Civil Air Patrol

August 2023

CONG TULATIONS

The Kodiak Screaming Eagles!!

Alaska Wing placed 2nd in the CAP National Cadet Competition!!

Greetings Alaska Wing,

I would like to introduce myself to everyone, I’m Col Derk MacPherson the new Alaska Wing Commander. To give you all a little background about me, I have been an on and off again member of the Civil Air Patrol since I joined as a cadet in Apr 1987. I remained a cadet until I enlisted in the US Air Force in 1993 and rose to the rank of Cadet Lieutenant Colonel. I rejoined CAP in 1995 as a senior member of Washington Wings Cheney Composite Squadron (Fairchild AFB, WA) before being reassigned to Minot AFB, in Minot, ND in 1998. I was a member of the Magic City Composite Squadron for 2 years before taking a break from CAP for family reasons. Rejoining the Magic City Composite Squadron in 2003 I remained a member of the North Dakota Wing until 2009 as the Squadron Commander of the Magic City Composite Squadron and then Chief of Staff for ND Wing. When the Air Force decided I needed an overseas assignment to Turkey, I once again let my membership lapse.

Upon retiring from the Air Force in 2013, I moved to Anchorage, Alaska arriving in Oct 2012 and rejoined CAP once again as a member of the Polaris Composite Squadron rising from Communications Officer to Squadron Commander. Following that up with moving to Wing Headquarters as the Assistant Director of Operations and Later the Director of Operations. I have assisted in numerous other positions within the wing and was honored to be selected as the next Wing Commander in June 2023.

My big focus this first year will be on improving our recruiting and retention efforts within the wing to help improve our support of 3 missions. I’m very big on supporting all three missions of the Civil Air Patrol and encourage all members, both cadets, and seniors, to work and help in Cadet Programs, Aerospace Education, and Emergency Services. One does not have to be a cadet programs officer or aerospace education officer to help those valuable programs.

I have an open-door policy and always look for suggestions and ideas that are “out of the box thinking”. If you have an idea or suggestion, please let me know at cc@akwg.cap.gov.

Thank you,

Col. Derk MacPherson Alaska Wing Commander