National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol
Since 1975, the National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol (acronym: CAP/CC) is the highest senior official within the Civil Air Patrol of the United States. From 1941 until August 1975, the National Commander of CAP was an appointed active duty Air Force officer, typically a general officer. In September 1975, this became a civilian position held by an active CAP member. Current and former National Commanders are the only members of the Civil Air Patrol who hold the CAP rank of major general. The original name of this position was chairman  of the CAP Board. Gen Carl A. Spaatz, USAF, became the first chairman after he retired from the Air Force in 1948. Since 2012, the National Commander also serves as the chief executive officer of the CAP Corporation. The current National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol is Major General Edward Phelka. List of officeholders. Chairman of the National Board (1948–1975). Upon adoption of the CAP Constitution and Bylaws on May 26, 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 April 26, 1960 . CAP National Commanders (1975–present). On September 1, 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 March 8, 1995, during a reorganization of CAP National Headquarters, the title of executive director was changed to Senior Air Force Advisor. USAAF/CAP-USAF Commanders. Civil Air Patrol-United States Air Force (CAP-USAF) is responsible for ensuring Civil Air Patrol — the Air Force auxiliary — is organized, trained, and equipped to fulfill Air Force-assigned missions. CAP-USAF provides day-to-day  support, advice, and liaison to CAP’s more than 60,000 members and provides oversight for CAP programs, with emphasis on safety and program requirements. CAP-USAF personnel are also the primary function interface between other federal agencies and CAP. As of 2020, CAP-USAF is staffed with approximately 200 active-duty, Reservist, and civilian airmen at CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base and locations in New Jersey (Detachment 1, McGuire Air Force Base), Maryland (Detachment 2, Andrews Air Force Base), Ohio (Detachment 3, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base), Georgia (Detachment 4, Dobbins Air Reserve Base), Minnesota (Detachment 5 ), Texas (Detachment 6), Colorado (Detachment 7, Peterson Space Force Base), California (Detachment 8, Beale Air Force Base), and Florida, as well as in Puerto Rico and at several overseas Air Force installations.