Commander Chuck Webb By Kierstin Gusnberg
Photos by Jerry Stutzman - TC Photo
I
t’s been ten years since Traverse City became an official Coast Guard City. It’s a designation that doesn’t come by default, no matter the miles of glittering waves or elated kids waving hello to the iconic orange choppers from down below. To Commander Charles “Chuck” Webb, who’s been the Commanding Officer of Air Station Traverse City since July of 2019, the title is unsurprising. From events like the annual Coast Guard Picnic to the year-round programs and discounts offered to military and Veteran families, he says, “There
is no other community like Traverse City that’s behind it’s military, and it’s Veterans...it’s incredible.” Having grown up in another lakeside city, Muskegon, CDR Webb has always appreciated how unique northern Michigan is with its winding, wooded trails, sunbaked dunes, and friendly approach to newcomers, of which families like his own often are. Despite the abundance of coastline making the area ideal for USCG stations, his mind was never on cruising the bays; it was always careening above
GATHER Veterans – 8
them, which he planned to do inflight school after his high school graduation in the late ’80s. His father, an Army Veteran who served for almost four decades, urged a young Chuck to take a different path than he did, reflecting on the challenges of serving for the most potent force in the world. So, after attending Muskegon Community College, CDR Webb transferred to the University of Michigan, where he joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps with plans to fulfill his
