MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — A director from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a prominent retired Air Force officer are the newest members of the Board of Governors for Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.
Retired Coast Guard Rear Adm. David R. Nicholson and retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charles Searock Jr. will be officially welcomed at their first CAP Board meeting on June 1, 2004 in Washington, D.C. Bruce Whitman, president of FlightSafety International, has been reappointed to the Board for another term.
Nicholson is currently the director of resources for the Border and Transportation Security Directorate in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Searock is currently a consultant for aviation and technology projects. He retired from military duty in 1993 after almost 38 years in the Air Force and two years in the Army National Guard. At the time of his retirement, Searock was serving as vice commander for Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
“We’re pleased to welcome two new Board members who are willing to give us the benefit of their experience and training,” said Col. Robert Bess, CAP, chairman of the CAP Board of Governors. “Adm. Nicholson will help CAP better determine its future role in the homeland security arena, and Gen. Searock will offer senior-level perspective from his experience in the Air Force and general aviation industry, as well as the logistics expertise to help us maintain our mission readiness.”
Civil Air Patrol has operated under a Board of Governors since 2001, when the Board was established under the Defense Authorization Act. The Board is made up of four CAP representatives, four members appointed by the Air Force, and three members from other agencies and organizations. The Board of Governors is the primary decision-making body for the 62,000-member organization.
As a director in the Department of Homeland Security, Nicholson coordinates and oversees planning, budgeting, human resources and information technology for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Previously, Nicholson headed the task force for moving the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security and also served as chief analyst for strategy for Soza & Company of Fairfax, Va.
Nicholson served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 28 years. In his 13 years at sea, he commanded three major Coast Guard cutters and was task unit commander for the largest Coast Guard-led peacetime operation in history, Operation Able Manner. He is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and holds additional degrees from John F. Kennedy School of Government and the National War College.
Nicholson and his wife Becky live in Woodbridge, Va., and have two adult daughters.
Searock began his Air Force career in 1956. He served in strategic operations at Air Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and then joined the White House military staff. Later, he served as a wing commander and eventually became deputy chief of staff for logistics at Strategic Air Command at Offutt AFB, Neb.
In his post with Air Force Materiel Command, Searock provided logistics management to maintain readiness for Air Force units and weapon systems. His command managed these systems from their inception on the drawing board through their retirement from inventory through 18 specialized centers around the world.
Following his retirement from the military, Searock worked in the general aviation industry as director of Air Victory Museum, executive vice president of Aero Development Corp., owner and operator of the South Jersey Regional Airport, and president of Royal Air, a charter air service company. He also served as CEO and board member for Dynasil Corp., a publicly traded high-tech glass manufacturing company, and was president of Air Victory Museum.
Searock, who lives in Medford, N.J., is currently director of logistics for CAP’s New Jersey Wing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and an MBA from Central Michigan University. Searock and his wife of 45 years have four sons and five grandchildren.
Bruce Whitman has served on the CAP Board of Governors since 2001 and will continue for another three-year term. His company, FlightSafety International, provides pilot training on Cessna, Raytheon and Learjet aircraft at 40 locations in North and South America and Europe. Whitman himself is an experienced military pilot. He serves on a number of other governing boards, including those for the National Air and Space Museum and Petroleum Helicopters Inc.
Bess said departing Board members Benjamin Payton and Bruce Baughman made significant contributions during their terms. “Dr. Payton brought to the table tremendous experience in aerospace education,” Bess said. “Tuskegee has historically been the number-one producer of African-American aerospace science engineers in the nation. And Tuskegee has also produced more African-American general officers in the military than any other institution, including the service academies.”
Baughman provided valuable counsel on CAP’s emergency services programs, Bess said. “We were fortunate to have the benefit of Mr. Baughman’s experience with FEMA. He has been an emergency manager for almost 30 years, and has played key roles in more than 75 presidentially declared federal emergencies. Both he and Dr. Payton are examples of the outstanding individuals who contribute their time and expertise to make Civil Air Patrol an increasingly significant force for the nation’s good.”
In addition to Bess, Whitman, Nicholson and Searock, other members of the CAP Board of Governors include: Lt. Gen. Nicholas B. Kehoe, USAF (Ret.), vice chairman of the Board; Maj. Gen. Rick Bowling, CAP national commander; Brig. Gen. Dwight Wheless, CAP national vice commander; Lt. Gen. Donald A. Lamontagne, USAF, commander of Air University; Lt. Gen. Ronald E. Keys, USAF, assistant to the deputy chief of staff for Air and Space Operations; Michael Dominguez, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs; and Brig. Gen. Paul M. Bergman,CAP member-at-large;
Civil Air Patrol is a nonprofit organization. Its members perform 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its 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.
MEDIA RELEASE