This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Col Joe Abegg is the Civil Air Patrol’s Northeast Region (NER) Chief of Staff.

As region chief of staff, Abegg leads the NER staff supporting the more than 8,100 CAP members in nine states — Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont — and serves as the chair of the region membership committee. He also serves as the National Vice President of the Board for the Spaatz Association, and he is the National Activity Director of the annual Spaatz Awards Gala in Washington DC.

He has been an active member of CAP for over 50 years, and he was the longest serving National Director of Emergency Services leading 26 innovative national projects, and leading or serving on numerous National Committees. He is the first-ever winner of the National Ed Lewis Incident Staff Member of the Year. He has served twice as the NER Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, as the NER Director of Operations, and as the NER Director of Plans & Programs. In 1986 he led the NER Search & Rescue team that won the CAP National Search & Rescue Competition. He has previously served as the New Jersey Wing Commander, as Group Commander, three times as a Squadron Commander, two times as a Cadet Commander, and innumerable staff positions at the Squadron, Group, Wing, and Region level. As a CAP Cadet he earned Ranger Expert at the Illinois Wing Ranger School, and he is a graduate of the National Blue Beret (original school).

He holds United Airlines Senior Captain Wings, AF Command Pilot Wings, CAP Command Pilot Wings, CAP Master Observer Wings, the Master Incident Command Badge, and the Master Ground Team Badge. He has earned eight Specialty Track Master Ratings and a Senior Rating in Safety.

Abegg’s decorations include the Distinguished Service Award, four Exceptional Service Awards, five Meritorious Service Awards, thirteen Commanders Commendations, the CAP Spaatz Award, the CAP Falcon Award, the CAP Wilson Award, three DoD Meritorious Service Medals, the AF Commendation Medal, and the AF Achievement Medal. He has also served on staff at 25 CAP Region Staff Colleges.

He served 29 years in the Air Force, as both enlisted and officer, retiring as a Lt Col, and operated classified missions to five continents. He is additionally a Life Member of the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) and has served as a State President and as a State Executive Vice President. He has been awarded the AFA Medal of Merit and twice awarded the AFA Exceptional Service Award.

He is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command & Staff College, the inland SAR School, the CAP National Incident Crisis Coordination School, and the Senior Inspector General school.

Abegg holds a master’s degree in management and a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. He is a retired United Airlines Captain, has flown to six continents, and has logged 31,635 flying hours. Current as of 26 Oct 2024

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lieutenant Colonel Roysetta Bruner joined Lebanon (Pennsylvania) VFW Cadet Squadron 307 in 1976. She was appointed as the squadron's Public Affairs Officer and was honored that year as National Public Affairs Officer of the Year. She served as squadron commander, as commander of Group 30 and later Group 2 in Pennsylvania Wing, and as wing Director of Cadet Programs.

In October 2001 she joined Northeast Region Staff as DCS for Cadet Programs She holds a master rating in public affairs.

She has received the meritorious service award and the Paul E. Garber award The Adjutant General of Pennsylvania has awarded her the Pennsylvania Commendation Medal four times for her support of the youth programs of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Col Burns got involved in CAP in July 1981 when his daughter, then a cadet, told him her squadron needed more Senior Members. In 1982 he became the Commander of the Lone Eagle Comp Sqdn, a position he held until April 1988. He then joined Group 221 as Deputy Group Commander and held that position until 1994. As demands for his time increased because of his responsibilities at work, he became Group Finance Officer and in 2002, Group IG until the end of 2006. He next served as NER IG until October 2008 and then became Assistant Deputy CAP-IG for Training (CAP/IGTA) in October 2008. In that position he was responsible for developing and implementing the Inspector General online Basic Course, teaching the IG Senior Level Course, Curriculum Director for the biennial IG College and Team Chief for the CAP/CAP-USAF Joint Compliance Inspection Team.

Col Burns holds Master ratings in Finance and Inspector General. He is a licensed Private Pilot and was an Air Crew member as an Observer in 1986 when Northeast Region won the National SAR Competition at Whiteman AFB.

He is a graduate of St. Peter's University with a BS in Chemistry and Education and also earned an MBA (Management) from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He spent 36 years in IT-related positions with IBM, Beneficial Corporation, International Paper, Warner Lambert and the CIT Group from which he retired as Sr. Vice President of Global Infrastructure Services. He is currently a Professor with Thomas Edison State College and teaches online courses in the Information Technology field.

He served in the military from July 1959 to Dec 1968. His active duty assignments included Firing Platoon Leader, 5th Battalion, 73rd Field Artillery (Sergeant Missile) (Germany), Commander, Nurnburg Equipment Maintenance Center (Germany) and General Staff Officer, 1st Logistical Command HQ (RVN). He was awarded a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal. He is also the 1st Vice Commander of American Legion Post 157 (ME) and a member of the Maine Troop Greeters. He and his wife Pat now reside in Stockton Springs, ME.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Maj Flattery's career with the Civil Air Patrol began in 1972 as a cadet in the Brockton Composite Squadron in Massachusetts. Captain Flattery left Civil Air Patrol after receiving his Mitchell award, and rejoined as a senior member in 2002.

Flattery has served in several positions throughout his career in Civil Air Patrol, primarily as a Health Service Officer. Currently Captain Flattery is assigned as Director of Health Services Programs at Northeast Region since July 2012. Flattery is also working with a National group of Health Service Officers to develop a Specialty Track and curriculum for Civil Air Patrol Health Service Officers.

He is also assigned ADY since 2011, to the National Headquarters for the National Communications Team. He serves as a National Communications Officer and is the Curriculum and Instructional Development Coordinator for the Team. Flattery and the team were responsible for the development and implementation of ICUT. Flattery has worked with the National Communications Team and other National staff bringing communications education online to all CAP members. Captain Flattery was awarded a National Commanders Commendation for his work on ICUT and other educational programs.

Captain Flattery is active in Massachusetts Wing and other wings in the region as a Mission Scanner and Observer, as well as a Mission Radio Operator. Flattery is an active participant in the area SAREX's and missions. He operates VHF and HF ALE stations for Civil Air Patrol providing support for its various missions.

Flattery is a Registered Nurse with a Masters Degree in Nursing Informatics. He has worked in numerous nursing positions in Massachusetts, most recently as a clinical educator at a small community hospital in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Presently he is employed as the Senior Clinical Analyst for Physicians Services at Cape Cod Healthcare as well as an independent Healthcare IT consultant.

He works directly with the Chief Medical Information Officer, as well as other providers and clinicians, helping to develop and maintain (EMR) electronic medical records, and (CPOE) computerized physician order entry. As an independent consultant he assists hospitals and physician practices in designing and developing networks, both hardware and virtual systems.

Captain Flattery is active in the nursing field providing consulting for Legal nursing, and educational programs and curriculum for nurses and providers. He authors courses and evaluates curriculum for nursing and other healthcare providers.