Notes from the Inspector General: A Year of Progress for the CAP IG Corps - By Col Joe Winter, CAP/IG
As I reflect on my first year serving as Civil Air Patrol’s National Inspector General, I am humbled by the dedication and professionalism of our IG Corps across the country. Together, we have advanced the IG mission in meaningful ways—strengthening compliance, refining processes, and deepening our role in supporting both commanders and members. This year has been about building a foundation for long-term success, and I am proud to highlight several milestones we achieved together.
Modernizing Our Regulatory Framework
One of our most visible accomplishments was the rollout of new regulations governing the IG program. CAPR 20-1, Inspector General Program, has been approved and published, establishing clear expectations for our oversight mission. CAPR 20-2, Complaint Resolution, is with our CAP-USAF partners for approval, while CAPR 20-3, Inspections and Compliance Analyses, is in development and will soon codify new approaches to assessing readiness and mitigating risk. These updates not only clarify our authorities and responsibilities but also modernize the program to align with Air Force inspection concepts where appropriate.
The Member Concern Report (MCR)
We also launched the Member Concern Report, replacing the old IG online complaint form. This consolidated reporting tool allows members to submit IG complaints, Equal Opportunity complaints, or Cadet Protection concerns in one place. Beyond simplifying access, the MCR ensures cases are tracked in a unified system, improves transparency, and enables subject-matter experts to engage directly when issues cross functional areas. This is a major step forward in ensuring timely, consistent, and accountable handling of member concerns.
Revitalizing IG Education
In July, we hosted the first in-residence National Inspector General College since 2018, held in San Antonio, Texas. Twenty IGs—including six who joined virtually—completed a rigorous program of advanced training in complaints and compliance. This event was not only a professional capstone for the participants but also a moment of renewal for the IG community. We emerged more connected, more capable, and better prepared to support commanders at all levels.
Strengthening Our Team
We reorganized the IG staff at the national level, elevating critical positions to ensure clarity of mission and depth of expertise. By aligning responsibilities across complaints resolution, inspections, and compliance analyses, we created a stronger foundation to serve both CAP’s senior leadership and the field IGs who carry out our mission every day. This reorganization has already improved coordination, reduced duplication, and provided clearer points of contact for commanders and members alike.
Elevating the Role of the IG Corps
Finally, we have continued to elevate the IG Corps as a trusted partner in identifying undetected non-compliance and systemic risks. Our inspections and analyses are increasingly focused not on rote checklists, but on readiness to execute CAP’s three Congressionally mandated missions. At the same time, we remain steadfast in supporting our wing members through the complaints resolution program—working with compassion, fairness, and professionalism to address issues at every level.
Looking Ahead
This first year has been one of transformation, but it is only the beginning. Our charge is to ensure the credibility of Civil Air Patrol through professional oversight and trusted resolution of concerns. By combining innovation with steadfast adherence to our core values, the IG Corps will continue to safeguard readiness, integrity, and trust.
To each of you who serve as inspectors general across CAP: thank you for your tireless efforts, your professionalism, and your belief in the importance of our mission. Together, we are ensuring that the IG Corps remains not just a compliance function, but a cornerstone of Civil Air Patrol’s excellence.
Semper Vigilans!
The CommandeRS Corner – Items of Command Interest
The New Member Concern Report (MCR) - By Col Preston Perrenot, CAP/IGQ
Some of you may have heard rumblings about a new “Member Concern Report” (MCR). Let me confirm: yes, the MCR is real, and it replaces the old IG Online Complaint Form. At first glance, the change may not look dramatic—the process for accessing and submitting a report remains largely the same. But beneath the surface, the MCR represents an important step forward in how Civil Air Patrol manages and responds to member concerns.
What’s New?
The MCR consolidates multiple reporting avenues into one streamlined process. In the past, the online form only supported IG complaints. Now, the MCR enables members to report three categories of concerns through a single portal:
Inspector General (IG) Complaints
Equal Opportunity (EO) Complaints (per CAPR 36-2)
Cadet Protection (CP) Concerns
This consolidated approach offers several advantages:
Shared Repository: EO and CP staff can now use the IG Case File system as the central repository for reports and documents, ensuring records are secure, accessible, and maintained in a single location.
