Chief of Staff

Lt Col Talmadge Butler serves as Chief of Staff of the Alabama Wing.  His primary duty is the management and coordination of the wing staff as well as assisting the wing commander and vice commander in the performance of their duties.  Prior to assuming this position, he served as Squadron Commander of the Gadsden Composite Squadron from 2004 to 2010 and again from 2011 to 2015.  After his successful command tours, he was assigned as the Alabama Wing Assistant Director of Operations.  In August 2016, he was called to serve in his current position as Chief of Staff. He also performs as an instructor at the National Emergency Services School and the Alabama WIng Emergency Services School. 

Lt Col Butler is a retired Park Superintendent in the State of Alabama, where he served for 36 years (1974 to 2010).  After his retirement, the Azalea Cascades Trail, located at the DeSoto State Park, was renamed the Talmadge Butler Boardwalk Trail, which has over 360 yards of beautiful scenery and opportunities for birdwatching.

Lt Col Butler attended the University of Montevallo earning his Bachelor Degree in 1977, and subsequently received his Juris Doctorate from the Birmingham School of Law in Birmingham, AL.

Lt Col Butler holds a master rating in the logistics specialty track and a technician rating in the Public Affairs, Aerospace Education, Professional Development, Inspector General, Command, Communication, Finance, Operations, and Safety Specialty Tracks.  He currently holds an Incident Command 2 qualification and is a Mission Observer and a CAP pilot.  He has been awarded many awards and decorations including a National Commendation Award, the Yeager Award, and has his Level 4 Garber Award.