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Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron installs new squadron commander

1st Lt John Acevedo
Acevedo assumes command of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron and says, "I call upon all of you to assist me in keeping with the tradition of excellence and outstanding accomplishments that have defined this proud squadron for so many years."

Acevedo assumes command

By Capt Guilford Queen, CAP
Public Affairs Officer, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron

4/9/2012–Montgomery County, Md–The Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) Composite Squadron is pleased to present its newest squadron commander 1st Lt John Acevedo. The formal change of command ceremony was held during the Squadron’s winter banquet on December 22, 2011. 1st Lt Acevedo assumes command after several years working with cadets and ground teams. Acevedo came to B-CC from Twin Pine Composite Squadron located in Trenton, NJ.

The Master of Ceremonies, C/Col Todd O’Brien opened the formal portion of the dinner by introducing the head table and announcing the presentation of colors, toasts to our chain of command, and an introduction of principal participants. He then began the formal ceremony with, “One of the oldest ceremonies in the American military is the change of command ceremony. Its purpose is to provide a physical demonstration of the power of command, the responsibility of command, and to formalize its change. It is a ceremony time-honored to recognize the change of command and the change of leadership.”

The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including Col Russell Chazell (CAP National Chief of Staff), Lt Col Janeen Chazell (CAP Maryland Wing Drug Demand Reduction Education Outreach Coordinator), and Col John Knowles (Maryland Wing Commander). 1st Lt John Acevedo assumes command of B-CC from the outgoing commander, Maj Michael Crockett. During 1st Lt Acevedo’s acceptance as commander he said “Today I take my first steps as commander of one of the largest Civil Air Patrol squadrons in the country. B-CC is a squadron with an illustrious past and with many impressive accomplishments as recently as this year. Most notable is having received the award as 2011 Squadron of the Year for Maryland Wing…I call upon all of you to assist me in keeping with the tradition of excellence and outstanding accomplishments that have defined this proud squadron for so many years. More importantly I ask that each of you keep your focus on the cadets and their needs for it is with them that the Civil Air Patrol is truly unmatched as an organization for the education of our country’s leaders of tomorrow. It has been a pleasure and an honor serving under Major Crockett.”

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 61,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and was credited by the AFRCC with saving 54 lives in fiscal year 2011. Its 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 nearly 27,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 70 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.

More than 1,500 members of CAP serve in Maryland. Last fiscal year wing members flew 42 search and rescue missions and were credited with 31 finds. For more information contact The Maryland Wing at www.mdcap.org or the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Composite Squadron at http://bcc-cap.org.