Antonio J. Pineda
Antonio "Tony" Pineda Jr. was a National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol removed Pineda as national commander after investigating complaints that another patrol member took Air Force tests for him. Civil Air Patrol. Background. He began his Civil Air Patrol career as a member of the West Broward Composite Squadron in 1988. Pineda completed all levels of the CAP professional development program, including the Paul Garber, Grover Loening, Charles Yeager Aerospace Education and Gill Robb Wilson awards. He attended both the Southeast Region Staff College and the National Staff College. He is  also a graduate of the National Commanders Course. Timeline. 1988-1989: Joined CAP 1989-1996: Group commander, South Florida 1996-1998: Florida Wing vice commander 1998-2001: Florida Wing commander 2001-2004: Southeast Region commander 2004-2005; National Vice commander 2005-2007: National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol — Removed by the Board of Governors for misconduct and stripped of his rank. Controversy. In 2007 the Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors voted to and removed Pineda, owing to allegations that he had his subordinates take his exams for him (for courses on security and leadership, among others). The Board  also stripped him of his rank. The accusations were investigated & confirmed in an Inspector General report. Others. Ranger Corps. He subsequently created his own volunteer organization, the short lived and now defunct U.S. Ranger Corps, in which he gave himself the title of Lt. Gen. Police. Pineda began his professional career in 1972 as a police officer and later a detective with the Hollywood, FL Police Dept. In 1980, he became a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and was later appointed a Senior Agent. As a special agent with the FDLE, he was a special task  force leader dealing with youth gangs. He was a supervisor of numerous special investigation teams and has served as the agent in charge of security for Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles. During the Governor's Conference in Miami, Pineda was assigned as the agent in charge of security for the governor of Georgia.