Brig. Gen. Thomas Palenske relinquishes command of the 36th Wing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 22, 2025. (Joseph Maye/U.S. Air Force)
Brig. Gen. Thomas Palenske, who guided the 36th Wing through one of Guam’s most destructive storms in decades, stepped down Thursday, marking the end of a 39-year military career defined by an unorthodox public style.
Palenske relinquished command to Col. Charles Cooley during a ceremony inside one of Andersen Air Force Base’s massive hangars, according to a Thursday news release from the wing.
Palenske’s retirement follows two years at the helm of a critical forward base in the Indo-Pacific, a post he assumed just weeks after Typhoon Mawar devastated the island in May 2023.
Much of his tenure focused on the base’s recovery and mission continuity, efforts that earned him a reputation for both hands-on leadership and a vibrant online presence.
Col. Charles Cooley, left, poses with Brig Gen. Thomas Palenske after relieving him as commander of the 36th Wing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 22, 2025. (Joseph Maye/U.S. Air Force)
“Thank you for having the minerals to make the cuts necessary to be where you’re at right now, but to also have the value to serve something greater than yourself,” Palenske told airmen during Thursday’s ceremony, according to the release. “It’s been an honor to serve alongside you.”
In his final Facebook post as commander, he expressed confidence in his successor and gratitude toward his team.
“BG P signing off for the last time,” he wrote. “I love you guys! ‘Murica!”
Palenske, who signed off his frequent Facebook posts with that patriotic flourish, plans to pursue civilian work at a microdistillery, he told “The Ray Gibson Show,” a local radio program, on May 14.
Cooley last served as deputy commander of the 618th Air Operations Center at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
“As we prepare for the pacing threat, there is no doubt the wing is well-postured to deliver combat power from this base for the Joint Force, our allies, and our partners,” he said, according to the release. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to join this team and look forward to spending time with each and every one of you.”
Palenske’s retirement comes amid a broad shift in military leadership on Guam. Rear Adm. Joshua Lasky assumed command of Joint Task-Force Micronesia on May 15, and Joint Region Marianas is scheduled to change hands on Thursday.
In a phone interview with Stars and Stripes on Friday, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero praised the cooperation between the island and U.S. military leaders but acknowledged that frequent turnover presents challenges.
“For me at least, and for the government and our community, we adjust to one style of admiral – and we work very well – and then they have to change,” she said. “I think it makes it a bit less of a continuity style of management.”
Still, the governor added, outgoing commanders often become effective cheerleaders for the U.S. territory in Washington, D.C.
“They are our advocates here in Guam, and it also brings to the Pentagon a much better perspective and a closer understanding about Guam,” she said.
Cooley was commissioned in 1999 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at West Virginia University, where he earned an unspecified bachelor’s degree, according to his official Air Force bio.
He’s a veteran command pilot with more than 1,000 combat and combat support flight hours and over 3,100 flight hours aboard C-17 Globemaster III transports and KC-135 R/T Stratotanker aerial refueling tankers.
His past assignments include command of the 62nd Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at Thumrait Air Base, Oman, and the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