Improved Tracking: Cases can be monitored more effectively, promoting timeliness, accountability, and consistency in how concerns are addressed.
Equal Opportunity Complaints
When a concern is identified as an EO complaint—alleging discrimination, harassment, or other inappropriate behavior related to protected categories—it is screened at intake and formally assigned to the CAP/EO. The EO office retains access to the case for the duration of its lifecycle.
Important note: EO complaints are not investigated by the CAP/IG. The IG’s role is limited to ensuring the case is appropriately routed, recorded, and tracked.
Cadet Protection Program Concerns
The MCR also improves how we manage Cadet Protection concerns. Issues such as boundary violations, non-physical cadet-on-cadet bullying, and violations of the Cadet Programs Progressive Discipline Policy are routed to the HQ CAP Youth Protection Program Manager.
In these cases, the Youth Protection Program Manager functions much like a National Complaints Resolution Officer (NCRO). They are “assigned” to the case, develop recommendations, and provide corrective measures for the wing commander’s consideration.
Note: The Youth Protection Program Manager does not investigate allegations. If they determine that an issue requires investigation or further analysis, the matter may be referred back to the CAP/IG for action.
Why This Matters
The Member Concern Report is more than a new form—it reflects CAP’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and care for our members. By consolidating processes, centralizing records, and ensuring subject-matter experts are engaged at the right point in the process, we are better equipped to support members, protect cadets, and strengthen trust across the organization.
It’s a small change in appearance, but a significant step in how we live our core values.
IG Development
Inspections By - Col Frank Eldridge, CAP/IGI
The Commander’s Responsibility
All CAP commanders are responsible for continuously evaluating their unit’s readiness, efficiency, and effectiveness. One of the most credible and independent tools available to a commander is the inspection process, as outlined in CAPR 20-3, para. 1. Inspections provide an objective means of assessing compliance, but they are only one of many tools leaders can use.
Additional Tools for Evaluation
Commanders should complement the inspection process with other deliberate and informal tools that provide a holistic view of their organization:
Readiness Assessments
Formal Metrics:
Personnel: Track the number of trained/qualified members available for critical tasks.
Equipment: Monitor serviceability and maintenance status.
Training: Measure completion rates for required training and certifications.
Informal Assessments:
Personal Observation: Gain firsthand perspective through presence in training, operations, and exercises.
Spot Checks: Validate standards with unscheduled reviews of processes or equipment.
Subordinate Feedback: Leverage insights from subordinate leaders for ground-level perspectives.
Efficiency Assessments
Workflow Analysis: Identify bottlenecks and redundancies in approval processes and communication.
Resource Utilization: Track how personnel, fuel, and supplies are used to complete tasks.
Effectiveness Assessments
Mission Metrics: Measure success rates, task accuracy, and completion of objectives.
Budget Adherence: Monitor alignment of operations to allocated budgets.
Mission Outcomes: Evaluate how activities support operational goals and organizational results.
Reflection for Commanders: What actions will you take to strengthen your unit’s readiness, efficiency, and effectiveness?
Wing Compliance Inspections
Since January 2025, National IG Compliance Inspection (CI) teams have completed 10 Wing CIs. All wing commanders and inspectors general receive copies of these reports. Reviewing discrepancies, observations, and commendables from other wings provides valuable insight into common challenges and best practices.
Most Common 2025 IG Tab Discrepancy
Under the IG tab (E3), the top discrepancy appeared in 6 of 10 wings:
Question 9: Are Sub-Unit Compliance Inspection discrepancies closed within 5 months as required?
CAPR 20-3, para. 9.13, requires that all SUI discrepancies be resolved within 5 months. To meet this standard, wing commanders and IGs should review their processes. Consider:
Who tracks unit discrepancies—unit commanders, wing IGs, wing directors, or wing commanders? (Best practice: all stakeholders should track them.)
