RED WING, Minn. – The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron, America’s tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, has again appointed P-51C Mustang pilot Doug Rozendaal squadron leader.

A dedicated volunteer, Rozendaal has played a pivotal role in the formation and ongoing success of the squadron and its mission, according to CAF officials.

He takes over from former Squadron Leader Bill Shepard, who is currently the vice president of education for the CAF and will continue his role as P-51C Mustang pilot and volunteer with the leadership team.

“Doug Rozendaal has a long history of leadership roles within the Commemorative Air Force organization. We are happy to have him return to the position of CAF Red Tail Squadron Leader and are certain under his leadership the program will continue to thrive,” said Commemorative Air Force President Stephan C. Brown.

Rozendaal paved his own way to a career in aviation and has logged more than 10,000 hours in the air flying more than 170 different types of aircraft. As a certified warbird pilot, he has flown a P-51 Mustang, Corsair, Hellcat, Wildcat, P-40, TBM, Zero, DC-3, PBY Catalina, BT-13, T-6, T-28 trainers, as well as the CAF’s B-25 bomber Miss Mitchell.

He has been a member of the CAF since 1989. Rozendaal is the owner of PetroBlend, an independent lubricant blender and distributor of automotive, heavy duty, agricultural and industrial lubricants.

“I am excited and look forward to building on Bill’s successes,” said Rozendaal. “In every metric, RISE ABOVE: Red Tail is a valuable educational and inspirational program that has exceeded our expectations since its inception. We look forward to continuing that into the future.”