Commander

1st Lt Charles “Chuck” Burchess began his Civil Air Patrol (CAP) journey in the mid-1980s as a cadet in the Lincoln Cadet Squadron. He earned the Billy Mitchell Award before enlisting in the United States Air Force, where he served for 20 years before retiring in January 2013.

In 2021, he rejoined CAP and became a senior member of the 155th Composite Squadron. He initially served as the Aerospace Education Officer before assuming the role of Deputy Commander of Cadets in 2023.

Lt Burchess' favorite aspect of CAP is mentoring cadets and guiding them through the program. He takes great pride in watching cadets grow from C/Amn and advance through the ranks.