Open From the National Commander Column

From the National Commander | Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye

Reflections from the Air, Space & Cyber Conference

Recently, my time at the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) Air, Space & Cyber Conference was energizing and affirming. AFA is a valued partner whose mission to advocate for dominant air, space, and cyber forces aligns with Civil Air Patrol’s programs. This annual gathering offers CAP a unique opportunity to engage with senior Air Force leaders, reconnect with former cadets now serving in uniform, learn about what the Air Force is planning, and showcase our contributions. We share our story as a Total Force partner through presentations, interviews, and conversations at our booth. The conversations and connections made here can lead to new opportunities and help us align our efforts with the evolving priorities of the Air Force.

This year was particularly celebratory because Cadet Capt. Daniel O’Connell was honored on the main stage as AFA Aerospace Education Cadet of the Year and Brig.

Open Flying Drones Column

Flying Drones | by William J. Evans, sUAS Program Manager

Expanding CAP’s National sUAS Program

As Civil Air Patrol’s newly appointed small Unmanned Aircraft Systems manager, I want to assure you CAP National Headquarters is working diligently to strengthen its sUAS program.

A U.S. Army veteran and former senior UAS trainer, I assumed the role in August. With more than 15 years of experience operating and teaching unmanned aircraft systems from Raven and Puma platforms to the latest enterprise drones, I bring both operational depth and a vision for the future of CAP’s unmanned aircraft fleet.

Our mission is to make sure every wing has the right tools, training, and support to integrate sUAS into their operations. From disaster response to search and rescue, drones are now a force-multiplier for Civil Air Patrol, and we’re building the infrastructure to sustain that nationwide.

Open Tsunami Warnings Article

Hawaii Wing Responds Quickly to Tsunami Threat Following Massive Russian Quake

By Paul South

CAP aircraft based in Hawaii are always ready for flight, as was the case this summer when a Russian earthquake prompted the need for tsunami warnings over the islands’ coastal areas.

In late July, when a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake rocked and rolled the Kamchatka peninsula, a remote Russian region in the northern Pacific Ocean, Civil Air Patrol’s Hawaii Wing and the Pacific Tsunami Warning System scrambled to work.

The Hawaii Wing was “wheels-up” within 90 minutes after the first tsunami warning notification.

While tsunami waves more than 4 feet high and 11 feet deep damaged some boats and harbor infrastructure and triggered mild flooding, no one on the island chain was injured or killed by the swells, Col. Dana McLaughlin, then the wing’s director of emergency services, said.

Wh

Open Border Mission Article

CAP Supports Mission to Bolster Security at U.S. Southern Border

A forward-looking infrared (FLIR 8500) camera is installed on this CAP aircraft. Advanced airborne technologies like FLIR are being considered for future border missions.

For more than three decades two Civil Air Patrol regions and four wings have flown thousands of daily missions to bolster security at the U.S. southern border.

These missions harken back to CAP’s heritage of helping protect the nation’s approaches from potential illegal activities and passing on the vital information to the proper authorities. CAP continues the effort alongside agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as an integral part of U.S. Northern Command and its mission.

Acting in its role as the U.S. Air Force auxiliary and a Total Force partner, CAP is serving as a force multiplier, working shoulder-to-shoulder with federal law enforcement agencies, includin

Open Secretary Anderson Article

Former CAP National Commander Anderson Named Assistant Secretary of the Air Force

By Paul South

In an official swearing-in ceremony Oct. 6 at the Pentagon, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink (left) congratulates Richard L. Anderson after he took the oath to become assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Looking on is his wife, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Ruth Anderson, a life member of Civil Air Patrol. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force

Civil Air Patrol Brig. Gen. and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Richard L. Anderson is the new assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Appointed by President Trump, Anderson was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in late September and sworn in soon after at the annual Air and Space Forces Association National Convention and followed up with a ceremonial swearing-in on Oct. 6 by Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink. For Anderson, serving

Open Solo Success in the Skies Article

Solo Success in the Skies

For Aspiring CAP Cadet Aviators, Ayres Flight Academy Helps Dreams Come True

By Paul South

Capt. Eryka Xavier Da Silva, an academy instructor, conducts a preflight walk-through with Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Peony Kang.

It began in 1990 in Hagerstown, Maryland. Thirteen Civil Air Patrol cadets with 13 keen minds and 13 hungry hearts, all holding fast to one dream:

Flying solo, following the figurative contrails of aviators like Amelia Earhart, Brig. Gens. Billy Mitchell and Chuck Yeager, and countless other U.S. military, commercial, corporate, or private pilots.

