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Former SD CAP Member to Command Virginia Wing

March 8, 2021

(Rapid City, SD) ---The new Civil Air Patrol Virginia Wing commander, Col (Select) Elizabeth "Liz" Sydow, is a former South Dakota Wing member. Sydow is a retired Air Force Colonel and was an active member of SDWG while she was stationed at Ellsworth AFB. She holds a Master of Science Degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

"It's great to hear a prior SD Wing CAP member taking on the role of Wing Commander,” said Col. Nick Gengler, South Dakota Wing Commander. “I look forward to working with Col. Sydow in the future as a fellow wing commander. "

The Virginia Wing commander designate currently serves as the Virginia Wing Vice Commander and the National Diversity Officer.  She joined CAP as a cadet in 1978 earning the General Carl A. Spaatz Award in 1987, serving in cadet program positions in South Dakota Wing in the 1990s. She has served as staff on thirteen cadet encampments, including as an encampment commander in South Dakota.

“Liz Sydow did much for the Cadet Program during her time in South Dakota Wing and Rushmore Composite Squadron,” said Col. Mary Donley, former South Dakota Wing Commander. “Her leadership was evident back then as she coordinated and ran many cadet activities.  We were lucky to have her as she embarked on her Senior Program in Civil Air Patrol and her outstanding career in the United States Air Force.”

Sydow holds five CAP specialty track master ratings. Her emergency services qualifications include incident commander, operations section chief, planning section chief, air operations branch director, ground branch director, finance/admin section chief, liaison officer, logistics section chief, mission observer, and mission scanner. Her active-duty service included squadron and major command civil engineer staffs, managing the facility construction program for the B-2 Bomber, managing a $257M military housing construction program, and teaching as an instructor of readiness and engineering management at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

The Virginia Wing Change of Command will be held on April 10, 2021.

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