Mulanax Named CAP National Historian

Lt. Col. Richard B. Mulanax officialliy begins his role today as Civil Air Patrol’s next national historian.

Mulanax, who lives in Vero Beach, Florida, has been Research Division Head on the CAP National History Program staff since 2013. Before that he was region historian for CAP's Southeast Region. He previously served as deputy chief of staff for aerospace education on the Rocky Mountain Region staff, and has filled various other CAP assignments on the Florida Wing and Southeast Region staffs.

“I am confident that Col. Mulanax will continue the tradition of excellence that we have enjoyed with CAP’s historory program,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP's national commander and CEO. “This program provides a richness to our culture, helping us to understand and appreciate our past, put perspective into performing our missions today, and capturing the history we are currently making for future generations of CAP members. I welcome Col. Mulanax to the team and look forward to partnering with him to help him and his team to be highly successful.”

Mulanax received his doctoral degree in history from Florida State University and served for 20 years on the faculty of Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida, retiring as a full professor of history.

Before that he served as a regular officer in the U.S. Air Force, with assignments as an assistant professor of history and executive officer of the Department of History at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

He also served on the faculty of the Air Force Special Operations School at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where he was an international politico-military affairs officer and chief of the Africa Branch. He holds a master’s in African area studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and master's in international relations and in public administration from Troy University in Alabama.

Other Air Force assignments included commander of the Headquarters Squadrons of the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Zweibruecken Air Base, Germany, and 39th Tactical Wing, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey.

“I am honored to be appointed CAP national historian and to be part of Gen. Smith’s staff,”  Mulanax said. “Our organizational history is the corporate memory of Civil Air Patrol, its foundation for the future, and we on the National History team look forward to working with all CAP members in continuing the tradition of service to our nation reflected in our history.”

Mulanax joined CAP as a college student and senior member in 1967. He was called to active duty with the Air Force in 1972 after completing graduate school at UCLA, and over the years he served in various squadron-level CAP staff positions in California and Texas, and as commander of the overseas Zweibruecken Cadet Squadron in Germany. He was also commander of the Texas Wing's Group 2.

His awards include the U.S. Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with two clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two clusters, the CAP Exceptional Service Award with four devices, the CAP Meritorious Service Award with four devices and the CAP Achievement Award. He is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans and the Military Officers Association.

Mulanax succeeds Col. Frank A. Blazich Jr., who has served as CAP national historian since April 2013.