Published: June 30, 2011
Civil Air Patrol Announces New Ohio Wing Commander
By Col. Joseph S. King, CAP, Ohio Wing Director of Public Affairs*
Col. Gregory L. Mathews, CAP, has been assigned to serve as the Civil Air Patrol (CAP)'s Ohio Wing commander.
Prior to his appointment, Mathews served as the wing's inspector general.
The official change of command ceremony was presided over by the CAP's vice commander, Brig. Gen. Charles L. Carr, Jr., and Great Lakes Region Commander Col. Robert M. Karton.
Following the ceremony, Mathews described why CAP members volunteer their services. "First, we take pride in providing our communities with an important public service as members of an organization that has a long, rich history. Second, our work gives us a higher level of personal satisfaction and accomplishment."
Over the past 25 years, Mathews functioned as the Ohio Wing's government relations advisor, group commander, and, at the squadron level, operations officer and professional development officer. The CAP's national headquarters recruited Mathews to serve as an Inspector General College staff member. He is currently qualified in search and rescue as a mission observer and CAP pilot.
Mathews' first exposure to the CAP was as a cadet in 1968 when he was instrumental in forming a new squadron in Kenton, Ohio.
In the public sector, Mathews received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University in Developmental Disabilities Psychology. At present, he is the assistant director and coordinator of Professional Development and School Improvement for the State Support Team (SST)'s Region 11, Educational Service Center of Central Ohio.
SST 11 provides services and assistance to school districts, educational service centers, community schools, early childhood centers and families in: school improvement; special education compliance; literacy services and early learning and school readiness.
Mathews is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. His responsibilities focused on health services administration and aeromedical operations.
Besides his commitment to the CAP, Mathews is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Reserve Officer's Association (ROA), the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, Ohio State Grange, and is a ham radio enthusiast.
Mathews resides in the Columbus metro area and has been married to his wife, Kathleen, for the past 30 years. The couple has two daughters and a son.
The Civil Air Patrol, the official Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a non-profit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide. This year marks CAP's 70th anniversary of performing "Missions for America." The CAP, in its Air Force Auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions, and was credited with saving 113 lives in fiscal year 2010. CAP volunteers 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 the more than 26,000 young people currently participating in the CAP's cadet programs. For more information on the Civil Air Patrol, visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com, or www.capvolunteernow.com.
Source: http://newsoftheforce.org.
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