The new commander of Vermont鈥檚 Civil Air Patrol, Col. Ann Brechb眉hl, says she wants to get more young people interested in aviation.
Vermont's wing of the is an all-volunteer auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force which performs search and rescue and disaster relief missions with local and regional emergency responders.
But Brechb眉hl says she wants to emphasize the patrol鈥檚 other missions beyond search and rescue 鈥� namely, advancing aerospace education and promoting the patrol鈥檚 cadet program.
鈥淭hey can enter when they鈥檙e twelve and they go through a progression of gradually more and more responsibilities, and more and more leadership opportunities," she tells Vermont Edition.
"Which gradually helps them grow into an adult that you鈥檇 be really happy to hire.鈥�
The cadet program includes camps, competitions and training for kids to pilot planes and gliders. Brechb眉hl plans to further engage with the public by partnering with science teachers across the state.
Brechb眉hl was formally sworn in as commander on Saturday, June 22. She comes to Vermont after leading the and years of experience in the U.S. Army and as a liaison the U.S. Military Academy.
A graduate of West Point, she spent six years with Army intelligence, including Chief of Electronic Warfare in Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and at postings across Germany.
But despite her military background, what brought her to the Civil Air Patrol in 2010 were her children. Brechb眉hl volunteered first as a chaperone when her daughter joined a cadet program which was lacking adult leaders. She's been active in CAP ever since.
In her time with the New Hampshire Civil Air Patrol, she鈥檚 been an EMS technician and taught EMS as a training officer.
Since 2016 she鈥檚 been senior director of recruitment and leadership at Norwich University.
Live broadcast on Monday, June 24, 2019 at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
