Governor Tony Evers has selected Brigadier General Paul Knapp as the next Adjutant General of the Wisconsin National Guard. Brigadier General Knapp will serve a 5-year term as the head of the Wisconsin National Guard and the Department of Military Affairs.
Brig. Gen. Knapp has served in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air Force Reserve since 1992. On active duty, he served as a Special Agent for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations prior to attending navigator training. He served two operational tours as an F-15E Strike Eagle weapon systems officer and one as an air liaison officer to the U.S. Army in South Korea. He separated from active duty in August 2003 and joined the 95th Airlift Squadron of the 440th Airlift Wing, General Mitchell Air Reserve Station, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, flying the C-130H Hercules. Brig. Gen. Knapp has served as an Instructor, Evaluator, Flight Commander, Squadron Commander, Deputy Operations Group Commander and Vice Wing Commander.
Brig. Gen. Knapp’s appointment fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar in December. Governor Evers called for the resignation after a top-to-bottom review of the Wisconsin National Guard detailed system failures in its handling of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and retaliation allegations.
Brig. Gen. Knapp is a native of Antigo, Wisconsin. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland. He resides in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, with his wife, Dr. Renee Knapp and their two children.