Leslie J . Westberg Leslie J . Westberg ( June 23 , 1920 – January 4 , 1997 ) was a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force . Biography . Brigadier General Leslie J . Westberg is commander of Headquarters Civil Air Patrol - U . S . Air Force , Maxwell Air Force Base , Ala . , and also serves as National Commander of Civil Air Patrol , volunteer civilian auxiliary of the Air Force . General Westberg was born June 23 , 1920 , in Menasha , Wis . , graduated from Menasha High School in 1938 , and later attended the University of Omaha . He enlisted in September 1942 in the U . S . Army Air Corps and entered civilian pilot training and the aviation cadet program . He graduated in November 1943 with a commission as second lieutenant and his pilot wings . He then received training as a bomber pilot at Maxwell Field , Ala . ; Charleston , S . C . ; and Langley Field , Va . General Westberg served from June 1944 to April 1945 with the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy and flew 35 combat missions in B - 24 bombers . From 1945 to 1954 he served in various bomber organizations as lead crew aircraft commander on B - 25 , A - 26 , B - 29 , and B - 36 medium and heavy bomber aircraft , operations officer , inspector , and as maintenance and tactical squadron commander at Memphis , Tenn . , and Fairchild Air Force Base , Wash . He flew 27 combat missions in B - 29 bombers in 1950 during the Korean War with the United Nations Forces in Korea . He served from October 1954 to August 1957 at March Air Force Base , Calif . , in staff and command positions , flying B - 47 Stratojets with the 22d and 320th bombardment wings . He then became base commander of Davis - Monthan Air Force Base , Ariz . , a position he held until October 1958 . General Westberg next served at Strategic Air Command headquarters at Omaha , Neb . , as deputy chief of the Command Control Division . In January 1962 he was transferred to Washington , D . C . , where he served as chief , Operations Division , and later as deputy chief , Joint Alternate Command Element , in the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He served at Hahn Air Base , Germany , from September 1963 to June 1965 and flew F - 100 aircraft with the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing as deputy commander for operations and later vice commander . He then served at Incirlik Air Base , Turkey , from June 1965 to August 1966 as commander of The United States Logistic Group Detachment 10 and flew F - 105 and F - 100 aircraft with Tactical Air Command rotational units . After graduation from the National War College in August 1967 , General Westberg served at Shaw Air Force Base , S . C . , as commander , 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing , and was an RF - 4C Phantom pilot . He was transferred in July 1968 to the Republic of Vietnam where he commanded the 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Tan Son Nhut Airfield . Later he became chief of staff of the Seventh Air Force . During his Vietnam tour of duty , he flew 600 hours with a total of 240 combat missions in the RF - 4C reconnaissance aircraft . He moved to Hawaii in August 1969 to become deputy assistant chief of staff for operations , Pacific Command . In November 1972 General Westberg was assigned as commander , Headquarters Civil Air Patrol - U . S . Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base , Ala . He is a command pilot . His military decorations and awards include the Silver Star , Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster , Distinguished Flying Cross with oak leaf cluster , Meritorious Service Medal , Air Medal with 16 oak leaf clusters , Air Force Commendation Medal , Presidential Unit Citation Emblem , Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem , and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon . He was promoted to the grade of brigadier general on Sept . 1 , 1969 , with date of rank May 27 , 1969 .