About the Wing Commander

The Wing Commander is the senior officer responsible for all Civil Air Patrol operations, personnel, and cadet and senior member programs within a state or territory — in this case, Delaware Wing. The Wing Commander oversees the squadrons and units that make up the Wing, ensures compliance with CAP National Headquarters policy, and represents the Wing in its emergency services, aerospace education, and cadet programs missions on behalf of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary.

Delaware Wing traces its leadership back to December 1941, in the earliest days of Civil Air Patrol's founding, when Maj Holger Hoiriis became the Wing's first commander. In the decades since, twenty-five officers have held the position, guiding the Wing through the Second World War, the Cold War, and into its modern role supporting search and rescue, disaster relief, and cadet development across the First State.

Delaware Wing Leadership Through the Years

The roster below lists each Delaware Wing Commander in order of service, from Maj Holger Hoiriis in 1941 through the Wing's current commander, Col Kay S. Rudo.