White Sands Commanders

White Sands Proving Ground/White Sands Missile Range has had 35 Commanders since its activation on 09 July 1945. These Commanders are listed below in chronological order. Click on the photo to view their biography.

COL Harold Turner
1st White Sands Proving Ground Commander
09 July 1945 – 03 August 1947
BG Philip Blackmore
2nd White Sands Proving Ground Commander
04 August 1947 – 31 January 1950
BG George Eddy
3rd White Sands Proving Ground Commander
12 January 1950 – 14 June 1954
MG William Bell
4th White Sands Proving Ground Commander
01 August 1954 – 31 January 1956
MG Waldo Laidlaw
5th White Sands Missile Range Commander
01 February 1956 – 30 June 1960
MG John Shinkle
6th White Sands Missile Range Commander
01 July 1960 – 11 June 1962
MG Frederick Thorlin
7th White Sands Missile Range Commander
09 July 1962 – 31 July 1965
MG John Cone
8th White Sands Missile Range Commander
01 August 1965 – 30 March 1966
MG Horace Davisson
9th White Sands Missile Range Commander
12 October 1966 – 31 March 1970
MG Edward deSaussure
10th White Sands Missile Range Commander
08 April 1970 – 31 May 1972
MG Arthur Sweeny
11th White Sands Missile Range Commander
01 June 1972 – 21 July 1974
MG Robert Proudfoot
12th White Sands Missile Range Commander
29 July 1974 – 31 July 1975
MG Orville Tobiason
13th White Sands Missile Range Commander
09 September 1975 – 28 February 1979
MG Duard Ball
14th White Sands Missile Range Commander
19 March 1979 – 22 July 1980
MG Alan Nord
15th White Sands Missile Range Commander
22 July 1980 – 24 September 1982
MG Niles Fulwyler
16th White Sands Missile Range Commander
24 September 1982 – 04 June 1986
MG Joe Owens
17th White Sands Missile Range Commander
04 June 1986 – 16 October 1987
MG Thomas Jones
18th White Sands Missile Range Commander
16 October 1987 – 10 August 1990
BG Ronald Hite
19th White Sands Missile Range Commander
10 August 1990 – 11 July 1991
BG Richard Wharton
20th White Sands Missile Range Commander
11 July 1991 – 24 June 1994
BG Jerry Laws
21st White Sands Missile Range Commander
24 June 1994 – 13 April 1998
BG Harry Gatanas
22nd White Sands Missile Range Commander
13 April 1998 – 16 November 1999
BG Steven Flohr
23rd White Sands Missile Range Commander
16 November 1999 – 22 October 2001
BG William Engel
24th White Sands Missile Range Commander
22 October 2001 – 02 May 2003
COL Lawrence Sowa
25th White Sands Missile Range Commander
02 May 2003 – 17 July 2003
BG Robert Reese
26th White Sands Missile Range Commander
17 July 2003 – 30 November 2005
Thomas R. Berard
1st White Sands Missile Range Director
30 November 2005 – 05 October 2007
BG Richard McCabe
27th White Sands Missile Range Commander
05 October 2007 – 03 October 2008
BG David Mann
28th White Sands Missile Range Commander
03 October 2008 – 24 August 2009
BG John Regan
29th White Sands Missile Range Commander
24 August 2009 – 19 July 2011
BG John Ferrari
30th White Sands Missile Range Commander
18 August 2011 – 16 August 2012
MG Gwen Bingham
31st White Sands Missile Range Commande
12 September 2012 – 06 June 2014
BG Timothy Coffin
32nd White Sands Missile Range Commander
02 July 2014 – 25 August 2016
BG Eric Sanchez
33rd White Sands Missile Range Commander
27 August 2016 – 16 July 2018
BG Gregory Brady
34th White Sands Missile Range Commander
17 July 2018 – 16 July 2019
BG David Trybula
35th White Sands Missile Range Commander
17 July 2019 – 20 May 2021
BG Eric Little
36th White Sands Missile Range Commander
20 May 2021 – Present