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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