Southeast Region's Negron Selected as CAP Command Chief
Chief Master Sgt. Luis E. Negron (at right) — a U.S. Coast Guard veteran serving as the senior enlisted leader, or command chief, of Civil Air Patrol’s Southeast Region — will be CAP’s next national command chief.
Negron will assume his new role in August at the Summer Command Council meeting in Atlanta. Joining him in leading the 500 noncommissioned officers in CAP will be Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin S. Garrison (below left) of the Colorado Wing, who will serve as national advisor of the NCO corps.
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"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 Negron 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.”
Garrison, meanwhile, "brings experience in talent acquisition, innovation, property management, and more” to his new role, Aye said. "With more than 24 years in the U.S. Air Force and experience working with First Air Force and Northern Command, he is going to be able to contribute significantly to our efforts in key areas."
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Memorial Day 2025:
Honoring the Fallen
| | A CAP cadet featured in this 9News Memorial Day weekend video went the extra couple thousand miles to recognize the men and women from his home state who gave their lives for their country. Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Dylan Ferebee of the Colorado Wing's Foothills Cadet Squadron in Lakewood spent part of his summer last year finding as many fallen soldiers as he could at memorials in Europe and matching them at the Colorado Freedom Memorial. Read a full account of Ferebee's project in this online report by KUSA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Denver. | | Other Memorial Day media stories mentioning CAP include: | | National Capital Wing's Greenhut Receives FAA's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award | | |
Col. Rick Greenhut (right) of the National Capital Wing, former commander of the Northeast Region and New York Wing, has been recognized with the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award.
The award is bestowed on pilots with more than 50 years of aviation experience, professionalism, and accident-free flying as well as an impeccable safety record, free of violations or disciplinary actions.
Greenhut received the award from Brig. Gen. Richard Anderson, Civil Air Patrol national commander from 1993-1996, at the National Capital Wing’s annual conference.
| | Aerospace Connections in Education | | Program Reaches New Heights, Honors Top Achievers | | |
CAP’s aerospace-themed STEM initiative for kindergarten through eighth grade, Aerospace Connections in Education, or ACE, and ACE Plus, a squadron classroom adoption initiative that connects CAP squadrons with fifth- through eighth-grade classrooms, achieved a record-setting year during the 2024–2025 academic cycle.
As the school year comes to a close national ACE and ACE Plus program award recipients have been announced, recognizing outstanding educators, squadrons, and students exemplifying the program’s mission and impact.
Among those honorees is the Florida College Academy in Temple Terrace, named the 2024–2025 National ACE School of the Year. The school’s science curriculum coordinator, Jeri Martin, was named the National ACE Coordinator of the Year.
| | Next Extreme Ownership Session Set for June 5 | | |
Join your CAP colleagues on June 5 for "A Culture of Reporting and Ownership” to be presented by Col. Joe Winter, CAP's inspector general, and Katie Thurson, manager of the Youth Protection Program.
The session is the latest installment in a series of sessions about Extreme Ownership, started by Maj. Gen. Regena M. Aye, national commander/CEO, in January. Learn more about this Year of Ownership at this link. Just scroll down and enroll for the June 5 session.
| | Ready to Help in a Disaster from Anywhere? Join the Geospatial Damage Assessment Team | | |
June 1 marked the start of the 2025 Hurricane Season in the Atlantic Ocean, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting a busier-than-average year.
That means the need for trained online damage assessors is greater than ever, and the national CAP Geospatial Program has rolled out new training for both adult and cadet members to assist the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state, and local governments in determining disasters’ impacts.
“With every disaster, more is asked of us, and we are able to achieve faster and more accurate results, thanks to the volunteer efforts of our trained team members,” said Maj. Scott Kaplan, national CAP Geospatial Program manager. “And with the approaching season and new training, the time to join our team has never been better.”
| | New Training Focuses on Cadet Protection | | |
The Civil Air Patrol Cadet Protection Basic Renewal course has been completely redone, with new learning objectives, content, and assessments, and is available in CAP's learning management system, Absorb. Since the new course became available May 6, more than 1,600 members have taken the training.
“Members are encouraged to take this new training as we prepare for the busy summer season of cadet activities and our move to a 12-month renewal cycle beginning Aug. 27,” Katie Thurson, CAP's Youth Protection Program manager, said.
The course consists of three modules: Reinforcement and Responsibility, Understanding Cadet Protection Risks, and Two-Deep and Beyond (Implementation Strategies).
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Giving Wisely: Use Your IRA for Good
Cliff Williams, a Civil Air Patrol alum, highlights the benefits of making a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from his Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
"As a former CAP cadet, I wanted an easy way to give back to the organization that shaped my youth," he said. "Setting up a continuous donation from my Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) was convenient, reduced my taxes, and automated the process. Once set up, there's no effort on my part to make yearly donations, and I gain satisfaction knowing I'm supporting CAP cadets and CAP's mission. It's a win-win!"
To learn more about QCDs and contributing to CAP cadet programs, contact us at giving@gocivilairpatrol.org.
| | Can You Pass the CAP Apparel Brand Quiz? | | |
Encampment season is upon us, and many units are working on designs for T-shirts and other apparel. The Brand Portal provides guidance on what logos and emblems can be used for these apparel items.
Take this month’s brand quiz to see if you are headed in the right direction with your apparel designs.
| | Important Update: Changes to Donated Microsoft 365 and Office 365 Plans | | |
Please be aware that Microsoft will be discontinuing select donated Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plans, which may impact your current services. You can find more details in the following update from Microsoft at this link.
We’re aware of this upcoming discontinuation and are actively working on a solution to ensure continuity and minimize any disruption.
Feel free to reach out to capadmin@capnhq.gov if you have any questions.
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| | For more information, go to Operation Pulse Lift's webpage on GoCivilAirPatrol.com. There you will find the latest Blood Donation Center schedules, instructions on how to set up a BDC, and other mission information. | |
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