How often does your wing review open discrepancies—weekly or monthly?
What assistance do directors or group officers provide to help units close discrepancies?
What specific actions have been taken to resolve each issue?
Success in this area requires a team effort, with commanders, IGs, directors, and units collaborating to ensure closure.
Upcoming SUI and CI Worksheet Updates
Revisions are currently underway for several inspection worksheets. Updates are expected for:
Cadet Programs (B1)
Public Affairs (D6)
Transportation (D8)
Once finalized, the new worksheets will be published on the NHQ IG webpage.
Key Statistics
A New Dawn for the CAP IG Program
Col Russ Chazell, CAP/IGD Principal DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL
As I am writing this article for the next IG Audience, the new CAPR 20-1, Inspector General Program, has been approved and is now published. CAPR 20-2, Complaint Resolution, is currently with our CAP-USAF partners for review and approval. CAPR 20-3, Inspections and Compliance Analyses, is in development and should be issued within the next few months.
These new IG program regulations represent a significant evolution in CAP’s IG program. The CAP Board of Governors, and CAP senior leaders have tasked the IG program with identifying—and, to the extent possible—mitigating institutional risk. To that end, the IG program will now be less focused on identifying non-compliances through rote worksheets and more focused on reducing risk by evaluating readiness to perform our three Congressionally mandated missions.
We’ve built on the lessons of the past five years where we professionalized our inspections program and added credibility to our complaint resolution program. Recently, a number of senior IGs attended the Air Force Inspection Agency’s (AFIA) “Inspector General Training Course – Inspections,” at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. That training has inspired us to adopt “continuous compliance” concepts where they make sense for CAP. Many of the innovations in the forthcoming 20-3 are direct outgrowths of the Air Force program, positioning us to elevate CAP to be even better than it already is.
We should all be grateful to past CAP/IGs Col Cheryl Fielitz-Scarbrough and Col Jay Burrell (RIP), as well as our current CAP/IG, Col Joe Winter, for their tireless advocacy and persistence in getting these advances over the finish line. Special thanks also go to Maj Gen Aye, Col Aaron Reid (CAP-USAF/CC), Lt Col Chris Ferguson (CAP-USAF/IG), and Ms. Norma Moreno (CAP-USAF/Deputy IG) for their unwavering support of the CAP IG program and for securing our seat in the AFIA course.
That said, it’s a well-known axiom of organizational dynamics that when a new program is about to be implemented, “the devil is in the details.” The phrase, from the German proverb Der liebe Gott steckt im Detail (“God is in the detail”), reminds us that excellence comes through thoroughness and attention.
We Seek to Implement the Following Transformations:
Codification of IG roles: We propose formally codifying the National Compliance Inspection Officer (NCIO), the National Complaints Resolution Officer (NCRO), and the National Review Panel (NRP) into the regulations—roles that have already proven their value in practice.
Commander’s Inspection Management Boards (CIMBs): We seek to establish CIMBs at the Wing, Region, and National levels. These boards, chaired by echelon commanders, will provide CAP Senior Leadership and the CAP Board of Governors with a structured forum to review inspection data, address open discrepancies, and collaborate on institutional risk management.
Expanded self-assessment programs: We plan to implement self-assessment programs at the group, squadron, and flight levels, empowering commanders to monitor unit health, prepare for inspections, and strengthen accountability.
Major Graded Areas (MGAs): We propose shifting our inspection focus from checklists to high-level MGAs. Units will be graded on how effectively they achieve mission outcomes, not just on passing worksheets.
Integration of CAP Readiness Exercises (CREs): We seek to embed IG participation into operations evaluations. By collaborating on exercise objectives and grading, IGs will help ensure that readiness assessments are holistic and mission-focused.
Compliance Analyses: We aim to expand “desk audits” of CAP programs—independent reviews that promote corrective action, reduce systemic risk, and improve effectiveness. To carry this out, we will recruit a cadre of National Compliance Analysis Officers (NAOs), guided by a newly appointed Deputy National IG for Compliance Analyses.
