Brig. Gen. Joe Vazquez will be the Civil Air Patrol’s next national commander and chief executive officer, announced CAP officials. CAP’s Board of Governors selected Vazquez from a pool of 10 applicants, states the organization’s April 4 release. He will assume his new role in August, succeeding Maj. Gen. Chuck Carr, who’s led CAP, the Air Force’s auxiliary, since August 2011. Vazquez joined CAP as a cadet in 1975 and is currently its national vice commander. “The past few years,” he said, have “given me a great appreciation for the outstanding dedication of our members throughout the nation.” Vazquez said he plans to “enhance the value of CAP membership and expand CAP missions with an eye toward new mission development.” Vazquez’s selection marked a first for CAP in its 72-year history; previously, the organization’s National Board elected a national commander by a majority vote, according to the release. (See also Civil Air Patrol Embraces New Way of Doing Business.)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
