Antonio "Tony" Pineda Jr. was a

National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol The National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol (acronym: CAP/CC) is the highest senior official and commanding officer of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) — a non-profit corporation that is congressionally chartered to operate as the civilian auxil ...

. The Civil Air Patrol removed Pineda as national commander after investigating complaints that another patrol member took

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

tests for him.

Civil Air Patrol

Background

He began his Civil Air Patrol career as a member of the West Broward Composite Squadron in 1988. Pineda completed all levels of the CAP professional development program, including the

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, Charles Yeager Aerospace Education and

Gill Robb Wilson Gill Robb Wilson (September 18, 1892 – September 8, 1966) was an American pilot, Presbyterian minister, and military advocate. Wilson was a founder of the Civil Air Patrol. Early life Wilson was born in Clarion County, Pennsylvania to the Re ...

awards. He attended both the Southeast Region Staff College and the National Staff College. He is also a graduate of the National Commanders Course.

Timeline

1988-1989: Joined CAP
1989-1996: Group commander, South Florida
1996-1998: Florida Wing vice commander
1998-2001: Florida Wing commander
2001-2004: Southeast Region commander
2004-2005; National Vice commander
2005-2007: National Commander of the Civil Air Patrol — Removed by the Board of Governors for misconduct and stripped of his rank.

Controversy

In 2007 the Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors voted to and removed Pineda, owing to allegations that he had his subordinates take his exams for him (for courses on security and leadership, among others). The Board also stripped him of his rank. The accusations were investigated & confirmed in an Inspector General report.

Others

Ranger Corps

He subsequently created his own volunteer organization, the short lived and now defunct U.S. Ranger Corps, in which he gave himself the title of Lt. Gen.

Police

Pineda began his professional career in 1972 as a police officer and later a detective with the

Hollywood, FL Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the third-largest city in Broward County, the fifth-largest in the Mia ...

Police Department.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pineda, Antonio J. Living people Florida International University alumni Miami Dade College alumni National commanders of the Civil Air Patrol People from Hollywood, Florida Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people)