After a lengthy application and vetting process, the Chief of Chaplains is pleased to announce the appointment of the remaining two members of the Chaplain Corps leadership triad. Ch. (Lt. Col.) Van Don Williams has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief of Chaplains, and Col. Larry Trick has been appointed as the new National Character Development Instructor. Ch. (Col.) John Reutemann, the 22nd Chief of Chaplains, was quoted as saying, “I am excited to welcome Ch. Williams and Col.Trick to the leadership team and can’t wait to see how they bring their years of experience to the service of our beloved Corps. I’ve worked with both of them for many years and know firsthand their abilities and servant hearts. There were many qualified applicants so this was a difficult decision to make, but I firmly believe it was the right decision.”
Ch. Williams joined CAP in 1984 as a Finance Officer, later being appointed a chaplain in 1999 and becoming the New York Wing Chaplain in 2001. He completed Level V and earned the Wilson Award in 2002, also achieving a master rating in both Chaplain and Administration. He has served as a region chaplain twice (NER from 2005 to 2011, and SWR from 2020 to 2024), as well as the acting Deputy Chief of Chaplains from 2011 to 2013. His mother, sister, and nephew have also all served as CAP chaplains!
Col.Trick has been involved in Character Development for over 50 years; first as a cadet, then as a senior member. He has previously served as the Maryland Wing Commander, National Cadet Programs Senior Advisor, and most recently as the Mid-Atlantic Region Character Development Instructor. He has achieved the Spaatz, Falcon, and Wilson Awards, and has been awarded the Distinguished Service, Exceptional Service, and Meritorious Service medals. Col. Trick has been an activity director for three NCSAs including E-Tech at MTSU.
Chaplain Reutemann also thanked the outgoing National Character Development Instructor, Lt. Col. Shirely Rodriguez. “I can’t thank Lt. Col. Rodriguez enough for paving the way for CDIs to serve at all echelons as our Corps’ very first National CDI. Her attention to detail in processing CDI applications has ensured that the entire organization is served by thoroughly vetted applicants, and her living of the CST [Chapel Support Team] model is an example to all of us of the ideal relationship that should exist between chaplain and CDI,” Reutemann said. Lt. Col. Rodriguez will now transition to the Chaplain Corps Emeritus Council where she will continue to serve in an advisory capacity alongside our previous Chiefs of Chaplains, to include Chaplains Linda Pugsley, John Murdoch, and Charlie Sattgast.
The remaining national-level Chaplain Corps positions will be announced in the near future.
The Civil Air Patrol Chaplain Corp College was created in 2021. It is a blended education center providing standardized career education and academic material
