The Civil Air Patrol National Board elected Maj. Gen. Chuck Carr Jr., to a three-year term as national commander last week. Carr, the former vice commander, received his second star (the highest CAP rank) and officially took command Aug. 20. The board also elected Brig. Gen. Joseph Vazquez, former Middle East Region Commander, to a one-year term as the national vice commander. “It is an honor and a privilege to be elected as CAP’s national commander,” said Carr in a release. “CAP has a rich history of 70 years of service to America, and I look forward to partnering with our 61,000 citizen volunteers to fill the emergency services, disaster relief, youth development, and aerospace education needs of communities across the nation.”
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.