The first overall commanding officer of the 54th Sentai, leading it through much of the war, was Major Yasunari Shimada, first taking his command with the regiment's formation in 1941 and being replaced in April, 1944 by Major Naosuke Kurokawa. However, Kurokawa would only command the sentai for about six months before his death in November that same year. Finally taking over command until the end of the war would be Major Isamu Takeda.