 6 Jun 75 7 Jun 76 PANHQ 17. Russell A. Sheibels to Perm. Col. eff 5 Jun 76 30 Jun 78 PANHQ 26. Lt. Col. Robert J. Schaetzl aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Russell A. Sheibels reassigned eff 1 Jul 78 2 Jan 79 PANHQ 1. Robert J. Schaetzl to Temp. Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 1 Jan 79 31 Dec 79 PANHQ 45. Robert J. Schaetzl to Perm. Col. eff 1 Jan 80 7 Dec 80 PANHQ 45. Lt. Col. Robert W. Paulson aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Robert J. Schaetzl reassigned eff 7 Dec 80 1 Jun 81 PANHQ 15. Robert W. Paulson to Temp. Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 7 Jun 81 1 Jun 82 PANHQ 16. Robert W. Paulson to Perm. Col. eff 7 Jun 82 15 Nov 83 PANHQ 46. Lt. Col. Stephen T. Rudowski aptd. Int. Comdr. vice Col. Robert W. Paulson reassigned eff 8 Dec 83 6 Jun 84 PANHQ 28. Stephen T. Rudowski to Temp. Col. & Perm. Comdr. eff 8 Jun 84 3 Jun 85 PANHQ 20. Stephen T. Rudowski to Perm. Col. eff 8 Jun 85 4 Sep 86 PANHQ 40 Lt Col Kenneth C. Redington; vice Stephen T. Rudowski, 18 Oct 86 1 Apr 87 PANHQ 12. Kenneth C. Redington to Comdr. & Temp. Col. eff 18 Oct 87 1 Apr 88 PANHQ 11. Kenneth C. Redington to Perm. Col. eff 18 Apr 88. 20 Mar 89 PANHQ 16 Lt Col Robert V. Payton, vice Kenneth C. Redington, 15 Apr 89 29 Sep 89 PANHQ 57. Robert V. Payton to Comdr. & Temp. Col. eff 15 Oct 89. 31 Mar 91 PANHQ 15. Col. Robert V. Payton reaptd. Comdr. eff 15 Apr 91 26 Feb 92 PANHQ 14. Lt. Col. John A. Alexander aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Robert V. Payton and to Temp. Col. eff 15 Mar 92. Col. Robert V. Payton to Perm. Col. eff 15 Mar 92 26 Feb 93 PANHQ 6. Col. John A. Alexander reaptd. Comdr. eff 15 Mar 93 1 Mar 94 PANHQ 17. Col. John A. Alexander reaptd. Comdr. eff 15 Mar 94 16 Feb 95 PANHQ 7. Lt. Col. William S. Charles aptd. Comdr. vice Col. John A. Alexander and to Temp. Col, 4 Mar 95. Col. John A. Alexander to Perm. Col, 4 Mar 95

29 Feb 96 PANHQ 11. Upon completion of probationary period of one year, Col. William S. Charles is aptd. Comdr. eff 4 Mar 96 1 Mar 99 PANHQ 6. Lt. Col. Amy S. Courter aptd. Comdr. vice Col. William S. Charles and to Temp. Col. eff 6 Mar 1999. Col. William S. Charles to Perm Col. eff 6 Mar 1999 3 Mar 2000 PANHQ 12. Upon completion of probationary period of one year, Col. Amy S. Courter is aptd. Comdr. eff 6 Mar 2000 30 Apr 2002 PANHQ 35. Col William W. Webb aptd. Comdr. vice Col. Amy S. Courter eff 11 May 2002. Col. Amy S. Courter to Perm. Col. eff 11 May 2002 28 Feb 2003 PANHQ 13. Lt. Col. Gary J. Mayo aptd. Comdr. vice Col. William W. Webb and to Temp. Col. eff 1 Mar 2003. Col. William W. Webb to Perm. Col. eff 1 Mar 2003 1 Mar 2004 PANHQ 10. Col. Gary J. Mayo completed probationary period and aptd. Comdr. eff 1 Mar 2004

Researched by Louisa S. Morse, Col, CAP Updated by Mark Hess, Lt Col, CAP (As of 15 Sept 2013)