Salvador Named CAP's Chief Operating Officer

Dec. 8, 2016
The Civil Air Patrol’s Board of Governors has selected John Salvador as CAP’s chief operating officer.

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, AL – Col. Jayson Altieri, chairman of Civil Air Patrol’s Board of Governors, announced today that the board has selected John Salvador as CAP’s chief operating officer.  The COO administers the day-to-day affairs at CAP National Headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.  

Salvador, who has served as interim COO since August, has held numerous leadership positions at CAP National Headquarters over the past two decades.  From July 2010 to August 2016 he served as senior director.  His background at national headquarters also includes service as director of missions, director of operations and chief of aerospace education.  In addition, he served as CAP-U.S. Air Force director of operations.   

A retired Air Force officer, Salvador is an Air Force command pilot with more than 3,600 hours in operational support, trainer and light civilian aircraft. He is also an FAA commercial pilot. He graduated from the Air Force Academy  with a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering.  Salvador also has a Master of Arts degree in management from Webster University.

According to CAP’s governance structure, the COO is selected by a two-thirds vote of the organization’s Board of Governors.  The position was advertised nationally in August, and applicants were vetted by the BoG’s Personnel Committee.  The BoG interviewed five finalists for the position on Dec. 1.

CAP’s COO supports the BoG but serves under the operational direction of the chief executive officer (national commander). The COO is responsible for procuring resources and manages corporate spending in accordance with the corporate budget and in compliance with requirements associated with federal appropriated funds. In addition, the COO serves as an adviser to the CAP Command Council and is a nonvoting member of the CAP Senior Advisory Group.

 “I look forward to working closely with Maj. Gen. Joe Vazquez, CAP’s national commander and CEO, and the national staff to posture the organization to achieve even higher levels of excellence as we begin CAP’s next 75 years of service to our communities, states and nation,” said Salvador.  “Gen. Vazquez and I  are very proud of what CAP’s Airmen both past and present have done and continue to do each day to support the United States Air Force and America’s citizens.”    

“The extensive background and experience John Salvador brings to this position will serve Civil Air Patrol well,” said Vazquez.  “I have worked with him for over 15 years, first in operations and later as a part of CAP command.  His vision for the future is certain to empower CAP’s volunteer Airmen to build upon the organization’s rich history of community service.  I look forward to being a part of that process.”

Civil Air Patrol, the longtime all-volunteer U.S. Air Force auxiliary, is the newest member of the Air Force’s Total Force, which consists of regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. CAP, in its Total Force role, operates a fleet of 550 aircraft and performs about 90 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 78 lives annually. Civil Air Patrol’s 56,000 members nationwide also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Its members additionally play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 24,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program.Performing missions for America for the past 75 years, CAP received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014 in honor of the heroic efforts of its World War II veterans. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans. Visit www.capvolunteernow.com for more information.