last modified: Tuesday, September 2, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — J. Rock Palermo, III, an attorney from Lake Charles, La., was confirmed as the Civil Air Patrol’s national legal officer at the organization’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Aug. 25, 2003. CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Richard Bowling presided over the ceremony in which Palermo was promoted to full colonel in CAP.

Col. Palermo had served as acting national legal officer since March. He serves CAP as an incident commander and mission pilot, and has been instrumental in formulating the Civil Air Patrol’s Concept of Employment for Homeland Security. At the wing level, Col. Palermo serves as the Louisiana Wing Disaster Preparedness and Homeland Security Officer. He is a commercial pilot with multiengine and instrument ratings. He is also an FAA Aviation Safety Counselor.

Last year the Air Force moved CAP, the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, under the umbrella of the new Air Force Homeland Security Directorate. Leaders for the 64,000-member nonprofit organization met earlier this year with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to discuss ways its trained civilian volunteers can help protect their communities.

Civil Air Patrol, the official Air Force Auxiliary, is a nonprofit organization with more than 64,000 members nationwide. It performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 27,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.

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