USCGC Eagle Commanding Officers

The following is a list of Commanding Officers of USCGC Eagle (WIX-327). There have been a total of 32 Eagle captains during her 79 years under USCG commission, and five during her 10 years of commission as Horst Wessel under the Kriegsmarine.

Commanding Officer of USCGC Eagle (WIX-327)
Incumbent CAPT Kristopher Ensley since 27 June 2025
United States Coast Guard
Style	Captain
Reports to	USCG LANTAREA
First holder	CDR Gordon P. McGowan
Unofficial names	EAGLE
Deputy	LCDR Andrew Horvath, XO
Website	uscga.edu/mission/eagle

Many of Eagle's past commanders have gone on to serve with distinction, include ADM Robert J. Papp Jr., who served as the 24th Commandant of the Coast Guard from 2010–2014, and VADM James C. Irwin, who served as vice commandant from 1986 to 1988. In all, nine former Eagle commanders and two Horst Wessel commanders achieved flag rank.^[1]

Horst Wessel's first commander, German VADM August Thiele served with distinction as commander, Kampfgruppe Thiele during WW2, earning the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, and KADM Kurt Weyher continued in the Imperial German Navy tradition of Count Luckner as a merchant raider, earning the post-war Great Cross of Merit.^[2]

KMS Horst Wessel

(Rank at assumption of command)

• Kapitan zur See August Thiele, 1936–1938^[1]
• Korvettenkapitan Kurt Weyher, January 1939 – September 1939^[3]
• Kapitanleutnant Martin Kretschmar, March 1940 – May 1940^[3]
• Fregattenkapitan Peter E. Eiffe, March 1941 – November 1942^[3]
• Kapitanleutnant Berthold Schnibbe, November 1942 – May 1945^[3][4]

USCGC Barque Eagle

Plaque of Eagle COs in Eagle's flag cabin as of 2020

Four generations of Eagle COs, (L-R) CAPT Jones, ADM Papp, CAPT Pulver, CAPT(ret) Cummings, 2012

KptLt Berthold Schnibbe (left) with CDR Gordon P. McGowan in Bremerhaven, 1946

(Rank at assumption of command)

No	Name	Years	Notes	Refs
1	CDR Gordon P. McGowan	1946–1947	First Eagle CO	[4][3]
2	CAPT Miles Imlay	1947–1948	Later	[5]
3	CAPT Carl B. Olsen	1949-1950	Later	[6]
4	CAPT Carl B. Bowman	1950–1954		[7]
5	CAPT Karl O. A. Zittel	1954–1958		[8]
6	CAPT William B. Ellis	1959	Later	[9]
7	CAPT Chester I. Steele	1960–1961	Later	[10]
8	CDR Robert A. Schulz	1961–1962		[11]
9	CAPT William K. Earle	1963–1965		[12]
10	LCDR Peter A. Morrill	1965		[13][11]
11	CDR Archibald B. How	1965–1967		[14]
12	CAPT Stephen G. Carkeek	1967		[15]
13	CAPT Harold A. Paulsen	1968–1971		[1]
14	CAPT Edward D. Cassidy	1972–1973		[16]
15	CAPT James C. Irwin	1974–1975	Later	[17]
16	CAPT James R. Kelly	1975–1976		[18]
17	CAPT Paul A. Welling	1976–1980	Later	[19]
18	CAPT Martin J. Moynihan	1980–1983		[20]
19	CAPT Ernst M. Cummings	1983–1988		[21]
20	CAPT David V.V. Wood	1988–1992		[22]
21	CAPT Patrick Stillman	1992–1995	Later	[23]
22	CAPT Donald R. Grosse	1995–1996		[1]
23	CAPT Robert J. Papp Jr.	1996–1999	Later	[24]
24	CAPT Ivan T. Luke	1999-2003		[25]
25	CAPT Eric Shaw	2003–2006		[26]
26	CAPT Joseph C. Sinnett	2006–2009		[27]
27	CAPT Eric Jones	2009–2012	Later	[28]
28	CAPT Raymond "Wes" Pulver	2012–2015		[29]
29	CAPT Matthew Meilstrup	2015–2019		[30]
30	CAPT Michael Turdo	2019–2022		[31]
31	CAPT Jessica Rozzi-Ochs	2022–2025	First female CO	[32][33]
32	CAPT Kristopher Ensley	2025–		[34]