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 selected Negrón for the leadership role, said she’s looking forward to his service with the CAP command team.
"I trust in Chief Negrón,” she said. “I know his experiences have prepared him for the challenges that accompany being our top senior enlisted leader. He has been committed to Civil Air Patrol since his days as a cadet in the Puerto Rico Wing.”
Negrón, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who previously served as the senior enlisted leader, or command chief, of CAP’s Southeast Region, was elated over his selection to the command team and the opportunity to lead the 500 noncommissioned officers in CAP.
“As a cadet many years ago, I never thought I would have the opportunity to serve at this level in the organization,” he said.
“It is with immense humility and extreme excitement that I accept the privilege of serving as the next national command chief.”
Negrón served as Florida Wing commander from 2021-2024 as a CAP colonel. He then served as a Southeast Region deputy commander before transitioning in January from officer to chief master sergeant — based on his experience and rank in the Coast Guard — to become the region command chief.
Working at the national level isn’t new to Negrón, whose CAP career began in 1989 as a cadet and has included leadership at the squadron, wing, group, and region levels since he rejoined as an adult in 1996. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led a team of Florida Wing staff and group commanders in implementing remobilization throughout the wing.
He worked with National Headquarters and monitored the daily status of the pandemic in Florida to keep members and national staff informed.
Before he was named wing commander, Negrón served as Southeast Region emergency services director and as Florida Wing mobilization team leader and Group 7 commander. A native of San Juan, he previously served in the Puerto Rico Wing as vice commander, chief of staff, emergency services director, and group commander.
Outside CAP, Negrón was the operations duty officer for Coast Guard Air Station Miami, one of the busiest Coast Guard stations in the nation. He was responsible for dispatching aircraft during rapidly changing priorities in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment including coordination with federal, state, and local agencies.
He also served as command center supervisor for Coast Guard Sector Miami, with duties that included managing situational awareness and coordinating responses to maritime incidents, including search and rescue, law enforcement, and national defense operations.
As command center supervisor of 7th Coast Guard District, Miami, encompassing 1.8 million square nautical miles, he managed the busiest command center in the U.S.
Negrón now works for the Walt Disney World Resort team as a security operations manager for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He oversees operations throughout the team’s parks and resorts to ensure guests and cast members follow security policies, regulations, rules, and norms.
Joining Negrón in leading CAP’s NCO corps is Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin S. Garrison of the Colorado Wing, who will serve as national adviser.