Springfield, IL  (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The Illinois Air National Guard’s 183rd Wing in Springfield has a new Commander.  Col. Shawn Strahle of Chatham will assume command on June 3 from Col. Robert Gellner of Sherman.

Gellner has accepted a position as the vice commander of the 603rd Air and Space Operations Center in Germany and will start in that role July 1. Strahle has served as the wing’s deputy commander since September 2023.

“Shawn Strahle has the leadership and the experience to bring the 183rd Wing into the modern era of great power competition,” said Brig. Gen. Dan McDonough, the Assistant Adjutant General – Air of the Illinois National Guard and Commander of the Illinois Air National Guard.