2009 Wing Commanders Course To Be Held At End Of Month

Top Civil Air Patrol members will increase their sophistication as leaders of the future, thanks to the 2009 Wing Commanders Course to be held March 29-April 4 at CAP National Headquarters, at Maxwell AFB in Alabama.

The intense, graduate-level course will posture participants to assume high-level command at the state and regional levels or as members of the CAP National Board, a key CAP governing body. Attendees are selected for the course by their region commander and must be approved by the CAP national commander, Major Gen. Amy S. Courter.

Participants in the course are:

California

• Chaplain Col. Whit Woodard, Rocklin

Colorado

• Col. George Mixon, Yoder (Region Vice Commander)

District of Columbia

• Lt. Col. Richard Cooper, Washington

Florida

• Col. Al Bedgood, Tampa (Region Vice Commander)

Idaho

• Col. David Guzman, Eagle

Illinois

• Col. Robert Karton, Chicago (Region Vice Commander)
• Col. Gordon Larson, Naperville

Kansas

• Col. Regena Aye, Osage City

Kentucky

• Maj. Robert Koob, Fort Mitchell

Maryland

• Col. Herbert Cahalen, Ijamsville

Minnesota

• Col. Thomas Theis, Minneapolis

North Carolina

• Col. Roy Douglass, Rougemont

Oregon

• Col. Brian Bishop, Portland

Puerto Rico

• Col. Rafael Roman, Bayamon

Tennessee

• Col. James Rushing, Maryville (Senior Fellow)

"The Wing Commanders Course covers everything a CAP commander should know in order to be an effective leader," said Courter. "As with all of our training, its content is thorough and its effect on participants is dynamic, which are qualities that are essential to success in today’s technologically savvy world." 

The program will focus on three main blocks of study: leading the organization, tools for corporate officers and tools for commanders. The curriculum features seminars, lectures and hands-on exercises in more than 20 enriching sessions on such topics as ethics, legal matters, fundraising and managing volunteers, finances and other resources.

Participants will gain a better understanding of CAP’s aerospace education, cadet programs, operations, information technology, public affairs, membership development and logistics programs.

Guest speakers will include Courter, CAP Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Reggie Chitwood, Senior Air Force Advisor Col. Russ Hodgkins and CAP Executive Director Don Rowland, as well as subject-matter experts from membership and National Headquarters staff.

FMI: www.gocivilpatrol.com, www.maxwell.af.mil