Ridley Named New Conn. Wing Commander

Capt. Andrew Liput
Public Affairs Officer
Western Connecticut Group
Connecticut Wing

Lt. Col. James A. Ridley Sr. is the new commander of the Connecticut Wing.

Ridley, who joined Civil Air Patrol in 2004, previously served as wing chief of staff and Western Connecticut Group commander. He formerly commanded the New York Wing’s Leroy R. Grumman Cadet Squadron for four years and also held positions at the squadron, group, wing and region levels as public affairs officer, cadet programs officer and plans and programs officer.

This year he will run the Northeast Region Staff College for the second time. In 2016 he directed the Northeast Region Cadet Leadership School as well.

“I am honored to have been selected for this important task and look forward to continuing to work with a great team who have contributed so much to this wing’s success these past four years,” Ridley said. “It is my intention to maintain the high standards of professionalism and the excellent achievements Connecticut have seen in the past and to work hard to exceed them.”

The Connecticut Wing completed its biennial U.S. Air Force emergency services evaluation in late April, receiving a “Highly Successful” ranking, with Ridley proving instrumental in preparing the public information officer team for its own “Highly Successful” rating. In 2016 he led the wing staff to the same rating in the wing’s CAP compliance inspection, with only five discrepancies noted.