National Commanders of the Civil Air Patrol

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Brigadier General Amy Courter, CAP

The National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol is an Elected Position within the Civil Air Patrol. Currently, the National Commander holds the rank of Major General and is a member of the Civil Air Patrol

[edit] National Commanders

Maj. Gen. John F. Curry, USAAF, Dec 1941-Mar 1942
Gen. Carl A. Spaatz, USAF (Ret), Aug 1948-Apr 1959
Col. (later Brig. Gen.) D. Harold Byrd, CAP, Apr 1959-Apr 1960
Col. (later Brig. Gen.) William C. Whelen, CAP, Apr 1960-Apr 1962
Col. (later Brig. Gen.) Paul W. Turner, CAP, Sep 1962-Oct 1965
Brig. Gen. Lyle W. Castle, CAP, Oct 1965-Oct 1968
Brig. Gen. F. Ward Reilly, CAP, Oct 1968-Oct 1970
Brig. Gen. Samuel H. du Pont, Jr., CAP, Oct 1970-Oct 1973
Brig. Gen. William M. Patterson, CAP, Oct 1973-Aug 1975
Brig. Gen. William M. Patterson, CAP, Sep 1975-Sep 1976
Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Casaday, CAP, Sep 1976-Sep 1979
Brig. Gen. Johnnie Boyd, CAP, Sep 1979-Aug 1982
Brig. Gen. Howard L. Brookfield, CAP, Aug 1982-Aug 1984
Brig. Gen. William B. Cass, CAP, Aug 1984-Mar 1986
Maj. Gen. Eugene E. Harwell, CAP, Mar 1986-Aug 1990
Brig. Gen. Warren J. Barry, CAP, Aug 1990-Aug 1993
Brig. Gen. Richard L. Anderson, CAP, Aug 1993-Aug 1996
Brig. Gen. Paul M. Bergman, CAP, Aug 1996-Mar 1998
Brig. Gen. James C. Bobick, CAP, Mar 1998-Aug 2001
Maj. Gen Richard L. Bowling, CAP, Aug 2001-Aug 2004
Maj. Gen. Dwight H. Wheless, CAP, Aug 2004-Jul 2005
Maj. Gen. Antonio J. Pineda, CAP, Jul 2005-Oct 2007 ^{(suspended/terminated, see below)}
Brig. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP, Oct 2007-Present ^{(interim, see below)}

[edit] Notes

Original CAP title was Chairman of the CAP Board; Colonel George A. Stone, Ohio Wing Commander, became the first Chairman, but later died in an aircraft accident.
Upon adoption of the CAP Constitution and Bylaws on 26 May 1948, the CAP Board was redesignated as the National Executive Board (NEB), but the designation was later changed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) on 26 April 1960.
USAF approved the grade of Brigadier General, CAP, via order PANHQ 9, 15 March 1968.
On 01 September 1975, the original CAP title of Chairman of the National Board was redesignated as National Commander, and the US Air Force-appointed National Commander became the Executive Director. On 08 March 1995 during a reorganization of CAP National Headquarters, the title of Executive Director was changed to Senior Air Force Advisor.
On 06 August 2007, the Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors suspended the CAP national commander, Maj. Gen. Antonio J. Pineda, for a period of up to 180 days. Brig. Gen. Amy S. Courter, CAP national vice commander, assumed the duties of the National Commander during this period.^[1]
On 02 October 2007, the Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors voted 10-1 to remove Antonio Pineda from his position as National Commander.
Brig Gen Amy Courter was appointed the Interim National Commander through the summer of 2008, when she is eligible to run for the position. The lone dissenting vote against removal was cast by Col John E. Tilton. Pineda, though on the Board of Governors, was on Suspended status, and was not authorized to vote ^[2]. She was the first woman to be elected as National Vice-Commander, then Interim National Commander.