MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. – Col. Larry Myrick of San Luis Obispo, California, has been confirmed as Civil Air Patrol’s next national vice commander by the organization’s Board of Governors. Brig. Gen. Joe Vazquez, CAP’s next chief executive officer and national commander, selected Myrick.
Myrick, currently an adviser to CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Chuck Carr, will be sworn in on Aug. 15 and begin his new duties during the National Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, following a change of command ceremony in which Vazquez officially becomes CAP’s national commander and CEO, succeeding Carr.
As CAP’s national vice commander, Myrick will assist Vazquez in leading the organization’s 60,000 volunteers across the nation in fulfilling its three congressionally chartered missions – emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education. The national vice commander is a member of the CAP Command Council, which consists of the organization’s 52 wing commanders, eight region commanders, national chief of staff, chief operating officer, commander of CAP-USAF and national commander.
In addition to the selection of Myrick, Vazquez has appointed Middle East Region Commander Col. Larry Ragland as his chief of staff, also effective Aug. 15.
“I am very fortunate to have officers of the caliber of both Brigadier General-select Larry Myrick and Colonel Larry Ragland to form the new CAP command staff,” said Vazquez. “Both officers are experienced former wing and region commanders, and represent the U.S. East and West Coasts. With the help of these commanders, I look forward to leading CAP to even greater accomplishments in the years ahead.”
As an adviser to Carr since August 2013, Myrick currently oversees special projects and duties as determined by the commander. Prior to this service, he commanded at the squadron, group, wing and region levels.
Myrick was commander of CAP’s six-state Pacific Region from April 2009 to June 2013. Previous commands included region vice commander (November 2005-April 2009, except for a three-month stint as temporary California Wing commander in 2007); commander of California Wing (October 1999-October 2003); vice commander of California Wing (July 1999-October 1999); commander of Group 11, California Wing (January 1993-June 1998); and commander of Bob Beevers Composite Squadron 103 (March 1989-January 1993) in San Luis Obispo.
Active in CAP since he joined in 1987, Myrick was a rated instrument pilot and operationally qualified as an incident commander and master observer. He has participated in over 100 emergency services missions.
He has been on the teaching staffs of the Pacific Region Staff College since 2000 and the National Staff College since 2005, where he makes presentations on leadership and the changing environment of today’s CAP.
He is also an adjunct professor at his alma mater, California Polytechnic State University. Myrick earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology at Cal Poly State, and now teaches a senior-level mechanical engineering design course.
Myrick currently works for the firm Integrated Commissioning & Energy, where he consults with architects and engineering firms on the design of mechanical systems and commissioning of commercial buildings. In January 2014, he sold his consulting mechanical engineering business, which he owned for 25 years.
Myrick was one of 18 applicants for the position. Candidates were required to be a CAP member in good standing, hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and have completed Level V of the CAP Professional Development Program. They were also required to have served as a CAP wing commander and successfully completed their term of office.
The selection marked the first time in CAP’s 72-year history that the organization’s national commander/CEO selected the organization’s vice commander. The new selection process became official in October 2012 when the organization’s Board of Governors approved an updated Constitution and Bylaws incorporating the organization’s new governance structure.
Previously, commanders and vice commanders were elected by a majority vote of the organization’s National Board.
Ragland, a 38-year member of CAP who lives in Sanford, North Carolina, has served as region commander since November 2011. Prior to that, Ragland served as interim region commander for four months. He was the region vice commander from September 2009 to August 2011, serving under Vazquez when he was the Middle East Region commander.
Like Myrick, Ragland also commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels in his home state of North Carolina.
In addition, he is a CAP command pilot with more than 2,100 flying hours.
A graduate of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, Ragland is a stockholder and partner in a landscape architectural firm that does site design and planning for schools, parks, subdivisions and shopping centers.
Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 60,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs about 85 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 70 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 25,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.