Solo success stories are written every summer at CAP’s 14 national flight academies, intended to provide cadets with aviation education, confidence-building, and leadership development. Soloing is an important milestone for some, but the true measure of success is the growth in knowledge, skills, and character that all cad

Open Cadet Officer School Article

Leadership Lessons Learned at Cadet Officer School

By Loretta Fulton

Even Civil Air Patrol’s national commander is in awe of the cadets selected to attend the 55th Cadet Officer School this summer at National Headquarters in central Alabama.

And that’s understandable. The 119 cadets selected were the elite, from the top 15% among their peers. Maj. Gen. Regena Aye, CAP’s national commander and CEO, was one of the distinguished speakers.

“The cadets are absolutely inspiring!” Aye said. “Their dedication and passion for the program keep me motivated to serve.

“If they are examples of our future, it will be bright!”

The school was held at Maxwell Air Force Base, home to Civil Air Patrol’s National Headquarters and to Air University, the intellectual and leadership development center of the U.S. Air and Space Forces. The cadets attending represented all eight CAP regions, along with overseas squadrons in Germany and Guam.

Lt. Col. Kathleen Crockett, the activity’s co-director, said the goal

Open National Awards Article

Smith Inducted into CAP Hall of Honor

By Dan Bailey

Brig, Gen. Richard L. Anderson (left) inducts Maj. Gen. Mark Smith into the CAP Hall of Honor. Photo by 1st Lt. Roxanne Schorbach, Arizona Wing

Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, who served an extended term as national commander/CEO helping guide Civil Air Patrol through the first year of the COVID pandemic, is the newest member of the CAP Hall of Honor.

Smith is the 36th member of the hall, established in June 1972 to pay tribute to individuals, past and present, who were either instrumental in the establishment of the organization or contributed to its development over the years.

“I am humbled to receive such recognition from Civil Air Patrol,” said Smith, who headed CAP from September 2017-August 2021, with the fourth year coming at the request of the Board of Governors in light of the special challenges the pandemic posed throughout the organization.

“I v

Open Hurricane Helene Response Team

AFNORTH Commander’s Award Recognizes Helene Response Team

By Steve Cox

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Daniel C. Clayton (left), First Air Force (AFNORTH) deputy commander, and Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP’s national commander/CEO, join (from left) Cols. Tracy Scantland and David Panzera, Lt. Col. Brendan Kearns, and Cols. Michael Willis and James Brogan in the presentation of the AFNORTH Commander’s Award. Scantland, Panzera, and Willis represented the Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia wings while Kearns and Brogan represented the North Carolina and South Carolina wings. Photo by 1st Lt. Roxanne Schorbach, Arizona Wing

Civil Air Patrol’s Hurricane Helene Response Team, consisting of more than 400 members from the North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee wings, was recognized with the 2025 Air Forces Northern Command (AFNORTH) Commander’s Award.

Representatives from each wing accepted the

Open Top National Award Recipients

Texas Adult Member, Washington Cadet Top National Award Recipients

Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye smiles for photos with the Cadet of the Year and Senior Member of the Year — Cadet Col. Lucas J. Morrow and Lt. Col. Arthur “Gerry” Levesque, respectively — after presenting them with their awards at the Command Council meeting in Atlanta. Photos by 1st Lt. Roxanne Schorbach, Arizona Wing

A Texas Wing adult member committed to youth development and a Washington Wing cadet with exceptional leadership skills took top honors Aug. 16 at Civil Air Patrol’s 2025 National Awards Ceremony in Atlanta.

Lt. Col. Arthur “Gerry” Levesque was recognized as CAP’s Senior Member of the Year and Cadet Col. Lucas J. Morrow as Cadet of the Year during the ceremony, held following CAP’s Summer Command Council meeting.

National honors also went to:

Squadron of Distinction, Muñiz Air National Guard Base Cadet Squadron

**Brig. Gen. F. Ward Reilly Le

Open New National Command Chief

Negrón Assumes Role as National Command Chief

By Steve Cox

Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye (left) applauds as Chief Master Sgt. Luis Negrón is introduced as CAP’s new national command chief. Photo by 1st Lt. Roxanne Schorbach, Arizona Wing

Civil Air Patrol welcomed a new national command chief — Chief Master Sgt. Luis E. Negrón — at the Summer Command Council meeting in Atlanta.

