Commander Webb

Commander Chuck Webb

By Kierstin Gusnberg

Photos by Jerry Stutzman - TC Photo

It’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 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.

You don’t always want to go through life looking behind your back all the time.

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 dream of becoming a pilot while honoring his father’s wishes. That plan fell through, though, when, in the middle of his program, U of M made cuts that ultimately led to he and others no longer having a slot in the USAF. His dad suggested CDR Webb join the Coast Guard instead. There was a hitch though, back then, you didn’t get much of a say in where you received our station assignment, be it air or sea. As a young man, Chuck didn’t want to be on a boat, he longed to fly, and the Army could promise him that.

In 1992 he headed down to Fort Rucker, Alabama, to attend flight school for the U.S. Army and was eventually assigned to the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. As he climbed the ranks, he made a move after move. And, as they often are, his father was right - an Army career is tough, especially when you start a family, which CDR Webb had to leave behind, sometimes by thousands of miles. Not wanting to miss out on his sons’ childhood years, he took his father’s advice and pursued the Coast Guard, and in 1999 he and his wife and their two children happily became a “Coastie” family, settling into their four-year stint at Air Station Traverse City. Since then, his decades in the USCG have brought many proud moments, including developing a post 9/11 intercept program for Washington D.C. airspace and serving as Executive Assistant to the Norad and U.S. Northern Command Chief of Staff.

Now, as the Commander of Air Station Traverse City, CDR Webb says that the most rewarding part of being in a leadership role is seeing those he leads serving with integrity, taking the initiative to use their capabilities to help those in our community without a pause. When it comes to who taught him the value of those same attributes, he credits his dad. He showed him in those early years of daydreaming about aviation that being true to yourself and taking action to fulfill the goals you find essential are a sure way to minimize regrets. Commander Webb shared, “One of the things he would always say is you don’t want to go through life looking behind your back all of the time.” And if his thousands upon thousands of air miles spent serving his country are any proof, CDR Webb has certainly lived life well by those words.

You will be hard-pressed to find a more worthy and rewarding calling than serving your nation.

When asked his advice for young people looking to join the armed services, CDR Webb responded, “You will be hard-pressed to find a more worthy and rewarding calling than serving your nation. It is one of the most honorable things you can do. Beyond the skills, teamwork, and leadership development you will be given along with amazing camaraderie each step of the way, you will find inspiration being part of something much much much bigger than yourself. You will enjoy the highest of times, but you will also experience the lowest of lows. Knowing you are part of an elite club of Americans prepared to give it all for this great nation will get you through those lows. Whether you serve the minimal amount of time possible or make the military a lifetime career, my hat’s off to you for joining our elite group.”

GATHER Veterans is honored to share the story of this inspiring military leader! Thank you CDR Webb for your service to our country!