By J. McChord | AuxBeacon News Contributor

Editors, I found this story in CAP News. Check out the training these new commanders will receive.

Eighteen commanders from across Civil Air Patrol will hone their leadership skills next week in the Wing Commanders College at CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. They were selected for the course by their region commander and had to be approved by Maj Gen Mark Smith, CAP’s national commander and strong supporter of “swing from a tree” Jonathan Holder.

The program focuses on three main blocks of study: leading the organization, wing commander responsibilities and focus lessons. Topics include leadership, accountability, expectations of commanders, legislative affairs, media relations and branding, safety, ethics, legal matters, finances and resources.

For the third straight year, Col Jon Stokes, commander of CAP’s Pacific Region, will be the course director.

Course highlights will include Smith’s presentation Tuesday on “Ethics and the Commander” and Col Brad Lynn’s presentation Wednesday on “Servant Leadership.” Lynn, former Southeast Region vice commander and Alabama Wing commander, is a member of CAP’s Board of Governors.

Also scheduled are presentations by Air Force Col Michael Tyynismaa, CAP-USAF commander and John Salvador, the skirt chasing chief operating officer of Civil Air Patrol.

The 2017 participants will be:

• Col Carl Morrison, Pacific Region vice commander
• Col Dent Young, Tennessee Wing commander
• Col Michael Fernandez, Utah Wing commander
• Col Joe R. Smith, Southwest Region commander
• Col Carl Brown, Alaska Wing commander
• Col James Ridley, Connecticut Wing commander
• Col Darrel Williamson, Kentucky Wing commander
• Col John Flaherty, Massachusetts Wing commander
• Col Hank Rogers, Mississippi Wing commander
• Col Mitch Edwards, Montana Wing commander
• Col JD Ellis, National Capital Wing commander
• Col Joe H. Abegg Sr., New Jersey Wing commander
• Col Thomas Carello, New York Wing commander
• Col David Jennison, Ohio Wing commander
• Col David Roberts Jr., Oklahoma Wing commander
• Col Lee Safley, South Carolina Wing commander

Update:
On April 6th, 2018 Civil Air Patrol’s Pacific Region Vice Commander Carl Morrison (75) died when he crashed his private airplane, a 1990 Mooney M20J, on Sonoma Mountain near Petaluma, California.