We know there will be questions about how these initiatives will take shape. We are committed to providing clear answers, consistent guidance, and transparent processes as we implement them. Missteps are inevitable in such an ambitious transformation, but with your patience and partnership, we will overcome them.
As an operator at my favorite amusement park always said just before the ride began: “Buckle up, keep your hands inside the car, and have fun!” This is an exciting and gratifying journey toward greater institutional excellence. It’s a great time to be a CAP IG—come join us on the ride!
National Inspector General College 2025 recap By - Col Daniel Leclair, Deputy Inspector General for Training, Education, and Staff Development
The in-residence IG College for 2025 was a unique and exciting opportunity, as well as a privilege for the NHQ IG Staff to host Civil Air Patrol’s IG capstone course. Twenty Inspectors General—including six participating remotely—gathered in late July 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. This event marked the first face-to-face National Inspector General College (NIGC) since 2018 and the first in-residence college since the COVID-19 pandemic. We extend sincere gratitude to the Alamo Composite Squadron for their outstanding support in helping us deliver a program that will shape the future of CAP’s complaints and compliance efforts.
A Milestone in Professional Growth
The NIGC is more than just an event; it represents a milestone in the professional development of Civil Air Patrol Inspectors General. It serves as the culminating experience in their training and education journey—an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills to real-world issues while demonstrating critical thinking, problem-solving, and leadership in the IG arena.
Blended Learning Approach
To set the stage for the in-residence program, two online Zoom sessions were conducted before students traveled to San Antonio:
July 12 (11:00 a.m. ET): A two-hour session on complaints, led by Col Preston Perrenot (CAP/IGQ) and staff.
July 19 (11:00 a.m. ET): A two-hour session on compliance, led by Col Frank Eldridge (CAP/IGI) and staff.
These sessions were attended by all college students, regardless of whether they pursued the complaints or compliance track, ensuring a shared foundation before arriving in San Antonio.
In-Residence Experience
The in-residence portion ran from July 25 (arrival) through July 28 (departure), with two full days of instruction on July 26–27. Students were divided into two tracks:
Complaints Track: 3 students
Compliance Track: 17 students
In addition to track-specific instruction, all students participated in plenary sessions at the beginning and end of each day. Each track was led by the NHQ IGI and IGQ, and students completed both introductory and advanced coursework to qualify for the program.
Senior Leadership Perspective
On the final day, Lt Col Chris Ferguson, CAP-USAF/IG, addressed the students and staff. He thanked the volunteers for their dedication and emphasized the critical role of the inspection process in command-level risk analysis. His remarks underscored how the work of CAP IGs directly supports commanders in making informed decisions while sustaining mission readiness.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025
Congratulations to the graduates of the National Inspector General College 2025. Their commitment to excellence in complaints resolution and compliance oversight continues to strengthen the integrity of Civil Air Patrol’s missions and institutions.
Results of Wing/Region-Level Compliance InspectionsWING CI DATES RESULTS -
Organization - Date - Rating
- ME 27 - 28 June - Effective
- GA 12 - 13 July - Effective
- OR 2 - 3 August - Effective
- AR 30 - 31 August - Highly Effective
Upcoming Wing/Region-Level Compliance Inspections
Organization - Date - Cycle 7
- LA TBD (Postponed)
- DE 18 - 19 October
- SER 24 - 16 October
- WA 14 - 16 November
Contact Us!
CAP/IG: Col Joe Winter at ig@capnhq.gov
CAP/IGD: (Principal Deputy) Col Russell Chazell at igd@capnhq.gov
CAP/IGQ (Complaints): Col Preston Perrenot at igq@capnhq.gov
CAP/IGI (Inspections): Col Frank Eldridge at igi@capnhq.gov
CAP/IGT (Education & Training): Col Dan Leclair at igt@capnhq.gov
THE AUDIENCE EDITOR: Col Cheryl Fielitz-Scarbrough at cfielitzscarbrough@cap.gov
Credits:
Created with an image by momius - "Contact us keyboard key"