Paul E. Knapp is a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

in the

Wisconsin Air National Guard The Wisconsin Air National Guard (WI ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Wisconsin, United States of America. It is, along with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, an element of the Wisconsin National Guard. As state militia units, the uni ...

. He is currently serving as the adjutant general of the

Wisconsin National Guard The Wisconsin National Guard consists of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the Wisconsin Air National Guard. It is a part of the Government of Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is t ...

Career

Maj. Gen. Knapp commissioned into the Air Force in 1992 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He started on active duty as a Special Agent for the

Air Force Office of Special Investigations The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is a U.S. federal law enforcement agency that reports directly to the Secretary of the Air Force. OSI is also a U.S. Air Force field operating agency under the administrative ...

. He then attended navigator training at

Randolph AFB Randolph Air Force Base was an United States Air Force base located at Universal City, Texas ( east-northeast of Downtown San Antonio). Opened in 1931, Randolph has been a flying training facility for the United States Army Air Corps, the Un ...

, Texas, and

Pensacola Naval Air Station Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United Stat ...

, Florida. After completing training, Knapp served two operational tours as an

F-15E Strike Eagle The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without rely ...

weapon systems officer and one as an air liaison officer to the U.S. Army in South Korea. In August 2003 Knapp separated from active duty and joined the

95th Airlift Squadron The 95th Airlift Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last active at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, where it was assigned to the 440th Operations Group and operated Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft supporting the gl ...

of the 440th Airlift Wing, General Mitchell Air Reserve Station,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, flying the

C-130H Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...

. He maintained various positions there until 2008. In February 2019, Knapp became the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. There he directed the Air Force's nuclear modernization, acquisition and sustainment programs with more than 1,300 personnel at 18 locations worldwide. On March 5, 2020, Knapp was appointed

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the

by Governor

Tony Evers Anthony Steven Evers (born November 5, 1951) is an American educator and politician serving as the 46th governor of Wisconsin since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Wisconsin's Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2009 ...

. The position has a five-year term and a promotion to major general. Knapp took the command from Brig. Gen. Joane Mathews and Brig. Gen. Gary L. Ebben who both took turns serving as interim adjutants general since the dismissal of former state adjutant Maj. Gen.

Donald P. Dunbar Major General Donald P. Dunbar is Wisconsin's former Adjutant General. He commanded the Wisconsin National Guard and is in the United States Air National Guard. Dunbar was responsible for Emergency Management in the state. He also served as Wisc ...

by Governor Evers. On November 18, 2020, Knapp was nominated for federal recognition and

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmation of his promotion to major general. On December 14, 2020, his promotion was confirmed by voice vote of the full Senate. Maj. Gen. Knapp has served as an Instructor, Evaluator, Flight Commander, Squadron Commander, Deputy Operations Group Commander and Vice Wing Commander. He has 681 combat hours, more than 262 combat sorties supporting operations Allied Force, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Flying in 21 different aircraft, Knapp has over 3,000 flying hours.

Education

* Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Japanese minor, U.S. Air Force Academy * Master of Science, Technology Management,

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, space, and cyberspace in joint operation ...

Personal life

Knapp is a native of

Antigo, Wisconsin Antigo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,100 at the 2020 census. Antigo is the center of a farming and lumbering district, and its manufactures consist principally of lumber, ...

. He currently resides in

Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Whitefish Bay is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,954 at the 2020 census. History In the early 19th century when the first white settlers arrived, the Whitefish Bay area was controlled by Native A ...

, with his wife, Dr. Renee Knapp and their two children.

Awards and badges

Dates of rank

Knapp commissioned into the Air Force in 1992. His current rank is Major General in the Wisconsin National Guard.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knapp, Paul E. Living people United States Air Force generals Military personnel from Wisconsin United States Air Force personnel of the Iraq War Recipients of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Air Medal Air Command and Staff College alumni Air War College alumni Wisconsin National Guard personnel Year of birth missing (living people) United States Air Force Academy alumni