"The role of Civil Air Patrol's command chief in supporting our efforts continues to evolve and grow,” said Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, CAP national commander and CEO. “Chief Negrón is a dedicated, talented senior enlisted leader who can help our organization continue to transform and help us prepare to overcome future challenges. 

"I know I can rely on the leadership skills he has developed in CAP, working at Walt Disney, and through his service in the Coast Guard to lead, communicate, develop, and support our volunteers.”

Aye, who

Open Alumni Profile Article

‘If You Can Dream It, You Can Be It’

Air Force General and Civil Air Patrol Alum Credits CAP for Laying Foundation of Success

By Paul South

Young Stephen Snelson’s mind, heart, and soul centered on a single dream as he grew up in Rutland, Massachusetts, a town of fewer than 10,000 smack in the geographical center of the state.

“As a little kid, everything I had flew,” Snelson said. “My Matchbox cars flew. Every toy I had flew. When I’d be on my bike, I could fly.”

Those airborne dreams truly took off when future U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Stephen Snelson, deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, attended his first Civil Air Patrol meeting as a 13-year-old cadet after learning about the organization from a friend.

“I thought, ‘Man. This is pretty amazing,’” Snelson recalled. “So I doubled down on it. I went to an air show at Hanscom Air Force Base, and I saw all these kids who looked just like me. They were in uniform, but they were on

Open Cadet Profile Article

Tennessee Wing Cadet Kidd Honors the Dead, Helps the Living

 By Paul South

A Civil Air Patrol cadet with a servant’s heart may be the best-known twentysomething in this part of Tennessee, from the state capitol to city hall.

For seven years, Cadet Capt. Ella Kidd has answered the call in times of state or national mourning, responsible for lowering flags of government buildings in Cleveland and Bradley County to half-staff. She’s believed to be the longest serving flag sentry in the Volunteer State.

Her flag duty began with two buildings, the Bradley County Courthouse and the Cleveland Municipal Building. By her count, she now performs sentry duties for nine flags in the area. She does her duty rain or snow or dark of night.

Kidd began as the backup sentry, then became the lead sentry a year later.

“For a lot of people, it’s just pulling on a rope,” she said. “But it’s a lot more than

Open Chasing Dreams of Flight

Chasing Dreams of Flight: A Tale of Two Dream Makers

 By Julia L. Martin

Cadet 2nd Lt. Sophia Brown of the North Carolina Wing’s Asheville Composite Squadron is a 2025 recipient of the Lt. Col. Edward J. Myzie Flight Academy Scholarship.

How do you chase your dreams of flight? Learning to fly, to solo, to experience that thrill of being in the cockpit alone isn’t as simple as it sounds. Ground school and lessons are expensive and sometimes cadets need a little extra help on their journey to the skies.

That’s where scholarships — established to honor and remember loved ones by family, Civil Air Patrol adult members, friends, and former cadets — fly to the rescue with the gift of flight. That generosity really does make a difference, not only for the cadets but for the donor

Open Lt. Col. Kayla Powers

Her Story of Inspiration and Dedication to Civil Air Patrol Will Continue

By Julia Martin

Kayla Powers’ Civil Air Patrol service has exceeded 50 years — first as a cadet major in the 1970s, and today as a lieutenant colonel.

Members of the Semper Vigilans Society pledge support through estates, wills, and bequests. But even among that devoted group, it’s a very special person who starts the conversation about her Civil Air Patrol service with: “I want to be buried in my CAP uniform.”

But Lt. Col. Kayla Powers, a volunteer in the Idaho Wing with more than 50 years of service to Civil Air Patrol, is that special person. “My life didn’t start until I joined CAP,” she said. After experiencing some health issues, she contacted CAP to leave a bequest in her will and, when told about the Semper Vigilans Society, she joined immediately. “We can be vigilant forever more if we all realize … there is always the opportunity

Open Gone West Article

Gone West: A Final Salute

We pay tribute to some of our most revered members who have gone west. Read about their extraordinary lives and service.

Col. John Henry Felix

The Hawaii Wing lost a valued leader when Col. John Henry Felix, who served three terms as wing commander in as many decades, flew west May 5. He was 94.

Felix first held command of the wing from June 1967-November 1968. He returned to the top leadership position in January 1980, serving until December 1982. His third term as commander covered April 2015-February 2016 — nearly a half-century after he initially held the post.

His legacy as a leader left an impact on numerous aspects of the Hawaii Wing, perhaps most  concretely in the form of the wing’s headquarters at 419 Lele St. in Honolulu, completed some four and a half decades ago. He oversaw the development of the property, playing an instrumental role in securing the land, o